God purposefully designs our weaknesses — even those that leave us unable to do anything. One of those purposes is to sanctify the strong. How can God be good and sovereign over all things and also allow intense personal suffering into people’s lives? This is such an important and central question for us at Desiring God. And it’s a question that arrived in the inbox from a young man. “Hello, Pastor John! My girlfriend is becoming a respiratory therapist, and since beginning her training, she has interacted with many patients who are brain-dead or have no control over their bodies. She has serious questions about where God is in all of this personal suffering. How can God, if he is sovereign, be good by allowing certain people to suffer in this way? What purposes do they serve in this state? I have spoken to her about these things, trying to answer her questions (and I will continue to do so). I want her to see the Lord’s character. But I also wanted to ask you for guidance in answering these questions. What Scripture should I walk her through? What’s the best approach to this?” Episode 1272: https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/how-can-god-be-sovereign-and-good-and-allow-suffering Related Resources: “Five Purposes for Suffering” https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/five-purposes-for-suffering “God’s Sovereign Plans Behind Your Most Unproductive Days” https://youtu.be/7uo1HzyfLG8 “How Does God’s Sovereignty Not Violate Our Decision-Making?” https://youtu.be/ja6IX3A_MZM “Help Me Trust in God’s Sovereign Goodness over My Wearisome Life” https://youtu.be/a6NAtCbKvEs “Can God Be Sovereign over All Sin and Still Be Good? https://youtu.be/m5R0GB2gZbU Ask Pastor John Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKvMOJ1T8T4&list=PLFF7F6AE365DA3564 Find other recent and popular Ask Pastor John episodes, http://desiringgod.org/ask-pastor-john