“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 NKJV

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?” 35 ‘Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?” 36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:33-36 NKJV

Would God, who is good and loving, allow sickness? When you repent of sin, God’s promise of forgiveness is realized. He delivers you from the eternal consequences of sin; however, He doesn’t promise to undo all of the earthly consequences of sin. Our sin can have physical and mental side effects that cause great suffering, but the question is: why does God allow it?                                                                          

Many believe in sincere ignorance or error that sickness is the result of sin only—not so! The man born blind (John 9) and Lazarus (John 11)—their sickness was allowed so that God’s glory would be manifested. Sickness is often the result of living in a deeply marred fallen world. Yes, some sins may open the door to sickness. In this writer’s view, the primary sources of sicknesses are: sin, Satan, human behavior, and environmental conditions.

God’s first conditional promise made to Israel when He redeemed them from Egypt was that He would not bring sickness on them if they  listen to Him, lived right, gave ear to His commandments, and kept His statutes (Ex. 15:26). Those who contract sickness that have honored God’s conditions—just know that God didn’t do it, but He allowed it. So, does God allow sickness?—Absolutely. His ways and thoughts are so much higher than ours. His ways “are past finding out (text).

For example, God allowed sickness because of David’s sin (Ps. 38:3-8); to defeat Satanic attacks (Matt. 17:14-18; Luke 13:10-16); to test and refine our faith (Job 2:9; 13:15); to discipline us to be obedient and more dependent on Him (Ps. 119:65-71); for not discerning the Lord’s Body during the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:30); and, as earlier stated, to manifest His glory (John 9 and 11).  We know and trust God’s character, but in sickness we may not fully understand that God is at work for His good and for His glory (Rom. 8:28, 31).In the mist of suffering, God’s purpose isn’t always evident, but one thing is: He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). According to His sovereign purposes, God works according to His perfect will (Prov. 25:2).