God and Suffering
Q: Is Suffering God's Punishment for Sin?
A: It is wrong to assume that someone who suffers is being punished for his or her sins or those of an ancestor (Job 1:1, 1:13-22, John 9:1-3). In Biblical times, many people believed that someone who was poor or suffering was being punished by God for sins. Conversely, wealth was believed to be a sign of God's favor. But Jesus' Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) emphatically shows those beliefs to be wrong: The selfish rich man ended up in hell, but the poor beggar Lazarus ended up in heaven.
Q: Did God Create Evil, or Does He Just Allow It?
A: Although God may sometimes use physical evils to accomplish His purposes, the Bible says that God does not cause sin or moral evils (James 1:13-15, 1 John 3:2-6, 2 Thessalonians 3:3). Jesus said the cause of sin is within the human mind: “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.” (NLT, Mark 7:20-23)
These questions and answers are taken from the website christianbiblereference.org. There are so many more great questions and answers on their website. So go check those out, too!
"Bible FAQ." ChristianBibleReference, https://www.christianbiblereference.org/biblefaq.htm. Accessed 21 Feb. 2019.