One night during family worship we were in Hosea 5 and we discussed the following verses.
I will be like a lion to Ephraim,
like a young lion to the house of Judah.
I myself will tear them to pieces,
then I will carry them off, and no one will be able to rescue them!
Then I will return again to my lair
until they have suffered their punishment.
Then they will seek me;
in their distress they will earnestly seek me.Hosea 5:14-15
You know I like to ask questions so the first one was: who is the one causing the suffering? God. Who is the only one who can rescue them? God. They will seek God after they have suffered. Does this mean that only those who suffer will seek God? No, of course not but is it possible that those who suffer are more likely to seek God earnestly?
My initial inclination is to say that yes those who suffer do seek God and seek Him earnestly more so than those who do not suffer. If you are not in pain then what do you need God for really? Yes, I know you need Him for your very life but these people are typically happy and self-sufficient. It is not a good place to think you are in control when you are not. I know because I was there and sometimes go back there.
In their distress…