Sometimes the Lord will cause a person who is saved to suffer; remember the Apostle Paul and his suffering. He viewed it as a reward to be able to suffer in the name of Christ. If our suffering is not directly because of persecution because of our faith, but perhaps because of an accident or illness, and throughout our suffering we keep our faith, that glorifies God. We must remember that no matter what the trial or tribulation, God will not abandon us, and he will never place a burden on us such that he will not also give us the strength to persevere throughout it.
That being said, from a national point of view, there are numerous times when God chastised Israel.
I remember when the people asked for a King like all the other nations had, and Saul was annointed King. It represented a change in the system of government of the nation of Israel. Could not America, rebelling from King George, and building their own government of, by and for the people, without a King, be abstractly related to that concept ? We now seek to not select a head of state by birth, but by our elective choice on a regular schedule. Which is better in some ways, but presents it’s own challenges, as we are still dealing with a nation of corruptible men. And as we have nationally turned away from God, we certainly have nationally experienced the problems of being more accepting of moral lapses.
When He does stuff like this, as He is doing to the world, He must have one HECK of a plan for us to carry out if he’s doing this to toughen us up.
Yes! We are never alone!