Well, I certainly don't profess to know the mind of God, but I think at least some of the answers to these questions can be summed up in a line from a Sanctus Real song: "the way we're hurting keeps us turning to You."
When we're weary and broken, we can't depend on our own strength, and this is when we turn most fully to God. At first glance, it seems selfish of Him to cause us pain so that we'll depend on Him, but I don't think it is. When we remember that God is our Father, it makes sense that He would only give us what's good for us. When we're begging for something that we want, something that seems good, He's quietly saying that He knows what He's doing and that He has something even better planned. If we can just learn to step back from all the world's problems, we'll see that in the end, our relationship with God is the ONLY thing that matters. So if it means going through pain for a short time, so be it. Turn to God, for He knows what He's doing, He can see the big picture when we can't, and He is always, only working for our good.
