This is a silly question to ask, isn't it? The most powerful force in existence- HE who is perfect, who certainly has the ability to avoid pain all together, can actually feel pain? If God does feel pain, does this mean he is not as perfect as we thought He should be? Why not just get rid of the pain? Why not distance Himself from it? Is this an impossibility? Or are we just missing the obvious?
Most people would quote Genesis 6:6-7 were God shows regret over creating the old world. This was the prelude of what remains to be the best (and probably only) example of Divine worldwide punishment, the Great Flood. On Genesis 6:5, it is said, "The LORD saw how bad the people on earth were and that everything they thought and planned was evil" (C.E.V.) This is what triggered it all, the evil hearts and minds of men which have corrupted the world, a world which was created from God's love. Even if we were not there to witness what mankind collectively did to provoke God into taking such drastic action, we can safely surmise that it was certainly something painful for God. But even when God did this, He still saved the people who pleased Him more than anyone in that generation. Imagine, He opted to give chance to humanity despite the fact that He knew eventually that mankind will turn evil again.
Some say that the fact that God felt regret means He views humanity as a mistake, it's as if He was not aware of man's tendency to be weak and sinful. This is contradicted by the scriptures, as stated in Psalms 103:14, "For he has knowledge of our feeble frame; he sees that we are only dust"(B.B.E). He knew from the very beginning, but chose not to eradicate us from the face of the earth despite the pain, despite the sorrow. Why? It can only be best described in one word: LOVE
This same love is the reason why He does not distance Himself from us. God created humanity so that mankind can give Him pleasure. Because of this love, God sees beyond humanity's capacity for evil - the human heart's capacity for love. The most basic of man's defining quality, "And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them" (A.S.V.) anchors with it that God has implanted a piece of Him in us. Even if we are mortal and full of flaws, the gift of free will, the ability to seek truths, and to love each other and do actions out of love which transcends the boundaries of distance, time and culture makes it all worth it. Selfless actions of men brought out from love in the past can and has influenced the future generations of humanity. This truth, no matter how long ago we were created, no matter how much we have sinned and went overboard with our indiscretion, remains ever as true from the time it was spoken up to the present. This same love is what causes God pain, as He gives, and by His very nature is, true love.This illustrates how much He cares, that our fall hurts him the way that a parent feels when his/her child is hurt by the consequence of the child's mistake. He wants to be part of our lives, during hopelessness, despair, grief, and also during our triumphs and happiness. He feels what we feel.
This is the main point that most people can't fathom. Instead of being thankful that God's mercy prevailed over His wrath, that after giving us His Son so we can still live under the umbrella of His love, they view this love as weakness or a fault. We should not mistake his mercy as being powerless to change the situation. As He is the God of Love, He is also the God of Divine Justice. The day will come that all wrongs will be made right, and no one will doubt His power.
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