“God does not hide from the fact that people often question Him in times of crisis.”
Sometime ago I was visiting with some high school seniors and asked them what their classmates thought about God. "They’re sometimes confused", they said. I asked them to explain. "They see Bad Things Happen in the world and wonder why. If God is God, then why didn’t He prevent it?" As I heard their responses, I thought about how many millions of others, whether young or old, think the same thing. (Photo by Rhodi Lopez on Unsplash)
One of the many reasons the Bible is my favorite book, is because it is transparent. It is a divinely inspired book about God that includes stories of the very things the teenagers were addressing. God does not hide from the fact that people often question Him in times of crisis.
When
Jesus, God’s only Son, hung on the cross and was near death, He looked toward
heaven and cried out in anguish, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken
me?" (Matthew
27:46)
When King David led the
nation of Israel, and was facing enemies who threatened the future of his country
he wrote, "Why, O LORD, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself
in times of trouble?" (Psalm 10:1)
When Moses was struggling to
lead the Hebrew people, Tragedy struck and the people rebelled. Moses lamented
before God, "O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you
ever send me?" (Exodus 5:22)
It is natural for us to question or even become angry at God when bad things
happen. Let me share four practical ways we can respond to tragedy, based on
how Jesus walked through His own dark valley.
1) Accept the reality of the curse of sin. When Jesus faced death
He understood about the existence of the curse of sin in the hearts of all
people, and in creation itself. He knew the lies He would face, the abandonment
He would deal with and the horrific pain He would experience were all due to
the presence of sin and evil in the world. Though He accepted this reality, He determined
to walk through it, and by His divine power, would not allow tragedy to win.
As you go through your situation, accept this same reality, but also accept that Jesus is bigger, greater and more powerful than any tragedy.
2) Turn toward God, not away from Him. As Jesus hung on the cross and felt the weight of the world on His shoulders, He cried out, "Why God?" Notice, He turned His words of sorrow toward God, not away from Him, and remained faithful to Him to the end.
Tragedy
has the potential to lead us away from God. We might put down the Bible or walk
away from church. No matter how dark things get, refuse to turn away from God. Do
not let your tragic circumstances have the final say. Instead, like Jesus, take
your questions directly to God. Pour out your heart. Scream. Yell. Cry. Let it
all out before Him.
3) Face tragedy with a spirit of forgiveness. Jesus faced the
people responsible for His unjust circumstances with forgiveness.
Unlike Jesus though, our tendency is to lash out, and want others to suffer like we have. And eventually, our anger, bitterness and unforgiveness become like chains around us making our suffering worse. Through Jesus, you can have those chains broken and fall to your feet.
4) Overcome by faith. The Scripture teaches that Jesus faced His death with joy. How could He do such a thing? Because He knew the future. He knew He would rise from the dead and overcome all the evil He was walking through.
When
devastating news comes, grab hold of Jesus. Let Him be your example and hope. He
has overcome. And because He has, when you place your faith in Him, you will too.
A prayer for you - Lord God, we take our tragedy, whatever it is we are
suffering with, and lay it at your feet. We turn from any unforgiveness toward
others or anger toward you. Lord, save us from this dark valley we are walking
through. Help us overcome. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
