Where Is God in All of This?
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Recently I have gotten news of many sad, disturbing and devastating things happening in the lives of people who I have been privileged to know on this journey seeking after the Lord. Some really hard news, some really heartbreaking news…news that makes me question: where is God in all of this? These are people who love the Lord. These are families who have given years of their lives to serve Jesus with total abandon. And still bad things happen to good people. How is it that even after trying to live countercultural lives, they are still finding themselves, their children, susceptible to the same things the culture breeds. They fall right into the same statistics that they have lived so hard to fight against. Why God?
As I am reflecting on these things: vocations lost, death, cancer, divorce, adultery, depression, attempted suicide, gender confusion… I can start to feel overwhelmed. What is in my future? If I am giving my life and my family’s lives to follow Jesus, will I just end up suffering in the same way? I want to know the key to avoiding these things for me, for my children. I want to find a way to peacefully continue serving the Lord, feeling safe from these deadly cultural norms. But the reality is, that safety that I think I have is a false security. God is Good, and still bad things happen to good people. People have free will and sin enters in. Satan has a big red target on the backs of those who come to serve the Lord. But Psalm 34:20 says, “Many are the troubles of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him from them all.” And so, the safest place to be is running hard after Jesus and His will for me.
Where is God? Right in the middle of all this mess. Right there, offering healing, freedom, restoration. “Behold, I make ALL THINGS NEW!” (Rev 21:5). As I mull around all these pieces of bad news, I cling to the Good News. “The righteous cry out, the LORD hears, and He rescues them from all their afflictions. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted, saves those whose spirit is crushed.” (Psalm 34:18-19). I can trust in Jesus. Not that nothing bad will happen to me, or to those around me, but that He will be with me when bad things do come. And if I cry out to Him, He will rescue, heal and restore what the evil one has come to steal, kill and destroy (cf. Jn 10:10). Jesus, I trust in You! Bring real healing to those who are suffering. Help us to run hard after You!
Big Woods Mission, Louisiana
Bridget Martin
Mission page: martinfamily.familymissionscompany.comBlog: martinsonmission.wordpress.com
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