17/08/2018
WHERE IS GOD IN THE MIDST OF
TRAGEDY?
Ever ask, "God where are you?" What exactly
can you count on God for?
By Marilyn Adamson > PDF
To what degree can we rely on God to help us?
Is He really someone we can turn to at all...in
times of crisis as well as times of calm?
Who is God?
God is the Creator of the universe who yearns
for us to know Him. That is why we are all here.
It is His desire that we rely on and experience
His strength, love, justice, holiness and
compassion. So He says to all who are willing,
"Come to Me."
Unlike us, God knows what will happen
tomorrow, next week, next year, the next
decade. He says, "I am God, and there is no one
like me, declaring the end from the beginning." 1
He knows what will happen in the world. More
importantly, He knows what will occur in your
life and can be there for you, if you've chosen to
include Him in your life. He tells us that He can
be "our refuge and strength, an ever-present
help in times of trouble." 2 But we must make a
sincere effort to seek Him. He says, "you will
seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me
with all your heart." 3
Where Is God in Difficult Times?
That doesn't
mean that those
who know God
will escape
difficult times.
They won't.
When a terrorist
attack causes
suffering and
death, those
who know God will be involved in that suffering
also. But there is a peace and a strength that
God's presence gives. One follower of Jesus
Christ put it this way: "We are hard pressed on
every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not
in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned;
struck down, but not destroyed." 4 Reality tells
us that we will experience problems in life.
However, if we go through them while knowing
God, we can react to them with a different
perspective and with a strength that is not our
own. No problem has the capacity to be
insurmountable to God. He is bigger than all the
problems that can hit us, and we are not left
alone to deal with them.
God's Word tells us, "The Lord is good, a refuge
in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust
in him." 5 And, "The Lord is near to all who call
on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills
the desires of those who fear him; he hears their
cry and saves them." 6
Jesus Christ told His followers these comforting
words: "Are not two sparrows sold for a cent?
And yet not one of them will fall to the ground
apart from your Father. But the very hairs of
your head are all numbered. Therefore do not
fear; you are of more value than many
sparrows." 7 If you truly turn to God, He will care
for you as no one else does, and in a way that
no one else can.
God and Our Free Will
God has created humanity with the ability to
choose. This means that we are not forced into
a relationship with Him. He allows us to reject
Him and to commit other evil acts as well. He
could force us to be loving. He could force us
to be good. But then what kind of relationship
would we have with Him? It would not be a
relationship at all, but a forced, absolutely
controlled obedience. Instead He gave us the
human dignity of free will.
Naturally, we cry from the depths of our
souls..."But God, how could You let something
of this magnitude happen?"
How would we want God to act? Do we want
Him to control the actions of people? In the case
of dealing with a terrorist attack, what could
possibly be an acceptable number of deaths for
God to allow?! Would we feel better if God
allowed only the murder of hundreds? Would we
rather God allowed only the death of one
person? Yet if God would prevent the murder of
even one person, there is no longer freedom to
choose. People choose to ignore God, to defy
God, to go their own way and commit horrible
acts against others.
This planet is
not a safe place.
Someone might
shoot us. Or we
might be hit by
a car. Or we
might have to
jump from a
building
attacked by
terrorists. Or any number of things that might
happen to us in this harsh environment called
Earth, the place where God's will is not always
followed. Yet, God is not at the mercy of people,
but the other way around. We are at His mercy,
fortunately. This is God who created the
universe with its uncountable stars, simply by
speaking the words, "Let there be lights in the
expanse of the sky." 8 This is God who says He
"reigns over the nations." 9 He is unlimited in
power and wisdom. Though problems seem
insurmountable to us, we have an incredibly
capable God who reminds us, "Behold, I am the
LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too hard
for Me?" 10 Somehow He is able to maintain the
freedom of sinful humans, yet still bring about
His will. God clearly says, "My counsel shall
stand, and I will accomplish all My purpose." 11
And we can draw comfort from that if our lives
are submitted to Him. "For God opposes the
proud, but gives grace to the humble." 12
Where Is God When We Reject Him?
Many of us -- no, all of us -- choose at times
to stiff-arm God and His ways. Compared to
others, certainly compared to a terrorist, we
might consider ourselves to be respectable,
loving people. But in the raw honesty of our
own hearts, if we were to face God, it would be
with the knowledge of our sin. As we begin to
address God in prayer, are we not caught short,
paused by the sense that God is well aware of
our thoughts, actions and self-centeredness?
We have...by our lives and actions...distanced
ourselves from God. We have often lived like we
could run our lives just fine without Him. The
Bible says that "We all, like sheep, have gone
astray, each of us has turned to his own
way." 13
The consequences? Our sin has separated us
from God, and it affects more than this life. The
penalty for our sin is death, or eternal
separation from God. However, God has
provided a way for us to be forgiven and know
Him.
God Offers Us His Love
God came to earth to rescue us. "For God so
loved the world, that he sent his only Son, that
whoever believes in him should not perish, but
have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the
world, not to condemn the world, but that the
world might be saved through him." 14
God knows the
pain and
suffering we
encounter in this
world. Jesus left
the safety and
security of His
home, and
entered the hard
environment we
live in. Jesus got tired, knew hunger and thirst,
battled accusations from others and was
ostracized by family and friends. But Jesus
experienced far more than daily hardships.
Jesus, the Son of God in human form, willingly
took all of our sin on Himself and paid our
penalty of death. "In this is love, that he laid
down his life for us." 15 He went through
torture, dying a slow, humiliating death of
suffocation on a cross, so that we could be
forgiven.
Jesus told others ahead of time that He would
be crucified. He said that three days after His
death He would come back to life, proving that
He is God. He didn't say He would reincarnate
someday. (Who would know if He actually did
it?) He said three days after being buried He
would show Himself physically alive to those
who saw His crucifixion. On that third day,
Jesus' tomb was found empty and many people
testified to seeing Him alive.
God Invites Us To Be With Him In Heaven
He now offers us eternal life. We don't earn this.
It is a gift from God offered to us, which we
receive when we ask Him to enter our lives.
"The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus." 16
If we repent of our sin and turn back to God, we
can have the gift of eternal life through Jesus
Christ. It's pretty simple. "God has given us
eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who
has the Son has life; he who does not have the
Son of God does not have life." 17 He wants to
enter our lives.
What about heaven? The Bible says that God has
"set eternity in the hearts of men." 18 Maybe that
means we know, in our hearts, what a better
world would look like. The death of people we
love convinces us that there's something very
wrong with this life and this world. WHERE IS GOD IN THE MIDST OF
TRAGEDY?
Ever ask, "God where are you?" What exactly
can you count on God for?
By Marilyn Adamson > PDF
To what degree can we rely on God to help us?
Is He really someone we can turn to at all...in
times of crisis as well as times of calm?
Who is God?
God is the Creator of the universe who yearns
for us to know Him. That is why we are all here.
It is His desire that we rely on and experience
His strength, love, justice, holiness and
compassion. So He says to all who are willing,
"Come to Me."
Unlike us, God knows what will happen
tomorrow, next week, next year, the next
decade. He says, "I am God, and there is no one
like me, declaring the end from the beginning." 1
He knows what will happen in the world. More
importantly, He knows what will occur in your
life and can be there for you, if you've chosen to
include Him in your life. He tells us that He can
be "our refuge and strength, an ever-present
help in times of trouble." 2 But we must make a
sincere effort to seek Him. He says, "you will
seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me
with all your heart." 3
Where Is God in Difficult Times?
That doesn't
mean that those
who know God
will escape
difficult times.
They won't.
When a terrorist
attack causes
suffering and
death, those
who know God will be involved in that suffering
also. But there is a peace and a strength that
God's presence gives. One follower of Jesus
Christ put it this way: "We are hard pressed on
every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not
in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned;
struck down, but not destroyed." 4 Reality tells
us that we will experience problems in life.
However, if we go through them while knowing
God, we can react to them with a different
perspective and with a strength that is not our
own. No problem has the capacity to be
insurmountable to God. He is bigger than all the
problems that can hit us, and we are not left
alone to deal with them.
God's Word tells us, "The Lord is good, a refuge
in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust
in him." 5 And, "The Lord is near to all who call
on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills
the desires of those who fear him; he hears their
cry and saves them." 6
Jesus Christ told His followers these comforting
words: "Are not two sparrows sold for a cent?
And yet not one of them will fall to the ground
apart from your Father. But the very hairs of
your head are all numbered. Therefore do not
fear; you are of more value than many
sparrows." 7 If you truly turn to God, He will care
for you as no one else does, and in a way that
no one else can.
God and Our Free Will
God has created humanity with the ability to
choose. This means that we are not forced into
a relationship with Him. He allows us to reject
Him and to commit other evil acts as well. He
could force us to be loving. He could force us
to be good. But then what kind of relationship
would we have with Him? It would not be a
relationship at all, but a forced, absolutely
controlled obedience. Instead He gave us the
human dignity of free will.
Naturally, we cry from the depths of our
souls..."But God, how could You let something
of this magnitude happen?"
How would we want God to act? Do we want
Him to control the actions of people? In the case
of dealing with a terrorist attack, what could
possibly be an acceptable number of deaths for
God to allow?! Would we feel better if God
allowed only the murder of hundreds? Would we
rather God allowed only the death of one
person? Yet if God would prevent the murder of
even one person, there is no longer freedom to
choose. People choose to ignore God, to defy
God, to go their own way and commit horrible
acts against others.
This planet is
not a safe place.
Someone might
shoot us. Or we
might be hit by
a car. Or we
might have to
jump from a
building
attacked by
terrorists. Or any number of things that might
happen to us in this harsh environment called
Earth, the place where God's will is not always
followed. Yet, God is not at the mercy of people,
but the other way around. We are at His mercy,
fortunately. This is God who created the
universe with its uncountable stars, simply by
speaking the words, "Let there be lights in the
expanse of the sky." 8 This is God who says He
"reigns over the nations." 9 He is unlimited in
power and wisdom. Though problems seem
insurmountable to us, we have an incredibly
capable God who reminds us, "Behold, I am the
LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too hard
for Me?" 10 Somehow He is able to maintain the
freedom of sinful humans, yet still bring about
His will. God clearly says, "My counsel shall
stand, and I will accomplish all My purpose." 11
And we can draw comfort from that if our lives
are submitted to Him. "For God opposes the
proud, but gives grace to the humble." 12
Where Is God When We Reject Him?
Many of us -- no, all of us -- choose at times
to stiff-arm God and His ways. Compared to
others, certainly compared to a terrorist, we
might consider ourselves to be respectable,
loving people. But in the raw honesty of our
own hearts, if we were to face God, it would be
with the knowledge of our sin. As we begin to
address God in prayer, are we not caught short,
paused by the sense that God is well aware of
our thoughts, actions and self-centeredness?
We have...by our lives and actions...distanced
ourselves from God. We have often lived like we
could run our lives just fine without Him. The
Bible says that "We all, like sheep, have gone
astray, each of us has turned to his own
way." 13
The consequences? Our sin has separated us
from God, and it affects more than this life. The
penalty for our sin is death, or eternal
separation from God. However, God has
provided a way for us to be forgiven and know
Him.
God Offers Us His Love
God came to earth to rescue us. "For God so
loved the world, that he sent his only Son, that
whoever believes in him should not perish, but
have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the
world, not to condemn the world, but that the
world might be saved through him." 14
God knows the
pain and
suffering we
encounter in this
world. Jesus left
the safety and
security of His
home, and
entered the hard
environment we
live in. Jesus got tired, knew hunger and thirst,
battled accusations from others and was
ostracized by family and friends. But Jesus
experienced far more than daily hardships.
Jesus, the Son of God in human form, willingly
took all of our sin on Himself and paid our
penalty of death. "In this is love, that he laid
down his life for us." 15 He went through
torture, dying a slow, humiliating death of
suffocation on a cross, so that we could be
forgiven.
Jesus told others ahead of time that He would
be crucified. He said that three days after His
death He would come back to life, proving that
He is God. He didn't say He would reincarnate
someday. (Who would know if He actually did
it?) He said three days after being buried He
would show Himself physically alive to those
who saw His crucifixion. On that third day,
Jesus' tomb was found empty and many people
testified to seeing Him alive.
God Invites Us To Be With Him In Heaven
He now offers us eternal life. We don't earn this.
It is a gift from God offered to us, which we
receive when we ask Him to enter our lives.
"The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus." 16
If we repent of our sin and turn back to God, we
can have the gift of eternal life through Jesus
Christ. It's pretty simple. "God has given us
eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who
has the Son has life; he who does not have the
Son of God does not have life." 17 He wants to
enter our lives.
What about heaven? The Bible says that God has
"set eternity in the hearts of men." 18 Maybe that
means we know, in our hearts, what a better
world would look like. The death of people we
love convinces us that there's something very
wrong with this life and this world. Somewhere
deep down in our souls, we know that there
must be a much better place to live, free from
heart-wrenching difficulties and pain. To be
sure, God does have a better place He offers us.
It will be a completely different system in which
His will is done all the time. In this world, God
will wipe every tear from people's eyes. There
will be no more mourning, crying, death or
pain. 19 And God, by His Spirit, will dwell in
people in such a way that they will never sin
again. 20
The events of a terrorist attack are horrific
enough. Refusing an eternal relationship with
God, which Jesus offers you, would be worse.
Not just in light of eternal life, but there is no
relationship which compares to knowing God in
this life. He is our purpose in life, our source of
comfort, our wisdom in confusing times, our
strength and hope. "Taste and see that the Lord
is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in
him." 21
It has been said by some that God is just a
crutch. But it is likely that He is the only
reliable one.
Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I
give to you; not as the world gives do I give to
you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let
them be afraid." 22 For those who will rely on
Jesus during their lives, He says it is like
building your life on a Rock. Whatever crises
attack you in this life, He can keep you strong.
Where is God? He Can Come Into Your Life
You can receive Jesus into your life right now.
"To all who received Him, to those who believed
in His name, He gave the right to become
children of God." 23 It is through Jesus Christ
that we can come back to God. Jesus said, "I
am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one
comes to the Father, but through Me." 24 Jesus
offered, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock;
if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I
will come in to him." 25
Right now you
can ask God to
enter your life.
You can do this
through prayer.
Prayer means
talking honestly
with God. At this
moment you can
call out to God
by telling Him something like this in sincerity:
"God, I have turned away from You in my heart,
but I want to change that. I want to know You. I
want to receive Jesus Christ and His forgiveness
into my life. I don't want to be separated from
You anymore. Be the God of my life from this
day onward. Thank you God."
Have you just now sincerely asked God into
your life? If you have, you have a lot to look
forward to. God promises to make your present
life one of greater satisfaction through knowing
Him. 26 Where is God? He promises to make His
home in you. 27 And He gives you eternal life. 28
No matter what happens in the world around
you, God can be there for you. Though people
do not follow God's ways, God is able to take
horrible circumstances and bring about His plan
anyway. God is ultimately in control over world
events. If you are God's, then you can rest on
the promise that, "All things work together for
good for those who love God and are called
according to His purpose." 29
Jesus Christ said, "My peace I give to you; not
as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not
your heart be troubled. In the world you have
tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome
the world." 30 He promises never to fail us or
forsake us. 31
deep down in our souls, we know that there
must be a much better place to live, free from
heart-wrenching difficulties and pain. To be
sure, God does have a better place He offers us.
It will be a completely different system in which
His will is done all the time. In this world, God
will wipe every tear from people's eyes. There
will be no more mourning, crying, death or
pain. 19 And God, by His Spirit, will dwell in
people in such a way that they will never sin
again. 20
The events of a terrorist attack are horrific
enough. Refusing an eternal relationship with
God, which Jesus offers you, would be worse.
Not just in light of eternal life, but there is no
relationship which compares to knowing God in
this life. He is our purpose in life, our source of
comfort, our wisdom in confusing times, our
strength and hope. "Taste and see that the Lord
is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in
him." 21
It has been said by some that God is just a
crutch. But it is likely that He is the only
reliable one.
Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I
give to you; not as the world gives do I give to
you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let
them be afraid." 22 For those who will rely on
Jesus during their lives, He says it is like
building your life on a Rock. Whatever crises
attack you in this life, He can keep you strong.
Where is God? He Can Come Into Your Life
You can receive Jesus into your life right now.
"To all who received Him, to those who believed
in His name, He gave the right to become
children of God." 23 It is through Jesus Christ
that we can come back to God. Jesus said, "I
am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one
comes to the Father, but through Me." 24 Jesus
offered, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock;
if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I
will come in to him." 25
Right now you
can ask God to
enter your life.
You can do this
through prayer.
Prayer means
talking honestly
with God. At this
moment you can
call out to God
by telling Him something like this in sincerity:
"God, I have turned away from You in my heart,
but I want to change that. I want to know You. I
want to receive Jesus Christ and His forgiveness
into my life. I don't want to be separated from
You anymore. Be the God of my life from this
day onward. Thank you God."
Have you just now sincerely asked God into
your life? If you have, you have a lot to look
forward to. God promises to make your present
life one of greater satisfaction through knowing
Him. 26 Where is God? He promises to make His
home in you. 27 And He gives you eternal life. 28
No matter what happens in the world around
you, God can be there for you. Though people
do not follow God's ways, God is able to take
horrible circumstances and bring about His plan
anyway. God is ultimately in control over world
events. If you are God's, then you can rest on
the promise that, "All things work together for
good for those who love God and are called
according to His purpose." 29
Jesus Christ said, "My peace I give to you; not
as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not
your heart be troubled. In the world you have
tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome
the world." 30 He promises never to fail us or
forsake us. 31
