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"Swordworx" is a helpful resource for pragmatic people who want quick and concise answers to their questions about God and the Bible.

Your host is Theologian and (fmr) United States Naval chaplain, Dr. Randall Parr.

10/30/2026

A Biblical Look at Halloween's Favorite Characters

"HAUNTINGS"
The Truth About Ghosts

The topic of “ghosts” has fascinated humans around the world for at least 5,000 years, largely because it gave people hope in an afterlife. Interest in ghosts notably had a revival from 2004 through 2011, with numerous “ghost hunting” TV shows and their fan bases. As predicted, several of these popular ghost-themed shows airing that time were “busted’ and widely criticized for fabricating fake off-camera evidence of spooky spirits. In no time, the incidents went viral and audiences started to lose interest as the genre’ collapsed.

** Human Spirits Are Real, But Aren’t Allowed Off-Leash **

The Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) is full of references to all manner of spirit beings with many purposes, known as “elohim” These include both benevolent and malevolent nonhuman spirits. When on Divine missions, the good ones are referred to as "aggelos" (“angels”), or messengers, and the bad ones are simply “demons”. However, there is no scriptural support for the concept of ghosts as disembodied human spirits wandering the earth. Instead, Scripture teaches that, after death, the souls of people went immediately to either Sheol or Paradise. After Christ, the righteous go immediately in God’s presence (Luke 16:19–31; Luke 23:43). No exceptions.

** Supernatural Imposters **

While spirit beings definitely exist, hauntings or ghostly activity are never attributed to human spirits. While there are rare instances of the dead appearing to the living in Scripture, these are specific, divinely-ordained events, rather than random hauntings (1 Samuel 28:15; Matthew 17:1–8). The Bible warns against seeking contact with the dead (Deuteronomy 18:10–12), instead encouraging believers to focus on God and resist demonic influences (James 4:7–8). Oh you can arrange to put out a call to your deceased Gertrude, but she will not be the one “answering the phone” on the other side.

It’s important to seek truth from Scripture, rather than cultural superstitions or paranormal experiences. Viewing unexplained phenomena through a biblical lens helps us recognize the potential for demonic deception, rather than assuming the presence of human spirits. This also reinforces the importance of focusing on our relationship with God and resisting involvement in occult practices or ghost-hunting activities, which the Bible condemns. For those struggling with fear of ghosts or hauntings, we can be comforted by affirming God's sovereignty over all spiritual realms and the finality of our earthly life. There is peace and protection to be found in God, rather than seeking answers or security in bogus communications with the dead. # #

10/28/2026

WISDOM AT WARP ONE
From Chaplain Randall

SHOULD CHRISTIANS HAVE CLOSE FRIENDSHIPS WITH UNBELIEVERS?
Pros, Cons and The Wisdom In Between

The Old Testament pulls no punches on the topic of friendship with ungodly people. Moses strictly instructs the Israelites not to follow the example of wicked friends who would lead them astray from God. We must use discernment in our choice of friends in order to avoid ungodliness and to not pursue friendship with those who are rebellious, undisciplined or cannot control their temper.

On one hand, the New Testament does give us a positive example of being a friend to unbelievers. Jesus Christ, throughout His ministry, was judged harshly for extending kindness toward ungodly people; yet we are instructed to take after His example so unbelievers will see the light of Christ and ultimately praise our Heavenly Father. Paul talks about friendship with unbelievers throughout his teachings to new churches, as well.

On the other hand, while we are called to minister to unbelievers, we must remember that our spiritual identities are in direct opposition. As such, we must not let unbelievers’ ungodly practices, beliefs, or behavior negatively impact our relationship with God. This isn’t easy because we can become conditioned to ignore bad things over time with constant exposure to them.

It is clear, though, that we should at least develop pleasant friendships with average unbelievers. Why? Because it would be extremely difficult to share the gospel with someone without building some level of trust with them first. At the same time, we must not let our friendships with unbelievers result in us watering down the truths of God’s Word or minimizing the importance of certain doctrines to avoid offending them. As emphasized throughout the Old and New Testament, we must use discernment in our friendships with unbelievers. As we attempt to share the love of God with them, we must avoid letting their influence take precedence over our relationship with God. Ultimately, it should be our goal to live a Christ-centered life as well as share our faith with unbelievers. # #

10/28/2026

STRUGGLING WITH HABITUAL SIN
Can It “Unsave” a Christian?

Every Christian on this side of heaven will struggle with sin. Whoever denies that is lying to you. The apostle John writes to believers of every generation: “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth” (I John 1:8-10). If Christians were destined never to wrestle with sin, then Jesus would not have taught His followers to pray, “Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” (Matthew 6:12, NLT). The good news is that, even though we still sin, we can confess our sins to the Lord, receive His forgiveness and cleansing, and remain in fellowship with Him (1 John 1:9).

** Not Even The Apostles Were Immune**

The Bible clearly shows that, after salvation, Christians continue to sin. No one is perfect. James writes, “Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way” (James 3:2, NLT; Philippians 3:12; James 3:8; 4:17). The author of Hebrews describes the believer’s battle with habitual sin and the need to “strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up” (Hebrews 12:1, NLT). In Romans 7:14–25, the apostle Paul writes openly and honestly of his struggle with sin: “The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate” (verses 14–15, NLT).

**Can Habitual Sin Cause Christians To Lose Their Salvation? **

Negatory, Red Ryder. It won’t cause us to lose our salvation or keep us out of heaven, however, it can hinder our fellowship with God if we don’t humbly confess and continually seek restoration. As we grapple with sin in our Christian walk, we must never give up the fight or submit to our sinful desires just because we’re going to “do it anyway”. If we are to be adequately armed for the battle, it helps to understand what happens to us when we are saved. As soon as we place our faith in Jesus Christ and receive His salvation, we become new creations in Jesus Christ. Our old life of sin is dead and gone, and a new life begins (2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 6:4). At the same time, we are just starting a spiritual growth process called “sanctification”.

At the moment of salvation, God gives us the Holy Spirit to initiate an internal work of conforming us into the image of His Son (see Romans 8:29; 1 Thessalonians 4:3). He starts making us more and more like Jesus, and He continues the work over our lifetime (Philippians 1:6). It is a slow progression of “being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18). The process will not be complete until we see Jesus face-to-face (1 John 3:2). Only then will our struggle with sin cease.

**Press On Toward The Goal**

God does the work, but we must submit ourselves into His hands and cooperate with Him. (Matthew 26:41; Luke 12:15; 1 Peter 5:6–11; James 4:7). Paul encourages all believers to “press on toward the goal” of Christian maturity (Philippians 3:12–14). Pursuing a lifestyle of habitual sin will impede our ability to live in the light, grace, and freedom that Jesus Christ intended for us (see Romans 6:11–14; 13:12–14). We can’t let guilt over sin take us out of the fight (Romans 8:1–17), nor should we allow God’s gracious willingness to forgive our sins to lull us into callous apathy, feeling like we can go on sinning (Romans 6:1–14).

John urges, “My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world” (1 John 2:1–2, NLT).

Scripture teaches us to be honest with ourselves and God about our struggle against sin, recognizing that we are incapable of overcoming the battle in our own strength and power. We can only be victorious by relying on the power of God’s Holy Spirit, letting the Spirit guide our lives (Galatians 5:16), walking and living by the Spirit (Galatians 5:25), trying not to stifle the Spirit’s work (1 Thessalonians 5:19; Ephesians 4:30) but seeking instead to be filled with the Spirit, surrendering entirely to His control (Ephesians 5:15–20).

** Just Stay On Target **

We can ask the Lord to discipline us in whatever way necessary to overcome any habitual sins in our lives. We can be smart and on guard in our struggle with sin (2 Peter 3:17; Romans 6:12–14), resisting temptations (Hebrews 12:4; James 4:7), avoiding enticements (1 Thessalonians 5:22), standing on God’s Word (Matthew 4:4; 2 Timothy 3:16), and seeking the way of escape that God provides (1 Corinthians 10:13). It may take a lifetime, but by God’s grace, we will experience continuing, growing victory over sin. # #

10/27/2026

FOLLOW THE CROSS
Not The Crowd

Ever heard of a "Judas goat"? It's a goat trained to lure other livestock (often sheep or cattle) to the killing floor at packing plants. All of them just follow this little guy straight to the slaughterhouse, no questions asked.

— Monkey See, Monkey Do —
Human beings and cultures like to play "follow the leader", as well. People will typically join that conga line due to deep-seated psychological needs for security, belonging and cognitive ease. I've heard experts say that this is "further driven by the 'bandwagon effect', where popular behaviors are assumed to be correct. Social conformity, fear of missing out (FOMO) and mental shortcuts (heuristics) cause people to imitate others for safety,"

— Beware The Pretenders —
This phenomenon is also just as prevalent in the Christian world. Not only are there more than a few Christian denominations within the faith (about 45,000 to date) but there are several flat-out, disingenuous non-Christian cults claiming to be Christian, but are absolutely NOT as evidenced by their false teachings. Not only that, but serious doctrinal aberrations are being embraced in many Christian groups that need to wake up, drop everything and start following the cross again. There aren't "many roads" to God as the New Age gurus like to say, and we don’t need to “coexist” with cults or aberrant faiths. There's just one itty-bitty trail leading to heaven and few find it.

After hearing Jesus teach about the Kingdom of God one day, someone asked Him, "Lord, will those who are saved be few?" He said to them, "Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able." (Luke 13:22-24).
What does this mean? It means follow the cross and not the crowd. # #

10/27/2026

WHY PEOPLE HAVE A HARD TIME BELIEVING THE GOSPEL
The Most Common Obstacles to Accepting Christ
(Read To The End For The BIGGEST One)

Christianity is currently the world's largest religion with an estimated 2.4-2.6 billion adherents. The label, "Christianity", however, has changed over time to include several "denominations of abomination"; i.e., faith groups that have nothing to do with Christ except in name only. Be that as it may, I will at least say that religious organizations claiming to honor Jesus outnumber those that don't.

One of our most treasured evangelists, Dr. Billy Graham, told international TV audiences for years how (what I call), “The Greatest Story Ever Told” revealed the “Greatest Offer Ever Made”. Over 3.2 million people who attended Dr. Graham’s traveling citywide rallies accepted his invitations to accept Christ over the years. Before visiting each rally city, his staff assigned teams of organizers that would stay behind in that community for one year following the event in order to help local churches assimilate new believers from the rally and invite them into fellowship. What a great idea and a huge operation, except for one thing: in a study later conducted by the Graham organization during the 90's, it was revealed that only 4% of all new believers who flooded those altars over the decades were ever integrated into a local church after all. Said another way, 96% were not!

To those of us already in the Kingdom, taking God’s offer of forgiveness and salvation through Jesus was a no-brainer, but the majority of human beings just can't seem to find their way aboard this train and WILL NOT be making the final cut for heaven.(Matthew 7:13-14)

That truly sad. What's the problem? Here are a few common reasons why people claim to avoid Jesus:

1. Some are oblivious to their need of a savior;
2 .Some fear social rejection and persecution;
3. Some find the present world more appealing;
5. Some would wait until the last minute;
6. Some think they're too far gone for God to forgive;
7. Some made emotional responses to an altar call and backslid;
8. Some had a bad experience with churches or other Christians;
9, Some have psychiatric conditions, or worse, that require specialized help. And there are many more.

An Elephant In The Room?
Yet after all of those excuses, the biggest reason why more people don't come to Christ has nothing to do with mass imbecility, but is that God simply does not give everyone understanding of the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 2:14, 1 Corinthians 1:18). To the unbeliever, trying to comprehend a Bible is harder than a Quantum Physics exam written in Swahili. This is why some people will look at you like you just burped at a funeral if you just mention God, Jesus, etc. in public.

Trusting Jesus as our Savior is a glorious first step. Because He has chosen to reveal Himself to us in His Word, we can trust Him with our lives and futures. If it weren't so, then He would not have shown you the Gospel.

10/25/2026

AURICULAR CONFESSION
The Practice of Confessing Ones Sins To Professional Clergy
(IS IT BIBLICAL?)

My recent article on the “Four Major Differences Between Catholics and Protestants (10/11/26)” sparked quite a bit of interest among readers along with requests for today’s topic. Real quick, I first want to say that when explaining the practices of different faith groups to my readers, I am only answering questions about those particular institutions and not trying to throw shade on their followers. I’ve been fortunate to have friends and colleagues who are vocational priests, rabbis, and multiple flavors of Protestant. Today, though, we will examine what the Bible says about confessing our sins to a priest. You or someone you know may benefit from this information.

The concept of confession of sin to a professional clergyman, or “auricular confession”, is nowhere taught in Scripture. First, the New Testament does not teach that there are even supposed to be ordained priests in the New Covenant. Instead, the New Testament teaches that ALL believers are priests. First Peter 2:5-9 describes believers as a “holy priesthood” and a “royal priesthood.” Revelation 1:6 and 5:10 both describe believers as “a kingdom of priests.” In the Old Covenant, the faithful Jews had to approach God through the priests because they were the designated mediators between the people and God at that time.

The Old Testament priests offered sacrifices to God on behalf of the people, but that is no longer necessary. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we can now personally approach God’s throne with boldness (Hebrews 4:16). The giant, thick and heavy temple veil tearing in two at Jesus’ death was symbolic of the dividing wall between God and humanity being destroyed. We can approach God directly, ourselves, without the use of a human mediator. Why? Because Jesus Christ is our great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-15; 10:21) and the only mediator between us and God (1 Timothy 2:5). The New Testament teaches that there are to be elders (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:6-9), deacons (1 Timothy 3:8-13), and pastors in churches (Ephesians 4:11) – but not priests.

When it comes to confession of sin, Christians are told in 1 John 1:9 to confess their sins directly to God. God is faithful and just to forgive our sins as we confess them to Him. James 5:16 speaks of confessing our trespasses “to one another,” but this is about a continual relationship among brothers and sisters in Christ that fosters kindness and compassion to one another, “forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). This is in no way the same as as confessing sins to a priest as the Roman Catholic Church teaches. Although believers are encouraged to call on the elders of a church to pray for them (James 5:14), this does not suggest that church leaders have any authority to forgive sins or even be privy to everything about one’s personal business.

Hence, like many of their practices, the Roman Catholic Church bases their practice of confession to a priest primarily on Catholic tradition, which they hold in equal authority with Holy Scripture (for those times when the Bible doesn’t jive with the Church’s agenda). Some Catholics will point to John 20:23, “If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” From this verse, Catholics are taught that God gave the apostles the authority to forgive sins and that said authority was passed on to the successors of the apostles, (who conveniently happen to be the bishops and priests of the Roman Catholic Church. What an amazing coincidence! But hold on there, Kemosabe. There are several problems with this interpretation:

(1) John 20:23 nowhere mentions confession of sin;
(2) John 20:23 nowhere promises or even hints that apostolic authority of any kind would be passed on to the successors of the apostles; and
(3) The apostles never once in the New Testament acted as if they had the authority to forgive a person’s sin. Similarly, Catholics point to Matthew 16:19 and 18:18 (binding and loosing) as evidence for the Catholic Church’s authority to forgive sins. The same three above points apply equally to these Scriptures.

The ability to forgive sins is God’s and His alone (Isaiah 43:25). The better understanding of John 20:23 is that the apostles were given the responsibility of declaring with utmost certainty the terms on which God would forgive sins. As the church was being founded, the apostles declared that those who believed the gospel were forgiven (Acts 16:31) and those who did not obey the gospel faced judgment (2 Thessalonians 1:8; 1 Peter 4:17). As the apostles proclaimed salvation in Christ (Acts 10:43) and exercised church discipline (1 Corinthians 5:4–5), they were wielding the authority Christ had given them.

So in summary, the concept of auricular confession of sin to a priest is nowhere taught in Scripture. We are to confess our sins to God (1 John 1:9). As New Covenant believers, we do not need mediators between us and God. We can go to God directly because of Jesus’ sacrifice for us. First Timothy 2:5 says, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” # #

10/24/2026

WHAT TO DO WHEN LIFE DEALS YOU THE DEAD MAN’S HAND
(And The Lord ’s Not “Picking Up The Phone)

The "Dead Man's Hand" is the infamous two-pair poker deal of two black "Aces" and two black"8"'s, held by Wild Bill Hickok on August 2, 1976 just before Jack "Crooked Nose" McCall snuck up from behind and shot him in the head. Today, a "dead man's hand" is symbolic of any cataclysmic circumstance that feels like impending, inescapable doom. Christians quickly go to God when finding themselves in dire straits like that, but many have felt abandoned by Him in their times of greatest need, asking for Divine help but only getting static in reply. Does this mean the Lord doesn’t care or that He’s ignoring our cries for help?

The Bible records several testimonies of those who called out to God in a time of need and, at least for a while, were initially met with dead air:

— The Original Shlemazel —
Job, of course, is the most obvious example because he was convinced that God had completely blown him off. He lost everything except for a few of his idiot friends. He even said, “If I go to the east, He is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find Him. When He is at work in the north, I do not see Him; when He turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of Him” (Job 23:8–9).

— Sad Psalmists —
Also, the psalmists struggled with the feeling that God was not responding to their cries at times: “Why, LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1); “How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” (Psalm 13:1); “Why do you hide your face and forget our misery and oppression?” (Psalm 44:24). You see, even people in Biblical times could get just as freaked out as we do.

— The Prime Example —
Even Jesus understands the mindset of not wanting to experience pain and suffering. In the Garden of Gethsemane, just before His arrest, Jesus asked His Father three times, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me (i.e., "get me out of this"). Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39 - also see Matthew 26:42 and Matthew 20:22). Though He asked for the “cup” to pass, Jesus asked with the condition “if it is possible.” Jesus was in complete submission to the Father’s will and not His own. If His suffering was a part of God’s will, then He was willing to accept that.

When we cry out, “God, PLEASE help me,” He hears us and always responds. He may not respond in the manner or timing we expect, but He responds perfectly. Understandably, when amid the throes of pain, suffering, and grief, it is difficult to see the bigger perspective of God’s plan, especially when we receive an answer of “no” or “not yet.” But, we can trust in God’s sovereignty because we know He is good (Psalm 48:1; 95:3, 6). Even as we go through the trials, God gives grace (2 Corinthians 12:9). After Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane, “an angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him” (Luke 22:43).

Since God is omniscient, He is privy to details we cannot begin to understand. Psalm 147:5 says, “Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.” When we cry out to God, “Please help me,” He sees the heart and understands (Hebrews 4:15), and His response will always be out of love (Romans 5:8; Psalm 139:13–16). We can submit to His authority because He is trustworthy. Remember, God broke His silence and revealed Himself to Job in an unmistakable way (Job 38:1).

— God Knows When A Sparrow Falls To The Ground —
Jesus assures us that God will only give us what is good and right in Luke 11:11–13, “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” The God who keeps track of every fallen sparrow cares about every detail of our lives, too (Matthew 10:29-31; Luke 12:6-7).

Since God knows what is best for us, He will not say “yes” to a prayer that is contradictory to that outcome. Since He isn’t always chatty, we may not understand or agree with the reason(s) for that response, but we can emphatically believe that God does, and that His actions will redound to His glory and our ultimate good (Psalm 19:7; 2 Corinthians 4:7). Through painful moments in life, we can learn Christlikeness and glorify the Lord with our words and actions even through our suffering (Job 1:22; James 1:2–8; 1 Chronicles 16:28–29). God responds to every call for help. But whether or not that answer is the one we most desire is up to God. God works for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28) and for His glory. We can trust that He will always respond to cries for help in accordance to His good and perfect will. Even when the psalmist was searching for a seemingly absent God, he chose to live by faith: “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me” (Psalm 13:5–6). # #

10/23/2026

PETULANCE TOWARD GOD
Is Anger With The Lord Permissible?

I’m sure that everyone has become exasperated with God over something at one time or another. Christians in peril have forever wrestled with the scary prospect of losing their tempers with the Lord whenever they think He’s not answering prayers fast enough, running behind schedule or not getting our memos. This is very common among Christian newbies who are slowly learning that God is not our DoorDash guy.

You see, when something tragic happens in our lives unexpectedly, we commonly go to God and ask “Why?” because He knows everything. What people are really asking Him, though, is not so much “Why, God?” as “Why me, God?” This response indicates two flaws in our thinking. First, as believers we operate under the impression that life should be easy and that God should prevent tragedy from happening to us. When He doesn't, we get angry with Him and presume He forgot about our plight. Second, when we do not understand the extent of God’s sovereignty, we lose confidence in His ability to control circumstances, other people, and the way they affect us. Then we lose our cool because He seems to have lost control of the universe, and especially control of our lives. When we lose faith in God’s sovereignty, it is because our frail human flesh is grappling with our own frustration and our lack of control over events. When good things happen, we all too often attribute that to our own achievements and presumed divine favor. When bad things happen, however, God is the first one on our suspect list because the “buck stops with Him”, and we get angry with Him for not preventing the misfortune. This indicates the first flaw in our thinking—that we somehow rightfully deserve to be immune to unpleasant circumstances.

—He Doesn’t Pander To Petulance —
Tragedies bring home the awful truth that we are not in charge. Regardless of fanciful claims by the “name it and claim it” preachers, we cannot control the outcomes of situations. Only God is in charge of all of His creation. Everything that happens is either caused by or allowed by God. Not a sparrow falls to the ground nor a hair from our head without God knowing about it (Matthew 10:29-31). We can complain, whine, cry, get angry, and blame God for what is happening, but that changes nothing. But, if we will trust Him and yield our bitterness and pain to Him, all will work out to our good (Romans 8:28). Mercifully, He may not always punish our temper tantrums, but He’s not mollycoddler, so don’t count on that. It’s far better to acknowledge the prideful sin of trying to force our own will over His, so He can grant us His peace and strength to get us through any difficult situation (1 Corinthians 10:13). Many believers in Jesus Christ can testify to that very fact. We can be angry with God for many reasons, so we all have to accept at some point that there are things we cannot control or even understand with our finite mind .

Our understanding of the sovereignty of God in all circumstances must be accompanied by our awareness of His other attributes such as love, mercy, kindness, goodness, righteousness, justice, and holiness. When we see our difficulties through the truth of God’s Word—which tells us that our loving and holy God works all things together for our good (Romans 8:28), and that He has a perfect plan and purpose for us that cannot be thwarted (Isaiah 14:24, 46:9-10)—we begin to see our problems in a different light. We also know from Scripture that this life will never be one of continual joy and happiness. Rather, Job reminds us that “man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward” (Job 5:7), and that life is short and “full of trouble” (Job 14:1). Just because we come to Christ for salvation from sin does not mean we are guaranteed a life free from problems. In fact, Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble,” but that He has “overcome the world” (John 16:33), enabling us to have peace within, in spite of the storms that rage around us (John 14:27).

One thing is certain: inappropriate anger is sin (Galatians 5:20; Ephesians 4:26-27, 31; Colossians 3:8). Ungodly anger is self-defeating, gives the devil a foothold in our lives, and can destroy our joy and peace if we hang on to it. Holding on to our anger will allow bitterness and resentment to spring up in our hearts. We must confess it to the Lord, and then in His forgiveness, we can release those feelings to Him. We must go before the Lord in prayer often in our grief, anger, and pain. The Bible tells us in 2 Samuel 12:15-23 that David went before the throne of grace on behalf of his sick baby, fasting, weeping, and praying for him to survive. When the baby passed away, David got up and worshiped the Lord and then told his servants that he knew where his baby was and that he would someday be with him in God’s presence. David cried out to God during the baby’s illness, and afterward he bowed before Him in worship. That is a wonderful testimony. God knows our hearts, and it is pointless to try to hide how we really feel, so talking to Him about it is one of the best ways to handle our grief. If we do so humbly, pouring out our hearts to Him, He will work through us, and in the process, will make us more like Him.

The bottom line is can we trust God with everything, our very lives and the lives of our loved ones? Of course we can! Our God is compassionate, full of grace and love, and as disciples of Christ we can trust Him with all things. When tragedies happen to us, we know God can use them to bring us closer to Him and to strengthen our faith, bringing us to maturity and completeness (Psalm 34:18; James 1:2-4). Then, we can be a comforting testimony to others (2 Corinthians 1:3-5). That is easier said than done, however. It requires a daily surrendering of our own will to His, a faithful study of His attributes as seen in God’s Word, much prayer, and then applying what we learn to our own situation. By doing so, our faith will progressively grow and mature, making it easier to trust Him to get us through the next tragedy that most certainly will take place.

So, to answer the question directly, yes, it is wrong to be angry at God. Anger at God is a result of an inability or unwillingness to trust God even when we do not understand what He is doing. Instead of being angry with God, we should pour out our hearts to Him in prayer, and trust that He is in control of His perfect plan. # #

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