Comfort Over Questioning
Keep silent and let me speak;
then let come to me what may.
Why do I put myself in jeopardy
and take my life in my hands?
Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him;
I will surely defend my ways to his face. Job 13:13-15 (NIV)
Over the weekend there was the most unimaginable tragedy. The recent floods in Texas over the weekend affected almost everyone, and their impact on me was more significant than in previous events. Although there have been tragedies before, like the Connecticut school shooting, growing older makes you value young lives even more. As such, every story I hear about one of the children lost becomes equally heart wrenching.
It brings me to an obvious many might ask. Why does an all-powerful, all knowing, and always present God allow such things to happen? Some may argue that such a question leads people to doubt the existence of Him. In the past, I might have shared this perspective. However, my first pastor gave me a good foundation for understanding God amid tragic events. He pointed out that God is not absent in these moments. However, in a world that tries to explain everything, there are things we will simply not be able to explain. While many will try their best, I can rely on my faith to tell me two key things. First, God is with us in our suffering. While tragedies happen, it does not mean God does not hear us and answer us. He comforts as David points out saying, “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4) Secondly, we are to have faith in God even when we may not have a clear answer or understanding of His workings.
In times of uncertainty, it is then we are to rely most on our Heavenly Father. Andy Stanley gave a perspective on suffering noting, “There is a global relationship between sin and suffering.” If we know this, we must be willing to understand that bad things do indeed happen to good people. The story of Job is a lesson in this very fact. Although Job experienced hardship, he maintained his faith, continued to hope in God's goodness, and accepted his circumstances, expressing an interest in discussing his life choices with God. Thus, when we think about the why behind tragedies, it is not because God is either angry or chose to turn His head to bad things. It is to say these things will happen as part of living in a fallen world. Even though Jesus was blameless, He suffered and died for our sins. Having that perspective, we know that in suffering, God does not move further away from us. Instead, we are drawn closer to Him. This is illustrated by Paul's statement: “For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it.” (Philippians 1:29-30)
We must realize amid tragedy that victory is still ours in the end. Vietnam veteran Gen. Adam Stockdale's story of enduring more than eight years of imprisonment is inspiring. When asked how he survived, he said, “You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end – which you can never afford to lose with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.” Dealing with suffering is a brutal reality. However, we have faith that in the end, we will have eternal life where, like Job, we can talk to Him about the many things we do not understand. Let us never lose sight of this. How do I handle challenges and suffering? Am I growing spiritually to understand difficult times? Do I believe in God’s faithfulness even in times of tragedy and grief? My prayer is that we take our queue from Job and when tragedy happen, we focus on the comfort of God over the questioning of His presence. Amen.