Where is God When it Hurts?
1 God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble at its swelling. (Psalm 46: 1-3 ESV)
In the words of Phillip Yancey, speaking about his first book, 
 
Where is God When It Hurts:
 
I’ve often wondered, why doesn’t the Bible give us a clearer explanation at some point? The apostle Paul tackled major issues. Why didn’t he write just one letter to a church that was really going through suffering and answer that question?
But he did. Paul often talked about the good that can come out of it.
Romans 8 is my favorite chapter. Because it talks about how God can redeem. In Paul’s experience, he went through a lot of suffering – shipwreck and snake bite and torture and prison. But yet, he concluded, in all these things God can use them for my good. (Romans 8:28)
Every major passage in the New Testament on suffering talks about patience and hope and perseverance and all these good things – that’s redeemed pain.
It is not so much the question of “why”? It’s the question of “to what end”?
 
We cannot be blamed for asking the question of “why?” when disasters happen to us. From personal loss to loss of humanity, like in the flooding that occurred in Central Texas, we cry out to God. How do you warn people of impending disaster in the wee hours of the morning? This seems unfair at best, and evil at worst. Why did God allow this to happen to children who worship Him? I wish I had a pat answer to this question, but I do not. Skeptics point to an empty space where they think God should be standing, and the faithful weep with the hurting as they cry out to God.
There are moments in scripture that record the suffering of people. Human history is filled with the same kinds of stories. Suffering happens to all of humanity, non-Christians and Christians alike. Adam’s sinfulness does not apply only to all humanity, but also to the created order as well. Psalm 46 refers to common cosmic occurrences such as “. . . waters roar[ing]” and “. . . the mountains tremble[ing] . . .” This describes how our world responds to our disobedience to God. Paul refers to his personal suffering in 2 Corinthians 11: 14-31, but in Romans 8 he describes how all of his suffering and our suffering will be redeemed, repurposed, as we continue to look to Him, to be
“. . . a very present help in time of need.” His presence becomes our harbor in the storm. May God use us to be “. . . a very present help in time of need.”
 
May our own resources be present as well.
 
Have a blessed week.
Pastor James
 
 
 
 
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