God Really Does Know Our Pain

G.K. Chesterton once said that it is often supposed that when people stop believing in God, they believe in nothing. Alas, it is worse than that. When they stop believing in God, they believe in anything. -Malcolm Muggeridge, Christian Medical Society Journal, Winter 78.

Due to the tragic events that occurred in Newtown, Connecticut on Friday morning, December 14^th, our usual posting will not be presented this week. Instead, we have chosen to post a message with our most heartfelt and condolences to the families and all who have been affected by this senseless tragedy. We encourage everyone to pray for them and their loved ones who were lost. 

It is in times such as these that we often hear, “If there really is a God, why would he allow something like this to happen?" That question tells us more about our immature understanding of both God and this creation, than it does about anything else. We must admit today that we do not know enough about God to pose that question and we do not know enough about the forces of darkness to form an answer.

Professor D. Z. Phillips, in his book, The Problem of Evil and the Problem of God, cautions us against easy explanations for the problem of evil: “Such writing should be done in fear:  fear that in our philosophizings we will betray the evils people have suffered, and, in that way, sin against them.  Betrayal occurs every time explanations and justifications of evils are offered which are simplistic, insensitive, incredible, or obscene.” 

So, today we do not cheapen the loss of life with easy answers.  But there are some things we can know in the midst of our grief. The first thing we know is, this was not God’s will.  In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”  God’s will is not always done on earth, as the tragedy of this week reminds us. We also know that this tragedy is not a “wake up call,” nor did it happen so that we can learn something.  These are the kinds of easy answers that sin against those who were killed. 

Rather, the question we ask today is not “why” this has happened, but why does it not happen more often than it does? Why do we as human beings not abuse, violate, and kill each other more than we do. The mystery is not, Why is there evil? The mystery is, Why is there any good at all in this world? 

And that is where God is.

To what degree can we rely on God to be with us? Is He really someone we can turn to at all...in times of crisis as well as times of calm? 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." (Isaiah 46:9) 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." (Psalm 46:1) 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." (Jeremiah 29:13)

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." (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)

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." (Nahum 1:7)  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." (Psalm 145:18-19)

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 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." (Genesis 1:14) This is God who says He "reigns over the nations." (Psalms 47:8)

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?" (Jeremiah 32:27) 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." (Isaiah 46:11)  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." (James 4:6)

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." (1 John 3:16) He went through torture, dying a slow, humiliating death of suffocation on a cross, so that we could be forgiven.

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." (Psalm 34:8) It has been said by some that God is just a crutch. But it is likely that He is the only reliable one. 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.

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." (Romans 8:28)

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." (John 14:27; 16:33). He promises never to fail us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

Prayer: Loving God, have pity on that terrible grief, that chasm of loss, the emptiness that stretches before the bereaved as they embrace their dead in their desolate hearts. Let them find hope in Your Son's resurrection even when their hearts are still frozen with grief.

In Your great love and mercy, please lead bereaved persons to find new hope and new direction that brings relief and peace to their lives. Guide them to live in loving kindness to all those around them, for all of us find times of loneliness and sorrow and loss in our lives. Let grief lead us to live in deeper compassion and greater practical kindness for each other person. Amen

With our deepest sympathies,

The Coffeehouse Bible Ministry