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God is in the Hardstuff
by Bruce Bickel and Stan JantzOf all the types of suffering we see in the world, the most difficult to understand is the suffering of the innocent—in particular, innocent children. When the devastating tsunami of 2004 took scores of thousands of lives, it was hard to comprehend the magnitude of such an enormous loss.After a while, the images blurred together, leaving many of us numb and unable to show emotion.
Then, perhaps, you saw a photo of a father clutching the lifeless body of his child. You observed the child, but your eyes fixed on the contorted face of the parent—and in an instant a knot formed in your stomach. You hurt for this family and countless others you will never know, but somehow identify with. You are not related, yet you are connected by the common bond of humanity. You can’t help but feel a sense of helplessness when such disasters occur. Because they originate with this planet we call home, we all feel the sting when the earth convulses. And we wonder: Can we trust this life-giving sphere that is usually so good to us? It all seems rather capricious, especially when those who are least able to handle the terrestrial blast of earthquakes, typhoons, and floods are often hit the hardest.
How do we deal with this kind of suffering? What are our options? We can believe that nature has run amok and out of God’s control. Or we can believe that nature is all there is, with no God to care or wield any authoritative restraint. Those are the options of
people who have given up on God. They aren’t very comforting, are they? If nature is the beginning and the end of all things, and if we are merely pawns in a mindless game of chance and natural selection (it’s survival of the fittest, you know), there is no need to wonder why we suffer—because there is no explanation.
People who still hold to a belief in some kind of God— and most of the world operates this way—look beyond nature for answers. Even in this realm of belief, there are multiple views. One is that God is using nature to inflict punishment on His wayward created beings. He did it once—remember the Great Flood?—and He can do it again. Ah, but there’s the rainbow, God’s promise to humankind that He will never inflict such worldwide harm again:
“I will never again curse the earth, destroying all living things, even though people’s thoughts and actions are bent toward evil from childhood. As long as the earth remains, there will be springtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, day and night.” Genesis 8:21–22
We must look elsewhere for some kind of explanation, though none can be found to satisfy everyone. Perhaps a partial answer is found in the New Testament. In his letter to the first-century Roman church, the apostle Paul wrote:
"All creation anticipates the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time." Romans 8:21–22
Even creation is under the weight of sin and suffering, brought into this world by rebellious acts of the people God made. It isn’t that God has lost control; He is merely allowing His creation to operate in the physical world He made for us, functioning superbly and incredibly 99.9 percent of the time. Occasionally, though, it groans from the contractions that will someday result in a new heaven and a new earth.
Meanwhile, we must also groan—with compassion—for those affected by Earth’s sometimes unexplainable behavior. If we are to find meaning in any of this, we should find it in the help we can give to those who suffer.
• People without God are people without hope.
• This world is an imperfect place, but it is the
best of all possible worlds.
• God has taken extraordinary measures to
provide a comfortable and beneficial place for
us to live.
• God does not cause suffering, but He allows
it to happen for reasons we don’t always
understand.
• Never allow your own comfort to keep you
from giving comfort to others.
You can know peace and hope tonight.
There is a line in an old hymn that says "Let there be peace in the world and let it begin with me." Whether that means peace on a worldwide scale or peace in your own heart, it can begin with you right now. John 3:16 tells us that God loves the world so much that He sent Jesus, His only Son, to die for us so that everyone who believes in Him can have everlasting life.
You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer. Praying is simply talking to God. God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. Here's a suggested prayer:
Lord, I need you now more than ever. I want your peace of mind. In the midst of my broken heart and my pain, I turn to you. Jesus, I ask you to forgive my sins and to give me your peace and comfort. I open the door of my life and put my trust in you.
If you sincerely expressed that prayer to God, you can know that you have a personal relationship with Him. He will be your comfort in these troubled times. God promises us "peace that passes understanding" in other words peace in a world that doesn't make sense. You can know peace and hope even when your world is in turmoil. God does not change. Ever.
Excerpted from: God is in the Hard by Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz
Copyright © 2005; ISBN 1593109245
Published by Barbour Books Used by permission. Unauthorized duplication prohibited.~Bruce and Stan have co-written more than 50 books, including the international bestseller, God Is in the Small Stuff. Three of their books have been ECPA Gold Medallion Award nominees, and several of their books have appeared on the CBA Marketplace and Publishers Weekly bestseller’s lists.