Devotionals for those hard questions

Where is/was God?

In a society full of grief it is no wonder that so many people have at one time  asked " where was God?" I hear about it everywhere. A parent loses a child, spouses lose spouse, we are wrongly accused, we are abused and/or victimized, someone loses all the material possessions. And all these hard times, it is hard not to ask this Faith doubting question. However, when we search our hearts, we, as Christians, know that the scriptures are true to what they say. So what do the scriptures say? They say he is always with us, promise all things will work out for the good of those who love him, that he is a comforter, that he will provide, and that he has already defeated the Devil who causes all of this. Let us look at these truths individually.

"Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand," this is God providing his people with comfort in Isaiah 41:10. Please do not put it on coincidence as to why God in this same chapter warns people who worship Idols. For God knew that in hard times human nature mixed with this sinful world, could cause us to turn. However, the comfort is there for us, that God is with us. If we can stay faith he will hold us up. Anyone who has lost someone near to their heart can say that they know what it feels like to want to, or feel like they are dying with their loved one. Yet, from my personal experience though the pain is still there they normally make it through alive.  They go on to see God's hand at work through things like ways being made to pay bills, younger generations being married or graduating, or babies that they love coming into this world. The pain is still there but they make it to see glorious things. In this sinful world when I think on it, I can truly believe all good things come from God. So, with the combining of such thoughts, we get that God helps us make it through (strengthens us), though we will still feel the pain (even after surgery, sometimes with the help of pain killers to make it tolerable, we still feel the pain but God like the medicines, will not let us die early due to such pain), he brings good into our lives (gives us a reason to go on, upholds us), and will provide where we think it is impossible (takes away the reason of fear).

We are reassured in Romans 8:28 "And we know for those who love God all things will work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose," wow that is quite a statement. In this verse it states if we love God, if we are followers of Christ (called according to his purpose) then all things will work together to good. Well this certainly is the furthest from good as it gets, I can almost hear someone stating. So let me explain. What this verse does not say is only good things will happen, the promise is all things will call to our good. In the middle of a storm, we were stranded when I was a child. My parents were non-drivers. Taxis and buses had quit running due to the storm. We took shelter in a store called Buehler's. I was terrified of storms, young (restless and hyper), and honestly tired. None of which made it good. However, I made a couple friends and was able to stay safe in what turned out to be a F5 tornado that touched down not far from where we lived in an upstairs, outside access, no rooms without windows apartment was. Was in convenient or good to my little mind? No, but God kept me safe. Sometimes the answer is not what we would hope for but trust me when I tell you Our heavenly father has a reason for any answer that he has given or will give. 

When God gave us free will, and we used it to sin, pain entered the world. Sin causes pain, sometimes not even our own sin, but someone else's hurts us deeply. It is truly a relief to hear/read that God will comfort us. In psalm 23:4 the Psalmist David shares this sweet relief with us. "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of Death. I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff they comfort me," he was fleeing for his life. Saul was angry and wanted him dead. In this lonely, feels like the world is against me he utters a cry from the depths of his soul to God "you are my comfort. You take away my fear." Also in this Psalm he is putting his faith in God as a provider "I shall not want," vs 1 again in vs 3 "He restores my soul," well, I cannot speak for everyone but me personally when I have a need(hungry, thirsty, shelter, clothes) I am not quick to say I shall not want or that my soul is restored. This leads me to believe God was indeed providing for him. In the midst of our own personal fight of our lives may we be as faithful as David was in the scripture.

How can we get to be so confident? How can we know without a doubt that we can trust in God when human nature screams the only one that you can trust is yourself? Well first by meditating on the true stories of the Bible. Elijah was fed by birds and drank of a brook in Elijah 3. The Israelites, though doubtful and complaining were fed by food falling from the sky Exodus 16:13. Job lost everything he had (including all his loved ones) but stayed faithful and was rewarded Job with twice as much and brought his friends back around him in Job 42:10. However the ultimate example is what Jesus went through. He lost dear friends in John 11, was homeless without shelter some nights stated in Matthew 8:20, knew that "important" people wanted him dead Mark 8:31-38, was betrayed by a friend in Luke 22, lost a family member to a violent death (his 2nd cousin, John the baptist beheaded in prison in Matthew 14), was doubted by his family (John 7:5), and his disciplines abandoned him (Mark 14:50). It is little wonder he cried out "Eli Eli lama sabachthani?" (Mark 15:34) which means my God, my God why have you forsaken me? However in the end he is ascended into Heaven to sit at the right side of God (Luke 24) and was given the name above all names (Philippians 2:9).