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by Meghan McSwain Last week I had the opportunity to minister to an eighty-seven year old woman who had been assaulted in her own home: raped, beat-up, hip fractured and robbed. As she told me her story, I found myself wondering how God could allow “bad things” like this to happen. Although I may not understand why “bad things” happen to God's people, I have a better frame of reference when I remember that we live in a world that is not as God intended. We live in a world after the fall of humankind. Much energy has been spent, and will continue to be spent, to understand why sin was allowed to enter the world. Why was the serpent able to lure Eve? During our time on earth, no one will ever completely understand why, but it does help to put evil in perspective, when I realize that this world is not what God intended it to be. Sometimes it seems life would have been easier if God had not given humans free will, but he did. Since he did give us free wills, we must realize that there was the opportunity for sin to enter the world, and it did. God knew giving humankind free wills would allow sin to enter the world, but it was worth the risk because only with a free will could an individual choose to obey God. Since sin entered the world, suffering is part of this life. Where is God during suffering? He is with us. He is in the trenches with us. As the Psalmist writes: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” At those times that God seems far away, I encourage you to reach out to him because he is with you. Paul reminds us in Romans 8:39 that absolutely nothing can separate us from the love of God. During those dark times, know that God is with you and cares about you. If we are not careful, we can let these difficult times drive us away from God. I experienced this when my mother was first diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. I never stopped believing in God, but I could not worship a God who would let this happen. I got further away from him than I ever had, and ever hope to be again. I found myself in a very lonely place, but God never abandoned me. When I reached out my hand he was there. Never let difficult times rob you of your relationship with Jesus Christ; never let anything interfere with your worship. It is during the times of suffering that the Bible comes to life; and we can learn the most about God and ourselves. These can be powerful lessons. In the darkest times all one has to cling to is God and his Holy Word. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?...For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Don't lose your grip! Hold on to God! He is right here where you left Him. |
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