Where is God?
We all have trials and hardship. I’ve been wondering for a while now how we can learn to better trust the Creator in these times.
Having a good attitude in the midst of suffering sounds crazy, but it is the pattern of those who have developed a beautiful walk with God. Those who have been refined in the fire end up shining!
James 1:2-3 says, “consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
I want to make this abundantly clear before I share all kinds of positive thoughts, I do not like this cancer. It has completely disrupted my life. It is causing untold grief on my family and friends. But I am thankful in the midst of it. I am uncomfortable and I am somewhat afraid.
In addition to being thankful I have two other attitude options as I see it:
1) grumble and complain OR 2) be in denial
Some people could just say, “you got dealt the bad hand”. That is somewhat minimizing in my opinion. I would agree that I have been dealt a bad hand, but I am not just the victim of fate or an unpreferred outcome. To play the victim card is to concede that there is nothing out there except the random collisions of options.
I would strongly say that my God is bigger than the seemingly prevailing evil and brokenness we see everywhere! He is bigger than disease! He is bigger than oppression! He is bigger than difficult circumstances! Believing that God is bigger than evil carries me along in hope. We also believe that one day in the future He will make all things right. We call this redemption! I also believe I will be with Him forever in Heaven because He purchased me with His blood at the cross.
My hope is not just in getting healed or that my life will go back to normal. My hope is that even though I am in the middle of the most brutal trial of my life, I am not at risk. I am completely safe in His hands. Yes, I may perish at the claws of this monster, but I am fully in the grasp of my loving King. He oversees every death of His people. I do not believe He is ever the author of evil, but death is in His job description. We give Him credit for births, why not deaths? I do not think God causes murderers to do their wickedness, but He somehow oversees those deaths. Can we, like Job in the Bible, trust Him in death? (crazy cool verse here in Job 13:15) He too will oversee my death, and yours, whenever that time may come.
Here is a list I am totally excited about on reasons we can trust god! If you have a couple more minutes, give it a read!
Quotes that affect me on this trust issue:
“Trust = faithfulness over time.” Pastor Garrett Naufel
“Trustworthy = worthy of our trust.”
“God is not my little genie who is supposed to do whatever I wish for.”
“God always defines “good”, not the humans.”