Where is God when Life Tumbles In?
As Christians how do we cope with tragedy and Crisis? What do we do when life tumbles in?
We can face crisis in a number of ways:
Unreal Optimism: We can become numb to pain and say, "All is okay." If anything good is going to happen it will happen to me. I’m the greatest. Life is a bowl of cherries all you have to do is help yourself. Life is great. Life is grand. I have no problems and I have no pain. I never have a discouraging moment.
Ultimate Pessimism: This person believes that pain and conflict are the only ways to experience growth. Life is a nightmare. Why was I even born? Whatever bad is going to happen it will happen to me.
Distorted view of God: We need an adequate view of God if we are going to find ways to cope with tragedy and crises in life. A distorted view of God leaves us without hope. To believe that God created the universe and humanity and then deserted His creation to let us spin helplessly in space leaves us without hope. If God has abandoned his creation then all we have to look forward to us living our life, dying and period that’s the end.
Let’s look at the Biblical view of coping with tragedies and crises in life.
I. The Prophet Habakkuk Search for Answers to Life’s difficult questions.
The Prophet Habakkuk is one of the Minor prophets in the Old Testament. He states his problem in chapter 1:1-4. "Why is God silent when the world is being turned upside down?" Doesn’t God care about our suffering and injustices?
Have you ever wondered: "Where is God when life slams in o you like a wrecking ball knocking over a building. Where is God when life no longer smiles upon you?" How do we deal with the silences of God?
In his book, "Where is God When It Hurts?", Philip Yancy tells of #John and Claudia Claxton were newlyweds and in their early twenties. Claudia contracted Hodgkin’s disease and had to under go major surgery and radiation treatment. Claudia reported on ways people talked to her during her time of suffering:
A church member told here to reflect on what God was trying to teach her through suffering. "There must be something in your life displeasing to God." "You must have stepped out of God’s will. Listen to what God is trying to tell you."
Another lady, a cheerleader for the sick visited her. She brought flowers, sang hymns, quoted happy psalms and talked about happy things to drive out any suffering with her cheer and good will.
Another lady stopped by to pray for Claudia. She told her that sickness was never God’s will. She told her that all sickness was the devil’s work. She needed enough faith to believe that she could be healed. Faith could remove mountains and that included Hodgkins’ disease.
Another lady from her church came by and told Claudia that she needed to praise God in everything. She needed to say: "God I love You for making me suffer like this. It is Your will. In all things, including this, I give thanks."
God answered Habakkuk’s prayer: chapter 1:5,6. "Be patient. I see you suffering. I will do a great work in your day."
Habakkuk 1:13, "Why must the righteous suffer along with the unrighteous." It doesn’t seem fair.
We know that God does not cause our suffering. We know that pain and suffering are apart of a fallen humanity. Sin entered the world through the choice of Adam and Eve - But in Jesus we have forgiveness of sin and access to God.
It is often in and through suffering that we discover the love and grace of God. His grace is sufficient in every situation.
Habakkuk sang out in chapter 3:18-19---whatever our problem, doubt, perplexity, we can take it to the Lord in prayer.
#Joni Erickson, dove into the ocean, her head hit a rock and she was paralyzed from the next down. She had a knock and down drag out fight with the demons of doubt. Everything she had hoped for in life…husband, family, and vocation, were all taken way from her she thought. All her options were gone, al that she had was a helpless body and God. After months of pain and struggle she surrendered to God. God would make her life worthwhile and attractive, without God she could do nothing.
II. The Prophet Isaiah found Hope Amidst Despair
During the time of the prophet Isaiah’s ministry the people of Israel were going through dark days of persecution. The people of Israel have turned from God and the Lord allowed Babylon to take them captive. In captivity the people of Israel cried out: "Why did God do this to us?" "Doesn’t the Lord see the trouble we are in. God is unfair. We will build better gods of wood and stone."
When troubles come our way it’s easy to blame God. We may shake our fist at God and say: "God you need me. Since you let this happen to me, I’ll show you, I’ll get even with you." Like the man on a mountain who stumbles and falls and breaks his leg. "Mountain you broke my leg. I’ll punish you for what you did to me." He takes a stick of dynamite and blows a home in the mountain to punish the mountain.
In Isaiah chapter 40 and 41 the prophet Isaiah declares that in the midst of persecution and darkness there is light and hope. Isaiah 41: Fear not, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed. I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you: I will uphold you with my victorious right hand."
Isaiah 40:28 "Don’t you understand? Don’t you know by now that the everlasting God, the creator of the farthest parts of the earth, never grows faint or weary?" God will take care of you.
"Comfort, comfort you my people, says your God." 40:1 Take hope, "A day of the Lord is coming and the glory of the Lord will be revealed and all mankind will see it." 40;5
The risen Lord comes to us in every situation and says: "My grace is sufficient for you." I know all about your situation. I love you and I will care for you. Isaiah 40:26 "I am like a shepherd who cares for his sheep, calling them by name and counting them to see that none is lost."
God is for you where you hurt. The Rev. John Haggai, an evangelist, testified of a tragic event in his family. They had a son who became paralyzed during birth. One of the nations most respected gynecologists and obstetricians brought him into the world. But the doctor was depressed and turned to alcohol for the answer. When the Haggai’s baby boy was born the doctor was intoxicated and during complications in the birth was incompetent and the baby suffered brain damage. At a later date the doctor committed suicide.
For the first two years of his life the baby had to be fed every three yours day and night. Rev. Haiggi testified that only with the help of the Lord were they able to continue their ministry and not become bitter. The entire tragedy was so unnecessary.
In every challenging situation our hope is in the Lord. Isaiah 40:31 "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings of eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."
III. Paul and Silas could sing in prison.
Acts 16 tells the story of Paul and Silas attacked by mob violence and severely flogged and put in prison. Why? Because they were preaching the gospel that Jesus arose from the dead. A young slave girl who was a fortuneteller with abilities given to her by an evil spirit was disrupting the evangelistic campaigns of Paul and Silas. Paul turned to her and said: "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the evil spirit left her and so did her gift of prophecy. The slave girl’s owner stirred up the crowd to attack Paul and Silas and had them put in prison.
Can you picture Paul and Silas being dragged into prison, a dark dungeon like cave. The heavy doors closed behind them and their hands and feet put in stocks so they could not move their hands or feet. The clotted blood from the beatings caused their entire bodies to throb with pain. The pain was so great they could not sleep.
What did they do did they spend the night moaning and complaining and questioning why God could allow them to be beaten and put in prison? No. verse 25, "And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them."
At midnight, God gave them songs in the night. They could sing even through they might face execution in the morning. They could sing because they put their lives in the hand of God. They knew that Jesus would see them through the darkest of night. They had hope for tomorrow because of their faith in the risen Lord.
#The story is told of a 7-year-old boy who fell into deep excavations being dug for a New York subway. He was taken bruised and suffering to the nearest hospital. When the doctor began to examine his injuries the little boy took a deep breath. "I wish I could sin," he said, looking up at the doctor. I think I’d feel weller, then." "All right, you may sing," said the doctor, and the little boy began to sin. As the doctor went on with the examination and the boy winced a bit and continued to sing: "I’m so happy and here’s the reason why, Jesus took all my burdens away." Several of the nurses and workers in the hospital heard the singing and came to see what was going on. Through all the pain of the examination the boy never lost a tune, and everybody was glad when the doctor announced, "Well, I guess you’re all right, little man, I couldn’t find any broken bones." The little boy said, "I guess it was the singing that fixed me. I always sing when I feel bad."
I heard one preacher comment on the singing of Paul and Silas. As they sang in the night they sang louder and louder. Their singing was heard in heaven and the Heaven Father began to tap his foot to the music. As he tapped the prison began to shake. The shaking spring open all the prison doors and opened the stocks and set the prisoners free.
In every crisis God is with us.
