I hope I’m not alone in sometimes wondering the answer to that question. But even if I’m not, I admit it comes up deep inside of my heart and mind and haunts me from time to time in my life. I even admit I get downright angry about it with God. I want Him to step in and help someone I love. I want Him to protect our children from hateful and fatal gunfire. I have loved ones fighting terminal illnesses that just do not deserve to be stricken and in such pain and agony. They live in fear for their lives every day.
Where does God’s love go when these horrible things are happening? Just recently I looked deeply into the eyes of someone I love as much as I love this wonderful and confusing life. I saw hurt and confusion. I saw pain and anguish. I admit that it hurt me really deeply. I admit that I realized that no matter how difficult this was for me it was harder for her. I wondered about God’s compassion in those moments. I prayed to Him to help her. And so far, not so much has happened to give her comfort. It is so easy to doubt God and His love in those moments. It is hard to have faith in Him during those moments.
If you read my headline question and are expecting a good, clear answer I apologize for not having one. Forgive me for that in advance. I don’t have an answer that will satisfy everyone, but I do have one that satisfies me. I have made a choice: a very clear choice. At times, it is a very difficult choice for me. I have chosen God. I have chosen to believe in God. My choice isn’t based on just emotion. It is not based on just hope or desire. It is based on years of seeking God, reading His word, listening to others, looking for Him and praying to Him. The answers He has given me have more than satisfied my need. He is more than enough – even in those moments when I wonder, “Where is He”?
You see, I have seen God’s presence in my life. I have read about His presence in the world. I have read the first hand accounts of so many men and women who gave their lives to share the story of our Lord Jesus. There are still so many things I don’t understand about God or Jesus. What I do understand and accept wholeheartedly is Jesus is the Son of God. There were times when I seriously doubted God. It hurts me to admit that, but it is truth and God knows the truth in my heart and mind. He created me. Over time as I started to hear God’s voice in my life and through others, those doubts started to diminish.
One of my favorite Pastors is Andy Stanley. I love Andy. He would not know me if I walked into his office. I have shaken his hand in a crowd on several occasions and that is the extent of our close relationship. How do I love a man whom I have never spent time with? That seems like a strange question, right? I love this man. His ability to share the Gospel and all of the Bible has earned him a place deep in my heart. He helped me answer questions I have had for most of my life. He showed me God’s love in a way that I longed for since I was a child and wanted to know this God of the Bible I heard about. If you get a chance, go see Andy at North Point Church Buckhead Church
When I blog, I often find myself saying things about God or Jesus or King David or Paul that were influenced by Andy. Thank you, Andy. I bring Andy into this conversation because I want to give him credit and because I am making what I consider to be a profound point. I have come to love a man that I never actually “met” or had dinner with or hung out with. I believe we can come to love Jesus in an even deeper way because as good a man as Andy Stanley is, Andy would not compare himself favorably to the goodness of Jesus. And, while Andy has devoted most if not all of his life to sharing Jesus with others, Jesus gave His life for us on the cross.
Here is a revelation I owe to Andy Stanley that changed my whole attitude towards the Bible, towards God and towards Jesus. It even has changed my perspective towards other people in my life in a significant way. That change is based on this principle: If we will focus on the things we know to be undeniably true, then God will reveal to us those things that we cannot understand in His time. Think about this: Focus on what we KNOW to be true as opposed to focusing on what we cannot understand. When we do that when it comes to the Bible, we learn to see God in a very different light. That is also true when it comes to the people in our lives. When I focus on what I know to be true about my wife, the things I struggle to understand just don’t seem to be so important. I know she is an incredible wife and friend. She is an amazing Mother. She has taught me as much about how to love others as anyone in my life. So what if there are certain imperfections about her? And by the way, I am not suggesting there are imperfections in God or Jesus. There are however, things we struggle to understand about them. There are even contradictions in the Bible that the doubters love to focus on.
As for me and my household we will choose the Lord. You see the Lord has and always does keep His promises. He does not promise our lives will be led without troubles. He does not promise we will have a long and healthy life. He does not promise we will have wealth as we measure it in the U.S.
Back to my original question: Where does the love of God go? He always loves us. He never turns His back on us. He loved us so much He sent an innocent man, His ONLY son into the world that He would be betrayed, spat on, brutally beaten and murdered that we would all be forgiven for our sins. He gave us the greatest gift of all and yet we often struggle to even see it or accept it. To me it is undeniable: Eternal life with our heavenly Father is the greatest gift of all. With my human mind, I can’t even imagine it, but I do long for the day where there will be no more sin, no more suffering. God promises that day to us if we will accept Jesus and allow Him to live and reign in us and in our lives. And this is undeniable, God always keeps His promises. We will still suffer on this earth. But any injustice here is offset by the amazing promise of eternal life. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment