I sat with someone today who was greatly hurting! Someone who had seen so much in his lifetime – from the brutal reality of war that left agonizing images imprinted in his mind to the heartache of his child struggling to survive. Along with that, he is now dealing with isolation, loneliness, and a very broken heart. Though he had a mask, you could see it in his eyes – the pain, the glimmer of tears held in for far too long, and a fear of what might happen if he ever let them out.
He made a comment that literally hurt my soul! He said, “I gave up on my faith, why would a loving God allow all of this to happen”. It pierced my heart – I grieved for him, for all that was buried so deep inside this old, gentle soul! Once a vibrant young man with the world at his fingertips to a man with no hope, no flicker of light and no one to turn to.
Maybe you are here! Maybe you, too, wonder how so many storms can be swirling around us when we serve such a loving, kind and gracious God. I can’t answer “why”! But I can trust that God is good; he is the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles (2 Corinthians 1:3). He is the only way to see you through difficult times and he is our only hope for eternal life in heaven.
John 16:33 says, “I have told you these things, so that IN ME you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world”. We live in a fallen world! And one of the main effects of that is seeing injustice and suffering (often senseless – SO senseless). We, in our humanness, cannot fully grasp God’s ways or His purposes for our lives.
Perhaps the only way to try to understand “why” is to look to Jesus – a man without sin, who endured the greatest of all suffering (Isaiah 53:5) just so we COULD spend eternity with Him!
Despite all your struggles, heartache, sadness and hurt, this is NOT the end. God will never abandon you; fall into Him, feel His warmth and His presence – let his love completely saturate you. The ultimate victory has already been won! Hold tight to the prize and the hope we have in an eternity where streets are paved with gold – no more pain, no more suffering, no more illness, no more hatred! That is the hope we have! Love you, Heather
