Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore, I will wait for him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:21-26
So many tragedies. Watch the news for two minutes. Look around at the lives of your friends and acquaintances. Look back over your own life. No matter how hard we try we can't avoid the pain of life in a broken world. We hurt for others. We hurt for ourselves. How do we handle it? How do YOU handle it?
Most of us are not self-aware enough to recognize our own self-protective strategies. We can look at someone else and see how they are turning to work, or addiction, or TV, or shopping, or food, or anything else to avoid their pain. Yet, we don't recognize what we do to avoid dealing with the biggest of questions: Why does God allow pain, in my life and the lives of those around me, and why doesn't He stop it when He can?
I can't answer that question. Oh, I can give you answers. I've done it many times in the past. That is part of my self-protective strategy. If I can explain my pain, or someone else's, to some extent, if I can convince myself that in some way it makes sense, then it becomes easier for me to deal with. But it doesn't really answer the question of why God allows it. It just avoids truthfully bringing the question to God. Sometimes, no matter how hard we try to make sense of tragedy, it just doesn't make any sense at all.
So then, how do we handle this huge question of pain and tragedy? How do we acknowledge the question we can't truly answer and still maintain our faith? How do we keep saying YES to a God who sometimes allows hurt to come to us and those around us and doesn't give us satisfactory explanations?
I have found in my time of deepest hurt and deepest questioning that there is only one anchor that keeps me safe in the storm of confusion: The goodness of God's character. When I can't understand why God doesn't solve the problem and stop the tragic from becoming reality, I have learned to remind myself that God is still good, that His mercies are new every morning, that His faithfulness doesn't run out, that His grace is still amazing.
Landing on the truth of God's character allows me to persevere in the tempests of tragedy that rattle my faith. I have to choose to trust His goodness and leave my questions unanswered. And then, something awe-inspiring happens. Even though my questions are still hanging in the air, they fade, and I begin to see the brightness of His presence in a new way. I become aware of Him almost tangibly, in a way that I could not have if I understood. I feel His grip on me tighten and the seas below my staggering feet become stable as stone. The storm doesn't stop, but my feet no longer stumble.
Dear One, whatever questions are staggering you today, I encourage you to persevere in the storm, spurred on by the persistent goodness of God's character. Say YES to perseverance and you say YES to God's stabilizing presence.
Key thought: Trust God's goodness in the tempest of tragedy.
A Scripture to consider: Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore, I will wait for him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” Lamentations 3:21-26
A YES challenge: What is your self-protective strategy in the face of tragedy? How can you trust God with your questions?
Prayer: Father, I hate to admit that I have unresolved questions. I thought that faith was supposed to answer all my questions, but it isn't true, and I am not quite sure how to resolve that. Help me to trust in Your goodness even when my questions are unanswered. Be my anchor in the storm. Amen.