There have been many tragedies which have played themselves out over hours or even years. Miners have been trapped underground with hours or days before rescue will be too late. People get cancer and may live years before they will succumb to the disease. People lose their jobs and have a couple of months before their houses are repossessed.
Many of these people are Christians. They believe in an Almighty God. They pray to Him with all their strength. They enlist others to pray for them. Yet, they aren't rescued, they die of cancer and their houses get repossessed. Why?
Did they lack faith? Was it because they didn't believe God would actually deliver them at the time of their greatest need? Was all their religious fervor just a charade?
Did God lack the power to do anything about their crises? Were these tragedies beyond His control?
Did God not care? Maybe He didn't love these people. Maybe they weren't important enough to Him. Maybe He only cares for His high rollers.
Was God not completely good? He may have had a bad day and decided to let these people go through their tragedy because His goodness only goes so far. He just wasn't good on the days of their tragedies.
Consider something else: God did deliver each and every one of His children. Some He took to be in heaven with Him. Others He is changing their faith through the tragedy. Maybe someone is watching from the outside and God is delivering them to faith. These who are being newly delivered are watching others' faith while going through tragedies. The ones going through this hardship are doing so as testimony to others who will find their own faith by watching those who are faithful. God is using the tragedy to deliver.
God always delivers His people but not always in the ways we think He should. He always has the strength to turn any tragedy around but sometimes chooses to work through the tragedy. He eventually brings all of His children home. Some come home earlier than others. He always carries those who lose things they think they can't do without. He teaches them that they can live by what He provides. He delivers them from their dependence on earthly things.
Sometimes I pray, "God, deliver me." My prayers do not come because of tragedies but because I must be delivered from my lack of faith, my worries in this world, my fears of foreboding disasters around each corner and my own sinfulness. I hold onto the fact that He delivers His people.
I am ambivalent about how God does this. I both wish He would deliver me the way that I request to be delivered and glad that He chooses His own way. I want my way more before I am delivered and glad for His way once I am delivered.
God delivers His people. He will deliver you.
Daniel 3:17 (KJV)
17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
1 comment:
thank you for this post.
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