Hasn’t the world gone crazy? It seems I am writing about this a lot recently. We recently witnessed the tragedy of four young men’s deaths in a car crash in Liverpool. Whatever the cause, the heartbreak for everyone involved is devastating. It was one of those sobering events that makes you stop and think - what if it was me? What if it was my son? Why do such things happen?
I am writing from Uganda at the moment. The other morning I met a lady with two young boys that I assumed were her grandchildren. I was right, but sadly discovered that their mother (the lady’s daughter) had died unexpectedly in November last year. I pondered - why the young lady and not someone older? Why are those little children left without their mother? I cried as I thought about it.
There are no simple answers to life’s dilemmas! Life is hard, pain is real, and the ‘what if’ questions cannot be easily answered.
To anyone suffering at the moment, I want to offer a degree of comfort and hope. I don’t want to be dismissive but rather remind you of what God, the Father of all created beings, says in His time-tested word, the Bible.
It’s not personal.
Sadly, we live in a world full of suffering. Our first reaction might be to blame God (if you believe in Him - though people often blame Him despite being uncertain of His existence). It’s natural to do this. During trauma, feelings of anger are normal, and the need to apportion blame can be overwhelming. The reality is that the world was free of pain, suffering, and death when it was first created. The first humans ignored the warning they were given, and as a result, sin entered the world, bringing with it all the awful things we experience in life.
There is someone who can give you comfort, hope, and love.
As you face difficult times in life, you may not feel like praying to God. We often resist the very thing we need most. Yet, God is the only one who can offer lasting comfort. In fact, He truly understands how we feel. God willingly gave His Son, Jesus, to die so we could have forgiveness of sins, hope for the future, and a fresh start. He was not obligated to address the problem of sin, rebellion, and death - but He did, willingly and out of love for us.
The message of the Bible acknowledges the cause and effect of evil, human sin, and the tragedies of life. In fact, God is more honest than most of us would like.
He identified the problem.
‘All have sinned and come short of the glory of God,’ Romans 3:23.
‘The wages of sin is death,’ Romans 6:23.
He did something about it.
‘The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world,’ 1 John 4:14.
‘This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,’ 1 Timothy 1:15.
‘Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that he was buried, and he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,’ 1 Cor 15:2,3.
He offers hope if we are prepared to trust Him.
‘Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost,’ Romans 15:13.
You cannot change what has happened, but by the kindness of God, you can find comfort and hope for a better tomorrow.
May God comfort you in your sorrow.
All photos courtesy of Unsplash
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