Where Was God In All Of This?Sýnishorn

Life can deal some difficult blows. Mind-numbing, life-altering wounds can come from the experiences and tragedies we see around us or face in our own lives. How in the world could God let these things happen to the very humans he created? How can a supposedly loving God allow such a tragedy to happen? Murder. Natural disasters. Mass killings. Hate crimes. Sickness and disease. It makes one wonder if God even cares about this world and the people in it.

I know this territory very well. Nine years ago, my family was facing the absolute biggest tragedy we had ever encountered before. It was November 22, 2010, and I remember it like it was yesterday. I was boarding a plane to go to Las Vegas to be with my daughter for Thanksgiving. As I sat in the terminal waiting for the airline staff to come on the loudspeaker and announce it was time to board, I received a voicemail from my sister. I’m not sure why I didn’t catch the phone call, but I listened to the voicemail and instantly knew something was terribly wrong. “Call me. It’s about Matt…and it’s NOT GOOD. Her emphasis on the words “not good” let me know that this was not going to sit well. I gathered myself and boarded the plane, fully knowing that once I landed, I would have to respond. When I did land, I exited and headed straight for baggage claim. As I arrived, my middle brother was calling me. When I answered, his voice sounded tense. He asked me what I was doing, and I told him I was retrieving my bags. He told me to call him back when I picked up my luggage. What happened next was like a slow-motion scene in a movie. My brother delivered the news that my youngest brother Matthew had been fatally stabbed in a domestic dispute by his girlfriend’s brother.

I want to reveal the rest of this story to you, but before I go further, I want to unpack something for you. This tragedy, or this crime as society would call it, happened between two human beings. These are the same human beings that God created in His image and gave free will. We all have the same rights and privileges as citizens of earth to make choices and decisions about our lives and our futures. God, in His sovereignty, even gave us the CHOICE to serve him or go our own way. Sovereignty means God is the final authority in the universe, but He does not impose His will on us. In other words, he gives us the ability to choose His way. As you navigate the rest of this devotional, ponder this scripture:

Deuteronomy 30:19 (Amplified Bible) - I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse; therefore, you shall choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants,

Life – Death

Blessing – Cursing

These two choices dictate our entire existence as the human race. Let’s talk more about that in tomorrow’s reading.