Where was God this week?
In the past few days, our extended communities have experienced
devastating loss.
We watched in disbelief as we learned about the victims of flash floods on a road we travel regularly. We prayed and feared as the first responders searched for missing victims. Friday, we were stunned as we learned about the murder/suicide in our own backyards.
If we think about the pain and suffering these families are experiencing, it can leave us wondering some pretty deep questions. As people of faith, these questions can hit us hard.
The sadness and unspeakable pain in the world can leave us questioning:
"Where is God?" and "Why didn't God stop these things from happening?"
These can be a difficult questions. And it can be difficult as parents to answer these questions when your kids ask. I wish I was emailing you with the answers. But the reality is I struggle with this too. I have known and loved, trusted and struggled with God for years and this week's news brings these questions up in my heart as well.
I don't have answers. However, I wanted to share what I have learned and understood about God and God's character.
Where was God this week in these unimaginable events?
God was in the car with each and every victim.
God was in the emergency vehicles that rushed to both of these scenes.
God was with the boy and his father in Yardley.
God was with every person in each situation.
God is with the families that now mourn.
I believe this because I have watch people go through painful times and they have talked about God's presence with them. I have been through painful experiences and I have felt the presence of God. It never takes the pain away, but as we experience the pain, we can experience the comfort of God.
In Deuteronomy 31:8 we read "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
I know God was present with everyone suffering this week.
No matter the situation, God is with us.
Why doesn't God step in and stop these horrible things from happening?
While there are a lot of different ways to attempt to answer this question, here's my current thought and understanding: God doesn't stop horrible things from happening because God gave humans free will.
We can choose whatever we want and God won't control us.
We can choose to believe in God, we can choose not to.
We can choose to be kind to others and we can choose to destroy others.
We can choose to take care of nature or we can destroy it.
God will never control us or others. And that means horrible things will happen in our world. There will be pain and struggles beyond our understanding.
While God won't take away the pain, God is present with us in the pain offering comfort.
There are no easy answers for the difficult questions of our faith journey. However, it's important that we continue to ask these questions. It's important to seek answers and learn what we can about the character of God.
If you would like to talk about this, please don't hesitate to reach out.
For today, let us hold these families and individuals in prayer this week. We can pray for them to feel God's comfort, to experience moments of peace and to feel surrounded by love.
Have a wonderful weekend, all.
Blessings,
Denise
I recently got a professional ceramic coating done on my sedan from The Detailing Mafia, and the hydrophobic effect is absolutely amazing. Washing the car is so much easier now. Thanks for sharing these maintenance tips, they will definitely help me keep the shine longer!
Spot-on advice on digital growth! Building a strong online brand requires adapting to changing user behavior. At Qubrixa, a top rated Digital marketing and web development agency in Noida, we always tell clients that consistency in optimization is key, much like the steps described in your article. Excellent write-up!
The idea of looking for God in ordinary moments can be helpful because it shifts attention away from expecting dramatic signs and toward the small things that can easily be overlooked, such as encouragement from another person, an unexpected opportunity to help, or simply finding enough strength to get through a difficult day. That perspective also reminds me that people can experience the same event very differently depending on what they are carrying personally. Even outside a religious setting, there is value in taking time to reflect on what an experience taught us rather than only focusing on whether the outcome was what we wanted. I also find that this kind of reflection connects surprisingly well with learning in practical…
This was a thoughtful and moving post, especially the honest way it acknowledges that difficult events can bring up questions that do not have simple answers. I appreciated the focus on finding comfort and presence during painful moments rather than pretending everything can be easily explained. The reminder that asking difficult questions can be part of a person’s faith journey also stood out to me. While reading different educational resources, I came across new assignment help uk, and essay writing service uk was another resource I noticed while browsing. The post itself left me with a lot to reflect on.
Researching the ice professional review guidance helps set realistic preparation targets. Coaching programmes at the College of Contract Management cover each review phase in detail. Feedback helps refine written and verbal responses.