Take 5 Minutes for God Session 3

Where Was God?

The flooding in central Texas has shaken our Christian world. It makes us realize our mortality and our hearts are completely broken by the children at church camp losing their lives. But the one deafening question that keeps being asked is, “Where was God at during the flood?”

As a Christian it is hard to come to terms with what has happened. It builds a tension inside of us as we try to understand why this happened but can’t. This really stretches and tries our belief in God, because we KNOW our God is all powerful. He could have stopped the flood. He could have saved every life. He could have parted the waters to go around the camps, but He didn’t. We prayed hard for every little girl missing at the church camp to be saved in a miraculous way, yet that prayer was not answered how we wanted it to be.

Scott Reece wrote, “This is where we enter the sacred realm of mystery.” To be honest I do not like the mystery. I do not enjoy the pain of life lost at such young ages. I cannot wrap my human mind around God’s sovereign plan at times when it does not make sense to me, when it hurts. This is a time in our lives where God’s divine sovereignty does not align with our earthly expectations. This is where we must deepen our relationship and knowledge of God, instead of letting doubt and hurt fuel us. This is where we must simply have faith and trust that God is in control and there is a divine reason for everything that He let occur.

Even Paul understood that he did not fully see and understand all the things of God. In 1 Corinthians 13:12 he wrote, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.” Simply put, Paul is saying we cannot possibly know everything. We are seeing only a dim picture. But one day, when we are face to face, we will understand. We have to find peace in the not knowing while we are here, because when we are face to face, it will all make sense.

A lot of us are wondering, “Why didn’t God do something?” Do not feel bad for the question. God can handle your questions. The trick is not to let it dim your light for God. Maybe the question we should be asking though is, “Why did God choose not to do anything, even when it broke His own heart?” God weeps with us. God feels with us. Think about Jesus. He has literally wept as man over his friend.

Think about Jesus on the cross. Could He have stepped down off that cross? Could He have called the angel armies to save Him? YES, but He didn’t, and it was not because He couldn’t, but because there was greater redemptive work at play in the midst of His suffering, in the midst of the Father’s heart breaking. Maybe right now, it is like that for us. Maybe there is a greater plan at work withing this suffering.

I can’t tell you that I have the answers. I can tell you that my heart is broken and I don’t quite understand either. I can say with certainty that none of us know the mind of God. Isaiah tells us that. His ways are not our ways. But I do know that His not answering the prayers the way we wanted, does not mean He’s not there. His silence does not mean He does not care. Will we be able to look back and see God’s hand in this tragedy? I’m not sure, but sometimes God holds back so that something great can be revealed through the hardest and saddest of times.

Remember all creation is groaning. This is not what it was meant to be. This is not a divine judgement, this is the Earth crying out for the same savior we do. The flood did not take God by surprise, but He did not delight in it. Jesus enters into suffering with us carrying His own scared hands and feet.

Even if we do not understand. Even if we cannot answer why, we as believers have to remain firm in our faith for those around us. Even when we can’t see the good work God is doing, even when we mourn, even when we hurt, GOD IS STILL GOOD! He is not just good when things are good to us. He is good all the time. He is not good based on circumstances. The finished work on the cross will always be proof of His love for us despite the circumstances.

Even though this feels unfair. God is still fair or what we can call just. His justice is just sometimes slow in our eyes. Things will all be made right again in His time. Every tear will be wiped away and every pain will be completely healed.

God is always there. He is never not present in all circumstances. He is after all Emmanuel, God with us! He was there in the flood. He was with every person who lost their life, and He is with every person who mourns the loss today, including us.

God is still in the miracle business, and He is always working for our good.

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” I want you to understand that this does not mean that all things are good. We are in a broken world, but that means that even the worst thing, like losing children in this flood, can be worked out for something good in God’s redemptive plans.

Don’t allow your questions and those of others to shake your faith, to make you fall into unbelief because people will say many things about God when bad things happen. Heck, even we question these things, but like Nehemiah we must not come down from the wall and continue in our good works, because we have a God making all things good for us even in the midst of sorrow and pain.

We will never have all the answers and that is one of the hardest parts of this Christian journey. We have a good God we can trust. He does still speak, Jesus still saves, and Heaven is waiting for us. A mark of a mature Christian is knowing and understanding that it is ok not to know and that is ok to question God but not allow the sorrow and others’ questions to shake our foundation, because God still reigns above it all.