We’ve all seen it and many of us have experienced it. Tragedy. Terrible things happening in life – death, critical illness, divorce, natural and accidental disasters, financial woes and the list goes on. It is easy to trust God when things go our way, but who do we trust when they don’t?
As a parent, I remember many times saying “no” or denying things my children asked for. Often there were tears or protests, and especially in the teen years, holding fast to my answer was very difficult. Why do we do this with our kids?
Because we know better. We know as a fully grown adult the dangers that are in this world. We know why doctors give immunizations, the value of curfews and all the other things we had our children endure, all for their sake, their good. And we knew that it wasn’t necessarily for their good in that moment, because we had our eye on their long term good.
Imagine there is such a thing as eternity. A life beyond this life. And a God that exists in it.
God is called “Father” and we are often referred to as his “children”. So, apply the lesson earlier in this post to your life with him, your “Father”.
God has many promises, all recorded in scripture. Here’s a select few that relate to trust in challenging times:
Hebrews 13:5 (b) – “he (Jesus) has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Matthew 28:20 (b) – “I (Jesus) am with you always, to the end of the age.”
That’s just a sampling of your Father’s promises to be with you, to care for you and to look after your long term – the longest term good for you.
It is not easy and often it’s painful to navigate through really difficult times. That’s normal. God even offers to comfort you in those times (Philippians 4:13 ESV). But make no mistake, God the Father, just as we as parents do for our kids, looks after his “kids” for their own good, for the long term.
Richard Bahr 