WHERE IS THE COMFORT?

Tuesday morning, September 11^th, 2001 , is a day that will be deeply etched in our minds.    We huddled around television sets (much like the American pioneers did the campfire) to hear the events unfolding, to grieve in disbelief, to separate fact from fiction.  In shock we learned how countless, innocent lives were lost at the hands of suicidal madmen.  We watched as the death toll increased.  We wondered about the fate of those we love.

A world mourned.  Reality set in.  Our nation, thought to be impenetrable, was pierced from within by the gravest act of terrorism ever to occur on American soil. The resulting destruction of human life and property was perhaps the greatest since Pearl Harbor or the falling of two atomic bombs on Japan .

  To be unaffected and unmoved by these events is to be inhuman.  Anger, compassion, helplessness, disbelief, shock, grief, anxiety, fear…all these are human emotions that we may have felt.  Possibly you’ve experienced them all; how have you found yourself dealing with them?

WHERE DO I TURN?

So many have sought refuge in the arms of fellow Americans.  We extol the relief workers and huddle together in vigils.  A shoulder to cry on and an ear to bend often consoles and strengthens our wounded hearts.  We are thankful for those who care, but even the most compassionate human cannot answer the deepest questions of the soul, or guarantee a happy ending.  They are like us, - frail, finite and frustrated. 

Recent patriotism has only been rivaled by times of war or the Olympic games.  Our nation has experienced unprecedented unity and solidarity.  Bipartisan divisions are insignificant, our President is well approved and Old Glory appears at every turn of the eye.  Our nationalism is to be commended, but we all know even our nation cannot offer perfect protection or eternal hope and security.  Can anybody?  There must be more! 

Many people have turned toward the Highest Being, God!  An extraordinary call for prayer, blessings and faith has recently moved Americans.  It is not uncommon for humans from all over the globe to turn to God in times of desperation. 

WHERE ARE YOU GOD?

Unfortunately, many who turn to God either turn to Him in anger or in ways that are dishonoring to His character.  Two particular questions always seem to surface during times like these.  “Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?” -Indirectly questioning His wisdom and holiness.  Or, “How could a loving God allow these events to transpire?” -Indirectly questioning His sovereignty (complete independent control) and goodness.  Sadly, asking such questions grossly misunderstands the character of God and the nature of humans.

The Bible is filled with examples of God’s holiness and human sinfulness;[1] of God’s patience and human rejection;[2] of God’s perfection and human futility.[3]  The trend continues.  Instead of realizing that God has created man in His image, humans have created a god in their image.  Their god, like man, is weak, unloving and foolish.  Daily events are left to luck, chance and blind fate; until tragedy hits, and then their god that they’ve created and ignored is blamed for no longer operating by the rules they’ve ordained.  Think about it, how can we blame a god of chance for discomfort?  Furthermore, how can we expect a god of chance to work things together for good? It’s hopeless!

WHERE IS THE HOPE?

Biblically, we accept a God who has purposed every event to come to pass from all eternity.[4] God sovereignty exercises His will in concurrence with the free will He has given to man.  Though man conducts his business, God’s plan cannot be foiled or frustrated[5] as all events are working together for His glory[6] and the good of His children.[7]  Contrary to popular belief, God did not uncontrollably or unlovingly watch Tuesday’s tragic event come to pass.  Furthermore, He is more than the divine medic or cosmic lifeguard we call upon to clean up the mess.  God is sovereign and should be glorified as such.[8]   

Is this a tough pill to swallow?  Confused?  Let’s clarify…

All of us have been around long enough to know that man is capable of much evil, which brings with it pain, sadness and suffering.  God will hold men responsible for all evil; for the Bible says, they shall give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead,[9] and “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.[10]  God in His nature is not capable of evil,[11] but He uses evil to accomplish His purposes, often in a way we don’t understand, but nevertheless must trust.  Evil is never good, but God is able to bring forth good from the evil.[12]  Take for instance two biblical examples: 

Most of us from our childhood Sunday school days (or a recent musical) can recall the story of Joseph.  He was almost killed by his jealous brothers and then maliciously sold into slavery.[13]  In a most unique turn of events, Joseph was promoted to the highest office in the land under Pharaoh.  In this position he not only spared Egypt during a terrible time of famine, but also his own family who had betrayed him.  Though Joseph had the authority to seek revenge, he forgave his brothers and trusted in God’s perfect plan.  “And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.”[14]

God’s definition of good surpasses our finite understanding.  Consider the day that God’s Son, Jesus Christ, the only innocent Person, was betrayed, denied, mocked and ruthlessly nailed to the cross to suffer and die.[15]  Who would have ever thought that we would forever celebrate that day as “Good Friday?”  In the end the Bible exclaims: This Man, delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.[16] And, was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?[17]  Author Philip Yancy once said, “The same tears that break our hearts may also nourish us in ways that matter most to God.” 

In reading the Bible and walking alongside our Lord, we learn to trust God because He is perfect in wisdom, goodness and power.  He is too wise to err, too good to do wrong and too strong to fail.  As respected theologian Dan Fortner once said, “Let Him therefore send and do what He will. By His grace, if we are His, we will face it, bow to it, accept it, and give thanks for it. God's Providence is always executed in the ‘wisest manner’ possible. We are often unable to see and understand the reasons and causes for specific events in our lives, in the lives of others, or in the history of the world. But our lack of understanding does not prevent us from believing God.”

There is no doubt that our faith in God is most tested during times like these.  We learn that faith in our national security or steel-enforced skyscrapers is futile.  We either depart from God or cling to Him as our only source of hope, knowing that He operates in a sphere well beyond our finite human comprehension to achieve a perfect and wise plan.

The Bible declares: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts”[18]…Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.[19]

WHERE DO WE GO NOW?

Who are we as humans to put God on trial?  On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it?[20]  We do not judge God, rather God judges us!  He gives us rain and food and shelter and families and sunsets and health and yet we ignore Him all the way.  But when the moment adversity hits we have the audacity to cry out, “Where are you God?”  Should we be surprised?  We live in a nation that has openly told God that He is not welcome in the schools, courtrooms or polite society.

But God perseveres with humans in perfect patience.  Calling them to Himself[21] and teaching them about divine realities, the brevity of life.  Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.[22]  Octavius Winslow, a popular pastor of the 19^th century, once said, “All is shadow here below!  The world is a shadow; and it passes away!  The creature is a shadow; and the loveliest and the fondest may be the first to die! Oh, yes!  Passing Away’ is indelibly inscribed upon everything here below…Yet how slow are we to realize the solemn lesson: What shadows we are, and what shadows we pursue!”

From the beginning of time humans have mocked their Creator by spurning His existence and by thinking that this life is all that matters and by thinking that time was on their side.  And (Jesus) told them a parable, saying, “The land of a certain rich man was very productive.  And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.’  But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’  So is the man who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”[23]

Man puts his faith in humanness. God wants us to put our faith in Him.  It was Timothy McVeigh who left these final words before his execution: “I am the master of my fate.  I am the captain of my soul.”  No, Mr. McVeigh you are not!  Death scoffs at such comments.  Likewise, death scoffs at us regarding the worldly protection in which we trust with such passion.  Death scoffs at our military, at our FBI, at our medicine, at our security systems.  With all these checkpoints in place, it was Rudolph Giuliani, mayor of New York City , who ordered 6,000 body bags.  Death is real, death is certain and humans need to realize that it may come sooner than they think.  It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.[24]  It is not the wrath of God that wakes us up to these unpleasant realities, but rather His mercy!  God’s mercy enables us to turn to Him and seek His plan for eternal salvation before it becomes too late. 

WHERE IS THE FUTURE?

In the beginning of time our ancestors ate the forbidden fruit.  God warned them “in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.”[25]  Though death came immediately to Adam and Eve, nevertheless death reigned…even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam.[26]  Through their disobedience, Adam and Eve brought not only physical death, but also spiritual death upon themselves and all humanity.  Even the righteous King David exclaimed, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.”[27] Though we may not all be terrorists, all humans sin, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.[28]  Sin creates a separation between every human and God.  The bad news is that the wages of sin is death.[29]  However, good news awaits, the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.[30]

God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to bear the penalty for our sin on the cross.  He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.[31]  By faith in Christ and repentance, God promises to forgive us all our sins and grant us eternal life in His Name.  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.[32] He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.[33]  

All humans die.  And when they die, they will face a just God who will send them either to an eternal heaven or hell, based on what they did with His love offering of Jesus Christ.  To some He will say…“Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”[34]  But to the rest He will say, “Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.”[35]  Though tragic, physical death should not come to us as a surprise.  We will all die, but we all don’t have to be separated from God for an eternity. 

Is there any wonder that the gospel is called “the good news?”  Seek your spiritual advice from the Word of God, rather than the politicians.  Live for God’s kingdom, rather than this earthly kingdom.  Ultimately trust God’s sovereignty rather than America ’s sovereignty.  God’s wise and good purposes cannot be thwarted.  His Words will never pass away.[36]  He has given us eternal life in Jesus Christ for those who will believe.  What else can bring greater comfort, peace and hope in the midst of this calamity?

WHERE AM I GOING?

My friend, your everlasting future does not need to be an issue of uncertainty.[37]  God has provided a way for you to spend an eternity with Him in heaven, a place where He shall wipe away every tear from (your) eyes,[38] because heaven is a place where sin is no longer present.  Furthermore, eternal life can begin today as you experience the joy of being reconciled with your Creator.  Don’t let another moment pass.  Turn from your self and turn to Jesus who is Lord!  Believe in the sufficiency of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection to pay the penalty for your sin.    For the Bible says, whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.[39]