Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I urge you, from the bottom of my heart, to pray for all of God's children in Haiti. The catastrophe that has transpired there is beyond horrifying. The exact death toll is unknown (because, in such an impoverished country, no real system exists to effectively keep track of such things) but it is currently estimated at about 50,000. Please join me in praying for the survivors, the dead, and those trying to help.
Just this morning, I was watching a video article on the internet about the crisis in Haiti. Images that tore my heart apart flashed across the screen. Children searching for their parents, parents searching for their children, bodies everywhere, violence, starvation... There is no doubt in my mind that this is the worst natural disaster that has occurred in my lifetime. I went to post a comment underneath. I was reading through others' responses to the video when I came across one that disturbed me a bit.
"This is awful, just truly awful. I don't see how people can see suffering and horrible things like the disaster in Haiti and be so naive as to believe there's a god. And if there is one, he must be a real [swear word]."
While I agree wholeheartedly that the situation is "truly awful", I was stunned at the rest of the comment. I sat there with my mouth hanging open in disbelief, and I could feel a new BYR being written inside of my heart. So today's topic, brothers and sisters, is why we as Christians do continue to believe in- and praise- a very benevolent, loving Father in Heaven, even in life's storms.
Our belief in God should not be based on how easy or difficult our lives are, or on the state of the world around us. Heck, if I based my faith on how easy my life is, I would definitely be an atheist. Well, at least for the hour each day I spend in my Algebra II class. (Math is of the devil. I haven't yet found a scripture passage to support this theory, but I'll get back to y'all as soon as I do.) I think we'd all be atheists if we gave up on God every time something didn't go our way.
As Christians, when trials come, we know they have a purpose. I know I've said this a million times, but God knows what He's doing! He knows the plans He has for us (Jeremiah 29:11), and trials are a part of those plans. Earthly struggles are a necessary part of our salvation. (Acts 14:22)
Why? Because if we didn't have to struggle, we wouldn't have to grow. Progress and happens because people are unhappy with their current situation. Why did the American Revolution happen? Because the colonists didn't like England's stupid taxes and arbitrary laws. Why was fire invented? Because cavemen didn't like being cold. Why were you potty trained? Because your parents didn't like changing diapers!
When we are content with a situation, we don't want to change it. It's when we're uncomfortable that we start to say to ourselves, "Okay, I don't like this. What can I do about it?"
And what Christians do about it, brothers and sisters, is grow in our faith. When we go through hard times, we develop perseverance and spiritual stamina. (James 1:2-3) We know that bad things happen for a reason, so we can grow closer to God. And we praise Him in troubled times, because we know He is going to see us through, no matter what happens.
My friends, I witness to you with everything in me that we shouldn't blame God for the trials we go through. It's my testimony to you today that we are called to praise Him in the darkest hours of our lives, through the deepest suffering we endure, because we know He is there, and He loves us, and we will get through that darkness because of Him. I believe that with all my heart. Maybe that's why my absolute favorite song in the world is "Praise You in This Storm" by Casting Crowns, which is another, more eloquent witness of that same truth.
I was sure by now
God You would have reached down
And wiped my tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again
I say 'amen'
And it's still raining
As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
'I'm with you'
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands
And praise the God who gives and takes away
I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
Cause You are who You are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to You
And raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find you?
And as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
'I'm with you'
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands
And praise the God who gives and takes away
I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
Cause You are who You are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm
Sometimes, though, it can be easy to slip into the mindset of "how could God let this happen?". Well, I've got news for you. Nowhere in the Bible does it say that you are going to spend your whole life on Earth skipping through a big happy field of flowers and fuzzy bunnies. In fact, Christ told His disciples repeatedly that it wasn't going to be easy. Trials are a part of life. We know that God does things for a reason, and that He will always take care of us.
But He doesn't always take care of us in the way we're expecting. (And, as I've said before, don't even think about trying to tell God how He should do things.) I know, from my own experiences and from stories other Christians have shared with me, that God's way of handling the situation is always the best way. Even when we can't see Him working, He is, and it's always for our good. So be open to however God may choose to surprise you!
And, in response to "how could God let this happen?" and "why won't He fix it?"... well, God doesn't always define taking care of the situation as literally as we do. Like I said, bad things are going to happen. Sometimes He prevents them, but sometimes He allows them to happen.
But does that mean He's not there? Does that mean He's not kind? Of course not. We know that's not true. And does it mean He's not taking care of us? No, brothers and sisters. He is taking care of us, always. Even when He doesn't stop the wind and rain and the hardships of our life, He is still with us every step of the way.
I think this is going to end up being the BYR musical episode, because I'm already thinking of another song. Maybe you know it; it's "Sometimes He Calms the Storm" by Scott Krippayne.
All who sail the sea of faith
Find out before too long
How quickly blue skies can turn gray
And gentle winds grow strong
Suddenly fear is like white water
Pounding on the soul
Still we sail on knowing that our God is in control
Sometimes He calms the storm
With a whisper- 'peace; be still'-
He can settle any sea
But that doesn't mean He will
Sometimes He holds us close
And lets the wind and waves go wild
Sometimes He calms the storm
And other times He calms His child
There's a reason for each trial
That we pass through in life
Though we are shaken we cannot be pulled apart
From Christ
No matter how the driving rain beats down
On those who hold to faith
A heart of trust will always be a quiet, peaceful place
Sometimes He calms the storm
With a whisper- 'peace; be still'-
He can settle any sea
But that doesn't mean He will
Sometimes He holds us close
And lets the wind and waves go wild
Sometimes He calms the storm
And other times He calms His child
God never said we wouldn't struggle. He never said we wouldn't hurt, or that our hearts wouldn't be broken sometimes. But He did promise that He would never ask us to do anything we can't do, or allow us to face more temptation than we are able to handle. (1 Corinthians 10:13). And most of all, He promised to never, ever leave us. (Hebrews 13:5-6) Sometimes He does calm the storm. But when He doesn't, please remember that He is there to calm you, because you are His child, and He loves you so much.
Another reason why Christians are uniquely able to be strong through the tribulations of earthly life is because we know that Earth is only temporary. As Christ told his disciples in John 16:33, "And I tell you these things so that in Me you might have peace; for in this world you will have tribulations. But be of good cheer, and keep the faith. For behold, I have overcome the world." And because He overcame the world, so can we! We know that, because of our faith and the grace of God, we are bound for something much greater once our time on earth is through.
As Shakespeare said in Macbeth, "Life's but a waking shadow, a poor player who struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more..." We must remember that this life is just a moment in time from an eternal perspective. And although we don't know much about Heaven and the specifics, we do know that it will be wonderful. We know that we will dwell forever with the Lord. What more could we want in a paradise?
Oh my gosh, I think coming down with some sort of musical disease. There's another song I want to share with you. But instead of just making you read the lyrics, I've embedded a YouTube video too, of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir performing it with Charles Billingsley. "The Light of that City" is a song that talks about the trials of life, but puts it in perspective for us as we imagine the sparkling city in the sky that is waiting for us as we endure pain and loss here on earth.
In this house we’ve built of make-believe
Loved ones go, long before
Seems it’s time to leave
But we will learn how to grieve
To forgive, and receive
Till we see them there
In that city
Spread of stars overhead as we walk this road
While this darkness remains
I will bear your load
And together we will tend
The seeds He sowed
As we walk along that road
To that city
And on that day, we will sing, ‘Holy, holy!’
On that day, we’ll bow down in the light
And then we’ll rise, and turn our eyes
To the Lord, Jesus Christ, the Light of that city
Though my eyes can’t see what is waiting there
Though my mind can’t conceive
All that He’s prepared
There the blind will see the sun
What was old will be young
And the lame, the lame shall run
All over that city
And on that day, we will sing, ‘Holy, holy!’
On that day, we’ll bow down in the light
And then we’ll rise, and turn our eyes
To the Lord, Jesus Christ, the Light of that city
No matter what happens, my brothers and sisters in Christ, we as Christians are able to hold onto our faith because of the promises we have in our Lord. We know that He will never abandon us. We know that none of us will have to endure any trial or temptation that we cannot handle. We know that- while it may not be what we are expecting- God will make a way for us to get through any hard time. And most importantly, we know that Earth is...well... just Earth, and that greater things are in store for the faithful and strong.
So, when tragedies happen- either on an individual or global scale- and people question how we can have faith despite the crisis, we know the answer. We know that we don't have faith despite the crisis we face; we have faith because the amazing God we serve will never let us face it alone.
Be strong, and never give up on faith. The One in whom your faith is anchored will never, ever give up on you. God bless you.
~BYR
