Ash Wednesday Storm, 1962, Nags Head, NC
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. - 1 Peter 5:10
Why do bad things happen to good people? It is a question that man has had since his creation and we all at one time or another have asked it. Why do young children sometimes die horrible deaths? Why do disasters happen and destroy everything that we have worked so hard for? And the questions can go on and on with seemingly no answers.
When we ask ourselves such questions, maybe it is a good time to sit down and read the Book of Job from the Old Testament. Job, a God fearing and righteous man, lost everything he had. God had been good to him, yet he lost his fortune, his children and his health, and even his wife who remained with him said he should curse God and die. Even his good friends also told him that he needed to pray for forgiveness for his sins, yet despite his anguish, Job told them he had not turned on God and had remained righteous.
In the end, God returned to him his health and his wealth and he was exonerated in the eyes of his friends. But Job suffered terribly, yet he never turned from the Lord. He stayed true through his anguish. He had been brutally tested about his faith and passed the test.
Job teaches us that suffering is not always because of something we have done. Sometimes it can be because of pride or even just because God wants to test us to see how strong our faith is. Using today's standards, many would howl ane say "that's not fair," but it is not for us to question God's reasoning, for only He really knows what it all means. But if we have faith, we will stay the course come what may and learn from it and be a much better person because of it.
As the scripture at the beginning of this blog states, even though we might suffer and be tested rigorously about our faith, God will redeem us. And remember, suffering builds strength and strength builds character and the ability to have faith. And the only way to meet the ultimate goal of this life is to have the faith to believe in Jesus Christ, for He is the only way to reach God who is our lifeblood. So whatever we face and whatever doubts we have, turn them over to God through faith and they will be handled. And the outcome through our belief will be heavenly because of His love and grace.
Dear Lord: We know that you love us and have given us life as a time to learn and mature in ourselves and we thank you for it. But we also know we are weak and cannot meet the standards which you set for us without your grace. Have mercy on us, help us to open ourselves to the Light of your Love and live by it always, come what may in this world before us. We ask in Jesus' name, Amen.
Why do bad things happen to good people? It is a question that man has had since his creation and we all at one time or another have asked it. Why do young children sometimes die horrible deaths? Why do disasters happen and destroy everything that we have worked so hard for? And the questions can go on and on with seemingly no answers.
When we ask ourselves such questions, maybe it is a good time to sit down and read the Book of Job from the Old Testament. Job, a God fearing and righteous man, lost everything he had. God had been good to him, yet he lost his fortune, his children and his health, and even his wife who remained with him said he should curse God and die. Even his good friends also told him that he needed to pray for forgiveness for his sins, yet despite his anguish, Job told them he had not turned on God and had remained righteous.
In the end, God returned to him his health and his wealth and he was exonerated in the eyes of his friends. But Job suffered terribly, yet he never turned from the Lord. He stayed true through his anguish. He had been brutally tested about his faith and passed the test.
Job teaches us that suffering is not always because of something we have done. Sometimes it can be because of pride or even just because God wants to test us to see how strong our faith is. Using today's standards, many would howl ane say "that's not fair," but it is not for us to question God's reasoning, for only He really knows what it all means. But if we have faith, we will stay the course come what may and learn from it and be a much better person because of it.
As the scripture at the beginning of this blog states, even though we might suffer and be tested rigorously about our faith, God will redeem us. And remember, suffering builds strength and strength builds character and the ability to have faith. And the only way to meet the ultimate goal of this life is to have the faith to believe in Jesus Christ, for He is the only way to reach God who is our lifeblood. So whatever we face and whatever doubts we have, turn them over to God through faith and they will be handled. And the outcome through our belief will be heavenly because of His love and grace.
Dear Lord: We know that you love us and have given us life as a time to learn and mature in ourselves and we thank you for it. But we also know we are weak and cannot meet the standards which you set for us without your grace. Have mercy on us, help us to open ourselves to the Light of your Love and live by it always, come what may in this world before us. We ask in Jesus' name, Amen.
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