Where is God in a hurting world?

Character of God

In class we have begun to tackle some really tough questions; where is God when all we see is hurt in the world? Does he cause the destruction we see? Can he prevent it? These are tough questions to answer and cannot be resolved in a week’s teaching. But what we can consider in a week is how we approach these questions. We took a look at the big picture – where is God in the history of the world, what has his position been on justice and mercy, what are those crazy stories in the Old Testament all about? We also made it personal. Students looked at their own lives – the hurts and injustices they’ve experienced, the situations in their lives that have made them question God’s goodness, or even existence. As they honestly brought these questions, in humility and without accusation, God ministered healing and understanding and many were able to look back for the first time and not only see the pain but see God’s presence, His sustaining grace carrying them through the hardest times.

I think the thing that stood out to me as I saw the students get touched by God’s love and healing is just how important our “attitude of approach” is. Do we really want to know “why?” something happened, or is the “why” a fist shaken at God cleverly hidden by a question mark? I have seen time and time again that when people seek understanding in humility and openness God meets them in the most incredible ways. But I have also seen how accusation, preconceived notions and already drawn conclusions can harden our hearts and keep Him at a distance. I myself experienced a lack of God’s comfort and presence when I harbored accusation for years. The beautiful thing about God is that he desires to come near, to come into those places of deepest hurt. He may not answer every last question, but he brings peace. The creator of the universe is humble enough to feel our pain and bring comfort and understanding. Are we humble enough to let him in?