People are quick to ask, "Where is God in a tragedy like this?" The question has been asked and answered thousands if not millions of times throughout history.
If you know God, you know where He is in the midst of tragedy. If you have a true, intimate relationship with Him, you feel His pain sear through you while at the same time you feel His comfort envelop you.
Verses like these start populating your thoughts.
“The peace of God, which transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you” (John 14:27).
“Our comfort abounds through Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:5).
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted” (Psalm 34:18).
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him” (Romans 13:5).
In times of tragedy, God's Word pours out like cool water into a dry, parched mouth. His comfort overflows until it fills the very furthest recesses of your heart. He offers
Hope
Rest
Peace
He wraps our pain in the comfort of His Word.
Yet, this intimate phenomenon is available only for those who know Him – those who have willingly forsaken their trust in themselves and placed their trust in God. That’s why so many ask, “Where is God in a tragedy like this?” They don’t know because they haven’t experienced His presence during the pain.
That’s ok, though, because it doesn’t have to stay that way. Christ wants a relationship with all – including you, including them. He weeps over those who reject His comfort; if you don’t believe me then read Luke 19:41-42.
Click here to read more about starting that relationship.
UPDATE 04/16/13: News stories of a massive earthquake in Iran and the constant threat of a missile launch in North Korea are already mixing in with the news coverage of the Boston terror attack.
UPDATE 04/19/13: West, TX was suddenly leveled by a massive explosion. The city of Boston spent the night with terrorists racing through the streets, firing weapons, and throwing explosives. People are voluntarily confined to their homes.
Friends, that is the world we live in; tragedies will increase, horrors will continue. Now is the day to trust God, and if you already do trust Him, then tell someone else about your relationship with Him.
To read more about the peace available through Christ:
The God of Peace
My Peace I Give You
Click on the word Peace in the label section in the right sidebar to read even more articles on the peace of God.
God was in Boston---in all the people who helped and didn't run away, in the neighbors who took strangers into their homes or gave blankets to the injured, in the eyes of the forlorn and lost and frightened when they found love from those around them.
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