Nearly 20 years ago I was sitting in the back of a tan Ford Bronco that was flying out of my parent's dirt driveway towards the main paved road. In the front seat were two of my closest friends. They were MKs (missionaries kids) who were home from college for a while. We were headed to play basketball somewhere and as we were headed out the driveway the one driving wasn't slowing down. In the US you slow down so you can stop when approaching roads like that. In foreign countries, like the one they grew up in, it isn't always the case. As we were going fast through this intersection I am yelling at them that we have to stop and they look at me rather puzzled asking "Why? There isn't a stop sign." This is one of the many memorable times I shared over the years with these two men who I consider unofficial brothers, but brothers nonetheless.
Yesterday, for a reason known only to our Sovereign God, one of those men passed away at the age of 36. He had just finished talking to his twin brother when God called him home. This dear friend was a missionary working to spread the gospel to a tribe, the Da'an people, in the jungles of Indonesia. His wife and three young kids are now left to pick up the pieces.
Tragic events like this cause us to ask questions. We question why bad things happen to good people. We question why God would allow something like this to happen. We try to rationalize it. We try to make sense of it. We want answers.
Most of the time we aren't given the luxury of answers. As hard as we try we aren't always able to make sense of why things happen the way they do. In the end we are left to seek reassurance from something greater than ourselves. At times like this our faith in God is what can either support us or we can abandon it. We are the ones who will ultimately decide whether we draw closer to God during times like this so He can show us His love or we can shut our self off from Him.
The Bible tells us many things. Two things that the Bible is abundantly clear on is that God loves us (John 3:16) and He will never abandon us (Deut. 1:9). During the difficult times of life we must rely on these two truths rather than running from the God who loves us and is there to support us.
Next time you face a time when you're hurting, broken, or grieving remember these truths. Even if we don't get the answers we seek. Even if we don't make sense of it. Remember God loves you and that He is there with you in the midst of your storm.
Please be in prayer for the Poarch family as they are dealing with the sudden loss of their husband/father/brother/son. I thank you for your prayers on behalf of this wonderful family.
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