From Category: coronavirus
It’s sometimes easy to feel as though God is far away from us; as though He doesn’t hear us when we call. It’s easy to see the suffering around us and wonder where God is. Some days it seems like our prayers aren’t being heard.
I don’t think it’s necessarily a lack of faith that causes this. Of course, we often drift far away from God, particularly when we don’t make an active effort to invest in our relationship with Him. But sometimes we can find ourselves in circumstances where it just feels difficult. We feel stuck; we feel like our prayers are bouncing off the ceiling and hopelessness isn’t far away.
In times like that, Psalm 22 might be a comfort. The psalmist offers three pieces of practical advice to those of us who cry out the same words as he does in the first two verses:
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.”
He is faithful to His promises. He does not change; He is the same God today, yesterday, and tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8). And therefore we can draw encouragement from the fact that we serve the same God who rescued a shepherd boy facing down a giant with five pebbles, the same God who rained down bread in the desert and who blinded an entire army.
He has shown His power and love in the past, and He will do so again.
It is by God’s will that we were formed; it is His will that we are alive. He created each of us for a reason, and He has a purpose for our lives. Therefore, we can, each of us, approach Him in prayer and ask: “Be not far from me” (v 19).
I had a recent airport mishap trying to get a flight home due to the coronavirus, and the whole time my mind was repeating: “For God’s glory, for God’s glory, for God’s glory.”
And He did deliver a hundredfold, and I knew at the end as I had recognized at the start that this obstacle too was for His glory, a reminder for me, maybe, to remember what I had learned in my loneliness abroad before I returned to my comfortable home.
When obstacles and suffering occur over a longer time period, it can be difficult to trust that any good can come out at the end. But though we are weak, God is strong, and He says to us: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
So we can boast in our weaknesses because they serve to illuminate God’s strength. We find comfort in our troubles because we know that He holds us and will be faithful to the end.
James 1:2-3 tells us that sufferings and trials will result in the testing of our faith, and this, in turn, produces steadfastness. When we have gone through trials and seen over and over again that God is faithful and powerful and active and just, our faith is strengthened. And this steadfastness, this clinging to faith, will be an encouragement to those around us.
There is purpose in our sufferings. We are not alone. Even when you can’t see the sun on a cloudy day, it is still shining.
I don’t think it’s necessarily a lack of faith that causes this. Of course, we often drift far away from God, particularly when we don’t make an active effort to invest in our relationship with Him. But sometimes we can find ourselves in circumstances where it just feels difficult. We feel stuck; we feel like our prayers are bouncing off the ceiling and hopelessness isn’t far away.
In times like that, Psalm 22 might be a comfort. The psalmist offers three pieces of practical advice to those of us who cry out the same words as he does in the first two verses:
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.”
1. Remember what God has already done.
Firstly, he urges us to remember what God has already done, as recorded in the Bible and throughout history (v 4-8).“In You our fathers trusted,” he tells the Lord in verse 4, “they trusted and you delivered them.”God has shown us that He cares for us, that He is all-powerful and all-knowing, that He hears His people when they cry out to Him. Start with Adam and trace through all the Bible characters who trusted in God, even in the bleakest of circumstances, and found salvation in Him.
He is faithful to His promises. He does not change; He is the same God today, yesterday, and tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8). And therefore we can draw encouragement from the fact that we serve the same God who rescued a shepherd boy facing down a giant with five pebbles, the same God who rained down bread in the desert and who blinded an entire army.
He has shown His power and love in the past, and He will do so again.
2. Remember what God has done for you personally.
Next, the psalmist tells us to remember what God has already done for each of us in our own lives (v 9-21).
Verse 9 says: “Yet You are He who took me from the womb; You made me trust You at my mother’s breasts.”Since our births, God has been faithful to us in our own lives in a personal way that transcends blanket promises or an impersonal power.
It is by God’s will that we were formed; it is His will that we are alive. He created each of us for a reason, and He has a purpose for our lives. Therefore, we can, each of us, approach Him in prayer and ask: “Be not far from me” (v 19).
3. Remember that there is meaning in our suffering.
Finally, we are reminded that there is purpose in our sufferings, even if we cannot see it (v 22-31).“I will tell of Your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.” (v 22)Verse 24 promises us that God hears us when we cry out to Him, and the rest of the psalm reminds us that God is glorified in our tribulations. This legacy serves to encourage our fellow believers.
I had a recent airport mishap trying to get a flight home due to the coronavirus, and the whole time my mind was repeating: “For God’s glory, for God’s glory, for God’s glory.”
And He did deliver a hundredfold, and I knew at the end as I had recognized at the start that this obstacle too was for His glory, a reminder for me, maybe, to remember what I had learned in my loneliness abroad before I returned to my comfortable home.
When obstacles and suffering occur over a longer time period, it can be difficult to trust that any good can come out at the end. But though we are weak, God is strong, and He says to us: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
So we can boast in our weaknesses because they serve to illuminate God’s strength. We find comfort in our troubles because we know that He holds us and will be faithful to the end.
James 1:2-3 tells us that sufferings and trials will result in the testing of our faith, and this, in turn, produces steadfastness. When we have gone through trials and seen over and over again that God is faithful and powerful and active and just, our faith is strengthened. And this steadfastness, this clinging to faith, will be an encouragement to those around us.
There is purpose in our sufferings. We are not alone. Even when you can’t see the sun on a cloudy day, it is still shining.
(This article was originally published on Thought Catalog.)
17 January 2022
The search for purpose in suffering - and learning to live through the troughs of life - is not new. Our response should not be new either. In a pandemic, when suffering is acute and valleys seem deep, the Christian response should still be to seek first God’s kingdom.
Pandemics remind us how sin has broken our world. Sin wreaks havoc in relationships between people, but also within creation itself. The creation of Eden has been disrupted, perturbed, twisted by sin. We are no longer in balance with nature. Earthquakes and predators and viruses - these are dangers to us now. Nature is a glorious display of God’s power, but it - like us - has been stained by sin.
We are reminded, therefore, of the first commission given to Adam in Genesis 1:28. We are stewards and subduers of the Earth. This is not a straight-forward role; subduing the Earth entails far more than cultivating one field - it is a call to care for our planet. Environmental activism is not a recent trend; it is a Biblical commission. Our world is broken, and the harmony between man and nature will not be perfect in this present age, but we know that one day the balance will be returned. There will be restoration on God’s holy mountain, where “the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat” (Isaiah 11:6).
Recognising the fallen state of the world should also restrain us from assigning false blame to others. Suffering is a phenomenon that no human can truly comprehend. We do not know the cause or purpose. But it is clear from the Bible - and particularly from the book of Job - that suffering is not punishment for sin. Pointing fingers and shifting blame is not a Christian response at any time, and even less so in times of crisis.
Rather, this is a time to fiercly love our neighbours and to encourage one another. In whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, we are called to witness to God; to shine His light before those around us and to remind them of His great love.
Jonathon Merritt writes of the insensitivity that that has been exposed in some Christians by this pandemic. Such actions are not a Christian response. It is love that should characterise us as God’s children. We must recognise our duty to serve others in times of trial.
The shortest and yet amongst the most profound verses: “Jesus wept.” It is a very mortal reaction to mourn the loss of a loved one. We do not yet live in eternity; we do not understand the coming together of all things. But Jesus is God and Jesus is also man, so Jesus understands the harrowing pain of losing a loved one. He knows the anxiety that plagues us when those we love are ill. We are called to live as a testament to that faith and peace.
Finally, the Christian response to pandemics should be to recognise that God is still in control. Over and over the Bible tells us stories of people in despair and desperation - sold into slavery, close to starvation, betrayed by friends - where God’s sovereignty is displayed.
The battle still belongs to the Lord. He is in control. He sees all things and knows all things and understands all things. He is not confined to our linear understanding of time. He is not surprised to find us where we are, in a global pandemic in 2020.
The God who accomplished such miracles in the Old Testament, who gave us the greatest love story in the New Testament; the God of the time since and the time before; this is the God who watches over us in the COVID-19 pandemic.
In truth, the Christian response to pandemics should be no different from the Christian response in the ‘vie quotidienne’; humility, servanthood and faith. The idea of compound interest is emphasised in this observation; faithful daily following prepares us for unseen trials ahead.
East of Eden, we still live with suffering. This world is not how it is meant to be, and pandemics serve as an all-too-clear reminder of its brokenness. The ancient curse which binds us all binds our planet too. But we have hope: we know that in the new creation, viruses and pandemics will be no more. At that time there will be no pain, death or suffering (Revelation 21:4).
Our hope is beyond this world, anchored to the One who is in control. We keep stepping forward in trust, one day at a time. After all: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the end He will stand upon the earth” (Job 19:25).
We are reminded, therefore, of the first commission given to Adam in Genesis 1:28. We are stewards and subduers of the Earth. This is not a straight-forward role; subduing the Earth entails far more than cultivating one field - it is a call to care for our planet. Environmental activism is not a recent trend; it is a Biblical commission. Our world is broken, and the harmony between man and nature will not be perfect in this present age, but we know that one day the balance will be returned. There will be restoration on God’s holy mountain, where “the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat” (Isaiah 11:6).
Recognising the fallen state of the world should also restrain us from assigning false blame to others. Suffering is a phenomenon that no human can truly comprehend. We do not know the cause or purpose. But it is clear from the Bible - and particularly from the book of Job - that suffering is not punishment for sin. Pointing fingers and shifting blame is not a Christian response at any time, and even less so in times of crisis.
Rather, this is a time to fiercly love our neighbours and to encourage one another. In whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, we are called to witness to God; to shine His light before those around us and to remind them of His great love.
Jonathon Merritt writes of the insensitivity that that has been exposed in some Christians by this pandemic. Such actions are not a Christian response. It is love that should characterise us as God’s children. We must recognise our duty to serve others in times of trial.
The shortest and yet amongst the most profound verses: “Jesus wept.” It is a very mortal reaction to mourn the loss of a loved one. We do not yet live in eternity; we do not understand the coming together of all things. But Jesus is God and Jesus is also man, so Jesus understands the harrowing pain of losing a loved one. He knows the anxiety that plagues us when those we love are ill. We are called to live as a testament to that faith and peace.
Finally, the Christian response to pandemics should be to recognise that God is still in control. Over and over the Bible tells us stories of people in despair and desperation - sold into slavery, close to starvation, betrayed by friends - where God’s sovereignty is displayed.
The battle still belongs to the Lord. He is in control. He sees all things and knows all things and understands all things. He is not confined to our linear understanding of time. He is not surprised to find us where we are, in a global pandemic in 2020.
The God who accomplished such miracles in the Old Testament, who gave us the greatest love story in the New Testament; the God of the time since and the time before; this is the God who watches over us in the COVID-19 pandemic.
In truth, the Christian response to pandemics should be no different from the Christian response in the ‘vie quotidienne’; humility, servanthood and faith. The idea of compound interest is emphasised in this observation; faithful daily following prepares us for unseen trials ahead.
East of Eden, we still live with suffering. This world is not how it is meant to be, and pandemics serve as an all-too-clear reminder of its brokenness. The ancient curse which binds us all binds our planet too. But we have hope: we know that in the new creation, viruses and pandemics will be no more. At that time there will be no pain, death or suffering (Revelation 21:4).
Our hope is beyond this world, anchored to the One who is in control. We keep stepping forward in trust, one day at a time. After all: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the end He will stand upon the earth” (Job 19:25).
31 August 2020
A lot of people struggle to reconcile the idea of a loving God with a God who allows suffering.
As Christians, I think it is paramount that we make it very clear that we do not nullify or downplay suffering. We do not deny that there is so much pain and hurt and wrongness in this world. Our faith does not call us to say it’s not so.
Suffering is at the heart of what we believe because if it weren’t for sin and the pain that it wreaks, Jesus wouldn’t have needed to die to save us.
We do not deny suffering. We cry with those who cry.
Suffering does not disprove God, if anything suffering points out that we know in our hearts that there is a better way to life. Suffering reveals our yearning for the perfect peace of God.
This world is broken. It is not what it is meant to be. We long for the perfect world, the new heaven and earth when restoration will be complete and there will finally be justice.
18 July 2020
This is a weird time, isn’t it? Grocery shopping now requires battle tactics. The evening news is fraught with terrifying numbers. Many of us know every corner of our homes very well by now. The normal course of things at this time of year - Easter gatherings, school graduations and summer plans - are gone.
Dear stranger, certainty has disappeared from our world. Plans disintegrate, control is wrested from us. Mistrust creeps in, taking the form of conspiracy theories and a lack of transparency from governments. Dear stranger, why are we turning against each other now, when we most need to work together? We don’t know what’s going to happen next; surely it’s best to step forward with others by our side?
Dear stranger, there’s so much hurt happening in the world right now. It’s overwhelming and any effort I make to try to remedy it seems pathetic. There are people who have lost loved ones, people drowning to death from the fluid in their own lungs. There are people scared out of their mind, who fear stepping out of their front door. There are people who fear, everyday, what they will face in their own homes. There are people giving up their lives to try to help the ill and dying. There are people living in migrant camps, in slums and in shantytowns, facing unthinkable fears.
Dear stranger, where do we find hope in this fear?
Dear stranger, I lift up my eyes. My hope is in the Lord who drives out fear with perfect love. I cling to His promises; He will never leave us nor forsake us.
Dear stranger, in this world of chaos, fear, hurt and suffering, I hope that you can find peace.
Go dtí go gcasfar le chéile sinn arís.
(Until we meet again).
03 May 2020
Easter is the greatest celebration in the Christian calendar. Easter is when we remember the fulfillment of God’s rescue plan. It is our turning point and our hope.
Thousand-year prophecies are fulfilled at Easter. The ultimate sacrifice, the greatest act of love: Jesus Christ dying for our sins. The cross is our salvation. The empty tomb is our hope.
There are many beautiful glimpses in the Easter story. Jesus’ compassion in making provision for His mother while He hung dying on the cross. The faith of the criminal who hung beside Him, and the grace of Jesus’ words: “Today you will be with me in paradise.” The belief of the Roman centurion at the cross. The dedication of Joseph of Arimethea and Nicodemus, casting away their social concerns to honour Jesus in His death. The torn curtain ushering in a new and radical relationship dynamic between God and all believers.
The Easter story is dark and tragic, but there is beauty in it even before its triumphant ending.
This is a strange Easter. The coronavirus has cancelled most church services around the globe. We trust in God, and we believe that He will have the ultimate victory. We look to the day of His coming, when every wrong will be put right.
For now though, in our broken world, those glimpses of God’s love and mercy keep us going.
13 April 2020
“Do you not know? (This is amazing news.)
Have you not heard? (This is life-changing news.)
The Lord is the everlasting God, (God is eternal; He is the same God today, yesterday and tomorrow, and His promises stand for all time. He knows everything because He has experienced all of history; all of time. We don’t experience time in the same way as Him; He is beyond time.)
the Creator of the ends of the earth. (God made everything; He knows how everything works and where everything goes. He is a creative God who loves what He has made and takes pride in His work. You were created for His purpose; you were formed with care and placed where you are for a reason.)
He will not grow tired or weary, (Our God is Mighty; He is all-powerful. There is no problem too big for Him, and nothing that He cannot do. He is our Rock of Strength and we can depend on Him in all things, at all times.)
and his understanding no one can fathom.” (His ways are above our ways; we cannot always understand why bad things happen and how He will work them for good. This is one of the things I’ve struggled with most in my faith but over and over, He has proven to be faithful. God will work all things for good. One day we’ll see that all along God has been with us, leading us along the best path. But blessed are those who do not see and still believe; let us be counted in that number; we pray for faith.)
***
“Do you not know?Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
And His understanding no one can fathom.”
----- Isaiah 40:28.
07 April 2020
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