When Bad Things Happen

"It is in our choosing to mourn that we show compassion."

LIFE IS HARD SOMETIMES. Things happen, and sorrow and grief overwhelm us. Faced with physical or mental trauma, we are left wondering what to do next. Our loving God wants our soul to prosper. He desires us to walk in health. This truth should anchor us. We can overcome the thoughts troubling us.

“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” (3 John 1:2)

When bad things happen, though we react to them, in the long run, how much we suffer is up to us. Does a man lacking arms or legs have joy? Does someone who survived war find the will to live and to live well? What of those who have dealt with great loss, the loss of a child, for instance? The space that a loved one lived is never filled. How do we find the strength to go on when our hearts are breaking, when our minds reel? It is a choice. We must choose joy instead of heartache, peace instead of sorrow.

Our heavenly Father mourns. In Matthew 5, amongst other behaviors listed: humility, meekness, mercy, and peace, we find mourning. God promises comfort to our mourning. This is a precious promise. He is rest from sorrow. Yet, as a comparative behavior, this verse goes far deeper to not only personal loss but our grief over world events and peoples as well. We see here the heart of the Father. He loves “whosoever,” and we are called to mourn as our Father does.

That He mourns is recorded in Scripture. In Lamentations, He mourns the destruction of Jerusalem because of their willful sins. A study of those happenings in the Old Testament shows His pleading for them to repent in the book of Joel. Lamentations is the words of God's prophet, Jeremiah, not words Jeremiah conjured up but those given Him by Jehovah. God wished for Israel to repent, so He could give forgiveness, and in Lamentations 3, He reminds them He is exceedingly faithful in this regard.

We must mourn the loss of innocent lives, the unborn, those slaughtered in war, even those who died in their sins, as did God in Lamentations. Do we think He just discards men? Never. And neither should we. It is in our choosing to mourn that we show compassion. Jesus mourned the coming destruction of Jerusalem and her past behavior to His prophets. He wept at the tomb of Lazarus, seeing the people’s grief. His Father and the presence of the Holy Spirit brought Him comfort and a great resurrection.

Suffering is a battle of the mind. Whether we suffer and what we suffer only lasts because we don’t seek healing. We do not have to suffer sickness and disease, nor any mental trauma. By Jesus' wounds we are healed (Is53:5; 1Pe2:24). The devil comes at mankind to steal, kill, and destroy. He is a liar and a thief. Our great salvation through Jesus' sacrifice provides all of God's goodness to men. Nothing we need is excepted or left out. We do not need to suffer financial loss. God has promised us restoration and blessing. We do not need to suffer from sudden accidents. He has said His angels will bear us up, and we won’t even stub our toe.

On the other hand, we suffer persecution. This is stated in Matthew 5. Those who do not walk after God, who are not filled with the love of God can react only in darkness. We suffer also in our submission to God and to authority placed over us. Suffering of this type is our obedience. Jesus submitted to the will of His Father when He laid His life down for our salvation. "Not my will but thine be done." The apostle Peter was told he would submit to earthly powers at his death, and history records his testimony of faith. Resistance to the devil is a third type of suffering. Resisting the devil's pressure to collapse under the weight of his attack is a continuous effort. We refuse to give up, refuse to give in, which requires persistence, and the leaning of our entire being on the Holy Spirit. Only through Him can we overcome.

“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” (Romans 15:13)

When we mourn personal pain and loss, God mourns with us. He knows our sorrow and gives us His peace. In Him, we can find joy and strength to walk again. He frees us from anxiety and fear. His Spirit is one of power and love and a sound mind (2Ti 1:7). He doesn't want us to suffer at the hand of the enemy. For this reason, Jesus died, and to give us life, He rose again. Abundant life which guides us ahead in difficult times, the cross near our heart, the hope found in God leading us. He is the God of abounding hope. He is the God of ALL comfort (2Co 1:3). With His care of us in our gaze, we can make of what we've been through praise of our wonderful Father’s grace, who has raised us up not to suffer for eternity, but to live in Him.

MATTHEW 6:9-13
(9) After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
(10) Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
(11) Give us this day our daily bread.
(12) And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
(13) And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
*These are the words of Jesus who was the name of God hallowed, or dedicated, to bring the kingdom of God to earth, so that we could have heaven on earth, with Him as our daily bread, His sacrifice bringing us forgiveness for our sins and deliverance from evil.

Read "God of all Comfort"

Flower Image by Luciana Silva from Pixabay
Butterfly Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com