SeanOKelly.us

Well I took some time off from blogging because the black plague of awful hit the kids and Amanda, and then me for two weeks.  I’m still just getting over it, but I am back into the swing of things this Easter week.  I even ate breakfast this morning, after a week of virtually nothing but DayQuil, NyQuil, and strawberry Popsicles.

So when I opened up today’s devotion, I was met with every person’s favorite topic: Suffering.  The story of a missionary who’s child died on the mission field was heart breaking.  Her story of faithfully continuing to serve the people of Jordan was inspiring.  The challenge at the end was to consider what it would be like to love three very important people in your life, and I decided to skip it.  I don’t want to think about what it would be like to lose my wife, or a child.

The missionary made a strong point as she grieved heavily over her loss.  Was God good before her child died?  Yes.  So does the God who never changes stay good after a life tragedy?  Yes.  But our perspective has a way of changing based on our external circumstances.  It’s important to be firmly rooted in what the Bible says about God, so that our emotions don’t lead us astray.  On days life is going great, it’s easy to praise God; but do we have that same capacity to praise God, like the psalmist said, “In the storm?”

I think it’s counter to our human nature to praise God through the storms of life.  Last week when I felt so sick I wanted to die, I didn’t find myself thanking God for the demonic cold, the evil chills, and the fever that wouldn’t go away no matter how much I prayed.  But even in that small amount of suffering, God had a purpose.  Romans 8:28 says that God would work that sickness for good; because I know I love God, and am called according to His purpose.

So while we may not see the reason for our suffering, and we may have no idea the benefits that come as a result of our suffering; we can know that God is at work in every situation, especially when we suffer.  Perhaps I was sick so that someone else could have the chance to lead the meetings that I ended up missing.  Perhaps this missionaries child died to reaffirm a call that God had spoken to this woman.  The reasons are what we look for, but what matter the least.  All that ultimately matters is that God knows what He is doing, and He is in control.