Where is God Amidst Tragedies?

How can we face hardships and tragedies? Where do we find strength to deal with fear, adversity, and misfortune?

To what degree can we rely on God? Can we trust him in times of crisis or even in normal times?

Terrorist attacks....Where is God?

God is the Creator of the universe and He longs for us to know Him and that is why we are here; God's desire is for us to rely on Him and experience His power and love in our lives, and touch His justice, holiness, and compassion, for He says to everyone: "Come to me."

God - unlike us - knows what will happen tomorrow, what will happen next week and what will happen next year. God said: "For I am God, and there is no other. God, and there is none like me. Declaring from the beginning the last, and from the old, that which has not been done."1

God knows everything that will happen in the world, and most importantly He knows what will happen in your life and He will be there for you if you choose to have Him over your life. We must first seek it sincerely; “You seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” 3

But this does not mean that those who know God personally and trust in Him will not experience difficult times. this is not true. When a terrorist attack occurs in a place and causes suffering and death to many, those who know God will be affected and will be injured as well, but the difference is that they have peace and strength that comes from the presence of God in their lives, and the revelation formulated that on the tongue of one of the believing Christians by saying: “Depressed in everything, but not distressed.” Confused, but not despairing, persecuted, but not forsaken, cast down, but not destroyed.”4

Reality tells us that we will encounter problems in our lives, but if we encounter them while we know and trust God, we will deal with them from a different perspective, not with our personal strength, but with a power derived from God, who is not difficult for him and who is greater and greater than any problem, and we are not alone, but rather he is with us and will not leaves us.

The word of God says: “The Lord is good, a fortress in the day of trouble. And He knows those who trust in Him.”5
“The Lord is near to all who call on Him, who call upon Him in truth, He works the pleasure of those who fear Him, He hears their supplications, and He saves them.”6

The Lord Jesus Christ said these reassuring words to his followers: "Are not two sparrows sold for penny? And not one of them falls to the ground without your father. As for you, even the hairs of your heads are all numbered. Do not be afraid! You are better than many sparrows!"71
If you turn to God sincerely, He will take care of all your affairs and take care of you in a way that no one else can.

Calamities, suffering, tragedies.... and our free will.

God created humanity with freedom of choice. This means that we are not forced to be in a relationship with God, but He allows us to reject Him and commit evil, although He can force us to love Him and be good, but if He does this, this will never be a relationship, but absolute control and compulsory obedience.

It is natural, in the event of a tragedy, that we cry out from the bottom of our hearts and say: “Why, Lord, did you allow this to happen?”

The question here is how do we want God to act? Do we want him to control people's actions? In the case of a terrorist attack, for example, what is the number of victims that God should allow? Would we feel more comfortable if God only allowed hundreds of people to die? Would we have preferred that God allowed only one person to die? People willingly choose to be terrorists and kill people, ignoring God and defying Him to commit heinous acts towards others.

Tragedies, tribulations, suffering...and our world

This planet is not a safe place. Someone might shoot us. Or we might get hit by a car. Or we may jump from a high building attacked by terrorists or whatever else may happen to us in this harsh environment called Earth; That place where God's will is not always followed.

Despite this, we are under God's mercy and care, God who created the universe with its countless stars with the word "be"; “God said: Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky” 8 and He is the same God who said that He “reigns over the nations” 9 and He is the omnipotent God with infinite wisdom, and although we may stand helpless in the face of certain problems, we must not forget that we have a God who does not find it difficult He commands and everything is possible with Him, and here He reminds us of that truth: “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh, does anything become difficult for me?” A man of my counsel came from a far country. I have spoken, and I will perform it. I have decreed, and I will do it.”11 This gives us reassurance if we humble ourselves and surrender our lives to God:
But he gives greater grace, so he says: “God opposes the proud. As for the humble, he gives them grace.” 12

When we compare ourselves to terrorists, for example, we see ourselves as respectful and loving, but inside us we know that if we confront God, He knows our sins, or are we unaware that everything in us is exposed before God? Our insides, our thoughts, our actions, our selfishness through which we have turned away from God and lived according to our desires, thinking that we can manage our lives as we wish without needing God, and as the Bible says: “We are all like sheep who have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way.”13

And the consequence of sins is that we are separated from God, not only in this life, but also in the hereafter, because the wages of sin is death, any eternal separation from God, but God gave us a way to enjoy forgiveness of our sins and have a personal relationship with Him.

Inner strength derived from the love of God?

God came to earth, incarnated in the form of a man, to save us and to save us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life, because God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”14

God knows the extent of suffering and pain that we face in this world, so Christ left his safe and comfortable place and came to our harsh world in which we live and experienced - as a human being - fatigue, thirst and hunger, he was harshly accused by others, he was rejected by family and friends, not only that, but he endured hardships Much greater than these, as He bore our sins and voluntarily paid the price for them by dying on the cross instead of us.

Jesus Christ told people at that time that he would be crucified and that he would rise from the dead three days after his death on the cross, proving that he is God appearing in the flesh. He said that after three days of his death he would appear alive to those who saw him crucified, and this is what really happened. After three days, the tomb was found empty, and many testified that they saw him alive.

He now offers us eternal life, which is a gift from God to us when we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and ask Him to enter our lives. “As for the gift of God, it is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”16 If we repent of our sins and return to God, we will receive the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ who wants to enter our lives: “And this is the testimony that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life, and he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”17

What about heaven? God tells us that heaven is a wonderful place and much more beautiful than earth. We lose many people in this world due to death, and this tells us that something is not right in this world of ours, and we know in the depths of our souls that there must be a better place to be in it; Where there are no broken hearts, hardships, or pains. Yes, this is a fact. God offers us a better and more beautiful place. Life in it is completely different from life here: “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, and there will be no sorrow, no crying, no pain after that, because The first things have passed.”18
And God will dwell in His Spirit in such a way that those who are there will never make them sin.

Terrorist attacks are a very terrifying thing, but the rejection of the eternal relationship with God through Christ is much worse, not only with regard to eternal destiny but in our life on earth as well. The relationship with God cannot be compared to any relationship. He is our hope in this life, the source of our comfort and our wisdom. Our hope and strength. “Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who trusts in Him.” 19

God is the only one we can trust and rely on completely.

Jesus Christ said: "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."20
Christ tells those who depend on Him in their lives that they are like someone who builds his house on rock. No matter what problems and hardships they face, Christ can keep them strong.

Where is God when we ask him?

You can accept Jesus Christ as your Savior now. “And as for all who received Him, He gave them power to become children of God, that is, to those who believe in His name.”21 We can restore our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. “Jesus said: I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”22
Jesus Christ says: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him.”23

You can ask God to enter your life now, you can do that through prayer. Prayer (supplication) is an honest personal conversation between you and God. You can now pray this prayer sincerely if it expresses the desire of your heart:

“God, I have turned away from You with all my heart but I want to change that now. I want to know You. I want to accept Jesus Christ into my life and enjoy His forgiveness of my sins. I don’t want to be separated from You anymore. Be the Honorable Master of my life from now on. Thank You. "

Have you prayed this prayer now and sincerely asked God to enter your life? If you have done this then you should expect a lot, for God has promised you to give meaning to your life, to make His abode in your heart and to give you eternal life.24

Whatever happens in the world around you, God will always be by your side, and although people do not follow the path that God wants, he uses difficult circumstances to achieve his plans. He says, "All things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose."25

Jesus Christ said: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives, I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”26 “In the world you will have trouble, but take courage. I have conquered the world.”27
And Jesus also said, "I will neither forsake you nor forsake you."28

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Notes: [1] Isaiah 46: 9, 10 [2] Psalm 46: 1 [3] Jeremiah 29: 13 [4] 2 Corinthians 4: 8-9 [5] Nahum 1: 7 [6] Psalm 145: 18-19 [7] Matthew 10: 29-31 [8] Genesis 1: 14 [9] Psalm 47: 8 [10] Jeremiah 32: 26 [11] John 15: 13 [12] James 4: 6 [13] Isaiah 53: 6 [14] John 3: 16–17 [15] 1 John 3: 16 [16] 1 John 3: 16 [17] 1 John 5: 11, 12 [18] Revelation 21: 4 [19] Psalm 34: 8 [20] John 14:27 [21] John 1:12 [22] John 14:6 [23] Revelation 3:20 [24] John 10:10; John 14:23; 1 John 5: 11-13 [25] Romans 8: 28 [26] John 14: 27 [27] John 16: 33 [28] Hebrews 13: 5