Why Us?
November 27, 2015
John 16:33 – “In the world you will have trials. But be of good cheer for I have overcome the world.”
The killings in Paris this week touch us all. It reminds us of evil. It makes us remember how fragile life is and how horrible evil can be. One of the bystanders cried out, “Why us, Lord?” “Why Paris, why now?” We share humanity with the French. We are fragile, we are confused, and we are feeling vulnerable. Some of us are going through circumstances we didn’t cause and wondering, “What did I do to deserve this?” Jesus told us plainly to expect tribulation. We want to know WHY. And God doesn’t always tell us. We want to know ‘Whose fault is this?’ and God doesn’t always tell us. We want a plain answer as to the “cause.” And God doesn’t always show us. Jesus simply says, “In the life you will have trials.” Know this – God does test us to strengthen us. But God can’t be blamed for all the difficulties in your life and in the world. Evil is here. Sin and its consequences are rippling through the DNA of all of us. God doesn’t always send the difficulty, but He will use it. God uses difficulties to grow us to draw us toward Him. We don’t always see God’s hand while we are in the midst of the situation. Yet God promises to use circumstances for our good. Satan will use the same circumstance to try to defeat and discourage us. So instead of spending your time asking, “WHY ME?” in prayer, talk to God and look with Him at the circumstance as an opportunity to choose God, to trust God knowing that God loves you and has a plan for your life and always remembering that Jesus said, “In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
The killings in Paris this week touch us all. It reminds us of evil. It makes us remember how fragile life is and how horrible evil can be. One of the bystanders cried out, “Why us, Lord?” “Why Paris, why now?” We share humanity with the French. We are fragile, we are confused, and we are feeling vulnerable. Some of us are going through circumstances we didn’t cause and wondering, “What did I do to deserve this?” Jesus told us plainly to expect tribulation. We want to know WHY. And God doesn’t always tell us. We want to know ‘Whose fault is this?’ and God doesn’t always tell us. We want a plain answer as to the “cause.” And God doesn’t always show us. Jesus simply says, “In the life you will have trials.” Know this – God does test us to strengthen us. But God can’t be blamed for all the difficulties in your life and in the world. Evil is here. Sin and its consequences are rippling through the DNA of all of us. God doesn’t always send the difficulty, but He will use it. God uses difficulties to grow us to draw us toward Him. We don’t always see God’s hand while we are in the midst of the situation. Yet God promises to use circumstances for our good. Satan will use the same circumstance to try to defeat and discourage us. So instead of spending your time asking, “WHY ME?” in prayer, talk to God and look with Him at the circumstance as an opportunity to choose God, to trust God knowing that God loves you and has a plan for your life and always remembering that Jesus said, “In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
– Virginia Thompson