God Protects. . .Honest

In a world where earthquakes crush tens of thousands under piles of rubble, where pilots purposely fly into buildings in the name of Allah, where sick people hurt little girls, God protects.

God protects. He is good. He is in control.

Even when bad things happen. Do you believe this? Does your hurting Christian friend wrap herself in this truth?

Here at Counselors' Coach, as you discover ways to encourage others, you receive encouragement too.

In tough times, suffering and evil give rise to questions like, If God is good and in control, why does He allow pain? Theologians have looked at this question every which way like a Rubicks cube. Among them is Randy Alcorn, whose latest book is If God Is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil (Multnomah, 2009).

Core to this book and similar ones, most importantly the Bible, is this truth that begs belief: God is who He says He is.

God says He is good. God says He is in control. As you stand at the freshly dug grave of a loved one, do you believe him?

An Amazing Story

Among my most prized stories of God's protection stars a teddy bear hamster named Hammy. Original, huh?

I am certain God used this furball to save my family from injury or death in a house fire.

You see, many years ago, while I wiped kitchen counters in the late evening, I heard an inaudible voice: "Check on the hamster."

I thought, "What? I check on the hamster every morning not in the evening," and continued wiping.

Then again, "Check on the hamster." Questioning my sanity, I figured that the only way to squash the voice was to CHECK ON THE HAMSTER.

So I stepped the seven stairs to the lower level, and when I hit the bottom step, I smell wire burning. No smoke. No flames. Just a burning smell.

Not trusting my nose -- you gotta remember I was just hearing voices -- I called to my husband. "Come here, Steve. Do you smell burning?"

He did. Woohoo. I was not insane. Rather, God -- the creator of the universe got my attention through a hamster -- and according to the fire chief (yep, I did dial 911), the smoldering fire near the fuse box would have traveled up the walls, possibly that very night. The room above the smoldering wires: my daughter Laura's. She was 5 then; now 20.

(By the way, Hammy was fine.)

Embracing Belief

When I'm scared, even doubting God's goodness, I blanket myself in Scripture. I love these words of Psalm 139.

Where can I go from your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go to the heavens, you are there;

If I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

If I settle on the far side of the sea,

Even there your hand will guide me,

Your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light will become night around me,"

Even the darkness will not be dark to you;

The night will shine like the day,

For darkness is as light to you. (7-12, NIV)

It's easy to feel alone, unprotected and vulnerable. Many things stir up fear in us, especially the thought the someone could hurt us or a loved one. The news overflows with random shootings, domestic abuse, rape as well as natural disasters, all brought on by the Fall, when sin entered this world.

The Power of "No"

One practical way God protects is giving you and your hurting friend the power of "No." God wants you to say "no" to the bad and "yes" to the good.

Say "No" to the neighbor lady who wants you to join in gossip.

Say "No" to movies that use the Lord's name in vain.

Say "No" to the guy at work who flirts with you.

As you and your hurting friend say "no" to the bad and "yes" to the bad, will suffering end? Yes and no.

Yes, because you will make godly choices that help you realize the the abundant life.

No, disasters will still hit. Hard.

Then What?

My answer: "I don't know." However, you and I and your hurting friend can rest assured that God is who He says He is. Our lives are in his hands. What we go through is not a surprise to him.

As believers, we can trust that in the midst of suffering, God is in control and He is good.

Question: Do you believe this?

If you'd like to learn more on deepening your belief, please contact me. May our God continue to bless you, as I know He will.