Where Are You?

The peace of this Friday morning belies the horror of next Thursday - the start of school. Maybe the children in this town do not have my attitude about school. Perhaps one and all eagerly look forward to the great day, ready to dispense with the boredom of summer, and join in with their friends in learning the great truths of modern education. So, why then am I having trouble writing that with a straight face? Summer, the season, won't go away for more than a month according to the calendar. Summer, the actual condition, may leave us sooner this year. Summer, the vacation from school, is in its final week. The great question then is: Where are you, God?

Huh? That seems like a rather abrupt change of subject. Yes, and no. We look at what is going on around us, and sometimes forget that God is sovereign in all of this. We may ask each other at times, why God doesn't do something about this problem or that, but we don't actually expect the other fellow to have the answer. When we see suffering among believers in Christ, we may ask where the healing is we heard about in those gospels. When the economy 'tanks' as we say, we may ask where the provision is that God promised. All of this boils down to "Where are You?"

One look at the end of those same gospels shows us the crucifixion of Christ. Of course we might ask where God was when His Son hung on the cross, but the answer is, right where He has always been AND right in the middle of that judgment and punishment taken for our redemption. As in the crucifixion, something larger is going on in the here and now. Do we really think that God would look down on something like the Holocaust and not want to do something? As Paul the apostle would write, of course not! The same holds true right now. God hears our prayers for help, provision, guidance, and healing, just as He always has, and He wants to do something. But, again, a larger thing than we realize may be going on.

Our problems are not too small for God to manage under the overarching concerns of His eternal creation. However, our good may require that we suffer for a time. In fact, Jesus promised us tribulation in this world. God is always ruling on His throne, as He has always done and always will.

God bless you,
Bucky