Where is
God When Tragedy Strikes?
God is here
…they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with
us.’” MATTHEW 1:23 NLT
Can anything ever separate us from
Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity…or
in danger, or threatened with death? …I am convinced that nothing can ever
separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life…neither our fears for today
nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from
God’s love. ROMANS 8:35; 38 NLT
For God has said, “I will never fail
you. I will never abandon you.” HEBREWS
13:5 NLT
God is speaking
Love people
“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who
persecute you! MATTHEW 5:43-44 NLT
Hate evil
Don’t just pretend to love others.
Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. ROMANS 12:9 NLT
Release your anger
Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. JAMES 1:20 NLT
And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun
go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil. EPHESIANS 4:26-27 NLT
Pray
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our
weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the
Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. ROMANS 8:26 NLT
God is working
And we know that God causes
everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called
according to his purpose for them. ROMANS 8:28 NLT
God will make it right
Yet what we suffer now is nothing
compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For
all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day …Against its will, all
creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks
forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from
death and decay. ROMANS 8:18-21 NLT
Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the
time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s
Son, and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience
eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience
judgment. JOHN 5:28-29 NLT