Last week I found out that a friend of mine passed away from cancer. She was young, committed to serving others and the world is a worse place without her.
I was talking to God about her death and I told him that it wasn’t right that she died. It wasn’t right that someone who had done so much good in the world should be taken from it so soon. As I was sharing my thoughts with God, I practically heard him tell me, “I know.”
Honestly, it was more like I heard God tell me, “Duh! I obviously know that,” but that’s just because I think God has a little sarcastic streak. Either way, though, God assured me that he knows things aren’t how they’re supposed to be.
Of course God knows that this world isn’t right. God created this world and knows better than any of us that it isn’t living up to its intention. He doesn’t need me telling him that cancer sucks and death is terrible. He knows and it should comfort us that he does know.
I’m glad that we serve a God who understands that the world is broken. I’d hate it if God were so disconnected from his creation that he didn’t feel our pain or experience our hurt. We all experience moments of deep sorrow and pain, at the loss of a friend or the death of a dream.
In those moments we don’t need a god like those from Greek mythology, sitting on Mt. Olympus and mocking our pain. We need the God who bore his cross to Calvary and experienced the deepest sorrow possible. It is that God who will meet us in the midst of our most desperate questions and darkest hours.
God knows. But even though he knows, we can still tell him. We can still tell him when we’re angry, when we’re hurt, when we’re crushed and when we wish cancer would stop taking our friends. God knows, which means we can know that he will meet us no matter what.
How has God knowing encourage you?
I see your point about him knowing and that it should comfort us but in our day to day that just doesn’t seem like enough. You cry out and call to him “All Mighty Father intercede, why is it this way? In all your planning why couldn’t this be changed? Where is you favor on my life!? I believe you can do this and yet nothing!” In the end I love Him and he fulfills Mathew 5:4 (Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.)
Never promised I’d agree with Him, never promised an easy life(the opposite actually) but he did promise we would be comforted and He does that indeed.
I think in the end it is enough. You’re right, it’s not easy and we can shake our fists at God and really let him have it. In the end, though, we need to trust in his goodness and his love. We don’t understand what he’s doing but we can trust that he understands what we’re going through. Thanks for the comment!