Dear Minister: Where is God when all of these massive tragedies are happening in the world?

– Frustrated and Confused in Wildwood

Answer: My friend, your feelings are very understandable. There are certainly many reasons to feel confused in today’s world.

In his book entitled “Night,” author Elie Wiesel writes about his experiences in a Nazi concentration camp. In one horrific example, he tells of a day when the camp guards decided to hang a child from the gallows in front of the other prisoners. As the child dangled from the rope, fighting for life, a voice from the crowd cried out, “For God’s sake, where is God?” Wiesel said, “From within me, I heard a voice answer; ‘Where is He? This is where – hanging here from this gallows.’”

What did he mean by that? I believe that Wiesel was reminding us that God is always with us, even in the midst of the worst kinds of suffering. We may not see or feel God’s presence, but He is there nonetheless.

Even Job, a man who had seemingly lost everything, still held onto hope that God was with him in the midst of his multiple tragedies. In Job 14:7 he said, “For there is hope for a tree, when it is cut down, that it will sprout again, and its shoots will not fail.”

Although we are confronted with an onslaught of endless tragedies on the nightly news, that’s not where our focus should be. Instead, we must fix our hearts on the only true source of hope found in these words from Psalm 39:7 – “And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You.”

I would encourage you, in the midst of your frustration and confusion, to not lose hope, but instead commit your life into God’s care by believing in His Son, Jesus Christ, the “Hope of Glory.”

Let me close by praying for you in the words of the Apostle Paul from Romans 15:13 – “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Sincerely,

Dr. Steve Rahter – Pastor

Praise Tabernacle

Egg Harbor Township