When bad things happen...

"...As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today." Genesis 50:20

It's such a comfort to me to know that when it seems that bad triumphs over good God is still in control and He will use these bad circumstances for His glory. We had this same teaching in John 11 this past week in our study. Lazarus had died and Jesus says that he waited the 4 days so that God's glory could be shown. Not only did He use the sadness of Lazarus's death - when he raised him from the dead- for His glory but then later in the passage He uses the bad idea from Caiaphas the High Priest to bring about His will.

John 11:47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the Council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.

We can trust God in every situation in our lives even when we get the worst news possible. I remember the day my dad called and told me my mom had been hit by a truck in the crosswalk of a busy street and was at the hospital. So many emotions ran through me - but I literally felt like I had been punched in the gut. You just don't expect bad news like that in the middle of the day. Or the Sunday afternoon I received an email from the mom of a soldier in Brian's unit telling me that her son had been killed...another punch in the gut. Literally I couldn't breathe.

Our lives are filled with these sad stories - with gut wrenching grief and tears.

Just this past week a young father of two small children dies from cancer, a little 4 year old boy has a brain tumor and has suffered a stroke - not sure of how his brain has been affected by the trauma, a 5 year old little girl has a fast growing tumor at the base of her skull...can the surgery to take the tumors out give her enough time for further treatment in another city...how do you tell a 5 year old she may not be able to go back to school, may not swim again all the while not knowing if she'll even make it through the next few months...We just don't know what next week will bring.

Through it all we HAVE to keep our eyes on the Lord - on His truth - in His Word. Through my mom's death, my sister was able to lead a young lady on the plane to the Lord. We know that mom would have been thrilled that through her accident someone entered God's kingdom. We sent a message through the police department to the driver of the truck that we as a family forgave him - we knew he didn't do this on purpose and that God could easily have protected her. It was her time to go to be with the Lord and this truck was the instrument God chose.

The big picture...God uses all the circumstances in our lives to make us more Christ-like - bottom line. His grace is sufficient for whatever we go through. Yes, the grief is there. I remember for weeks after my mother's death I would be driving someplace and the tears would just spill over and I would end up sobbing at my loss. Sobbing...I had never cried like that before...heart-wrenching sobs at the grief of the loss of her presence in my life...all the while knowing she was having the time of her life singing with all the incomparable joy of being in a new body and in heaven with the Lord she loved and served all of her life.

II Cor. 12:9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Truth - God's truth - keeping my mind focused on truth when all around me seems to be so unsteady - He is my Rock, my shelter, my truth. Dwelling in the shelter...that's where I want to be!

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Before Brian left for Iraq back in the fall of 2006 I wrote this blog about the Scripture in II Corinthians 12:9. I love this verse and the promises in it.