We were on holiday and everyone was having a good time. Everybody was enjoying themselves and you could hear us laughing from a block away. My friend and his brother and his brother’s son stayed till late. Everybody went to bed still smiling.

The next morning the son heard a strange noise from his dad’s bedroom. He quickly ran there, just to see his dad dying. From a massive heart attack.

Life takes funny turns. One moment you’re flying up above the clouds, just to fall lower than low the next.

In circumstances like these we want to know what is the cause. Did he suffer from a weak heart? Was it the plan? Is our age written down in a book somewhere even before we are born?

In these dark times we usually end up with this question: How is God involved? Is He the one who ended it? Is He then the one who caused the pain?

It’s human to think like this, because people always want to know why. We want to know how things fit together. We want to know that eventually someone will get what they deserve for the pain and hurt we suffered. And when we no longer get any answers here on earth, we want to blame God.

James says straight out that we shouldn’t make this mistake: ^16-17So, my very dear friends, don’t get thrown off course …. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle.

Someone has to get the blame and if we cannot find the guilty person here on earth, God must’ve been responsible. And when we’ve found the “culprit”, we are satisfied and can continue with our lives.

But this is far from the truth. God doesn’t spend His time in heaven thinking how He can prank people. God is also not spending His time planning how to teach the world and His people a lesson. Someone who does something like this, bears no evidence of love and is indeed the opposite of our God.

Because God so loved the world … That’s our God! A God who overflows with love. A God who so loved His sinning children that He was prepared to sacrifice His only Son on a cross, so that they did not have to be punished for their sin.

That’s God. Our God is only good. He only wants what is best for us. He does not want to hurt us. He does not want to take away from us. He does not stop hearts from beating. He does not cause suffering for His children.

That is indeed why we can go to God in times of suffering and pain, because He offers real comfort. Then we can let go of the questions and find peace, even though we don’t always understand everything.

Scripture
James 1:12-18

Reflection
What do you do with your suffering?
How do you experience God in your suffering?
Do you see God as good?

Prayer
Father, I don’t always cope well when I’m suffering. Sometimes I too wonder where it comes from. It’s difficult to end up with so many questions and no answers. Then I come to You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.