The Lord is good to all… Why do I hurt?

Psalms 145:9

“The Lord is good to all, And His mercies are over all His works.”

In truth, I may not have an answer that will satisfy the need to understand why God allows what He allows. After all, my mind is finite and bound by my own humanity. Understanding eternity requires the eternal.

In my opinion, the real and important question is: “What is the effect of my questioning?”. If my questions lead me into a profound sense of doom, hopelessness and take away every ounce of peace I have left, the truth might be that it’s a stumbling stone for my faith. However, if these questions lead me to light, hope and truth, then there is purpose still.

So, how do we respond to a stumbling stone? We make sure our footing is firm. Romans 5: 1-5 (emphasis added) tells us:

5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, [a]we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we also have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and [b]we celebrate in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but [c]we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

We are standing in grace, with hope that there is purpose in our suffering. If God allows it, then it's part of His forge. He is the potter, and we are the clay (Isaiah 64:8), and through the Truth in His word, we can find the silver lining of purpose. In Ephesians 6: 10-17 (emphasis added) we are encouraged to put the full armor of God:

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against [f]flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 [g]in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

So, what do we do when these questions arise? We go to the eternal source, The Holy Spirit of God, in whom we can put our faith thanks to the reconciliation we have received with God, through Jesus. We pray He leads us to the answers in His perfect and good will. We stand firm in the truth, so our feet won’t stumble. Finally, we resist the lies in faith and hope that God Is truly good. His works are covered in mercy. We can trust that.

So, when the bad day comes… Will we sink into a deep pit of doubt? Or are we going to search for what makes us stand firm and not stumble?

We have a choice. The song in my heart today: