Like most people, I was shocked on Wednesday to learn that Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman’s five-year-old daughter Maria had been killed after being struck by a vehicle at the family home in Franklin, Tenn.
It is always troubling to learn of a family’s loss of a child. I imagine that every parent, upon hearing of the Chapman family’s terrible loss, thought of their own children and how difficult it would be to be in a similar situation.
After praying for the family on Wednesday, my mind drifted back to a sermon my father preached a few years ago. It was titled, “Why Bad Things Happen to God’s People.”
In it, Dad pointed to a wonderful verse that all Christians can cling to when tragedy strikes: “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (I Peter 3:15, NKJV).
Here we see that, even in the midst of unspeakable heartbreak, we can point to Jesus Christ as the author of our faith. In fact, through life’s trials, we are often afforded our greatest opportunities to illustrate the wonders of knowing Christ as our Savior. I have no doubt that the Chapman family, even in the midst of this terrible tragedy, will sing God’s praises and touch an indefinite number of lives.
My friends, there are no guarantees in life. My dad often said that life means “living from one tragedy to the next.” There is simply no way to avoid this.
Scripture tells us that Job was a righteous man who loved God, goodness, and his family. The Bible says that he “eschewed” evil, meaning that he despised it with all his heart. And yet, Job probably endured more personal tragedy than anyone in history.
What was his response? He praised God.
The Bible tells us in Job 19:25-26 that Job stated, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God.”
That is the great hope of knowing Christ. We must trust him, even in the darkest of times, even when Satan is attacking us and even when our hearts are breaking.
We know that Jesus Christ understands our pain because he experienced anguish for us. “But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5).
Let me encourage anyone going through a time of tragedy to rely on the provisions of God. I learned the importance of this about a year ago, following the death of my father, as I was suddenly cast in the role of pastor of the 22,000-member Thomas Road Baptist Church.
I literally thought I could not handle this task. And alone, I couldn’t have. But with total dependence on Jesus Christ, God has richly blessed in my life and the life of our church.
In the “Bad Things” sermon, Dad noted, “A promise is only as good as the one who makes it. Our hope is not just in the promises of God but in the person of God himself. He is the one who stands behind his promises.”
God will not abandon us; He wants to comfort us when our hearts are shattered.
In closing, I want to remind Christians that after this life, there is no sorrow. The 21st chapter of Revelation tells us of several things that will not exist in heaven. They include: death, mourning, weeping, and even night.
For those who believe, we have the great promise of knowing that eternity will be spent praising God and experiencing the indescribable joy of being in his presence.
As the old song says:
It will be worth it all when we see Jesus
Life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ;
One glimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase
So bravely run the race till we see Christ.”
© 2008 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
|
