Joy in Suffering

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Corinthians 1:3, 4 ESV)

Friday was a tragic day, a day that will go down in history with Virginia Tech and Columbine, a day where evil, in its purest form, took the lives of innocent children and their educators. It's natural in situations of extreme suffering to ask "Why?", to question how God could let this happen......to babies. 

I may never, in this life, get a comforting answer to why this happened, but I do know this.....I serve a sovereign and good God. I serve a God that does not abandon, forget or forsake those who are suffering, but instead suffers with us. He will not stay distant and far away from the hurt and pain, but instead he will draw near and use tragedy for the good of his kingdom. God will always be the victor.

The truth is, on this earth we will suffer (John 16:33). We live in a broken and sinful world, but God has given us the Holy Spirit to help us suffer well. Will others see Christ through our suffering? Will we make sure that our suffering is not in vain? This is the hope of the Lord.  

The events of Friday make me praise the Lord that, as Christians, our suffering will be brief. One precious day we will open our eyes and be face to face with our maker and the tragedy, pain and suffering of this world will be no more. It is that promise that makes the events at Sandy Brook bearable.