God's love and our tragedies

DAILY BIBLE READING:

Job 1:1–3:26 
1 Corinthians 14:1-17 
Psalm 37:12-29 
Proverbs 21:25-26

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Job 1:8 (NLT) "Then the LORD asked Satan, 'Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.' "

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

In American Christianity, so many that claim that they are opposed to the Health & Wealth Gospel actually believe it. When something good happens to them, they immediately assume that God is blessing them. When something bad happens, they feel like an injustice has occurred. "God, I've been faithfully serving You and this bad thing has happened to me. Why?!"

Fortunately, we have the Bible to correct our erroneous thinking. And if God's Word said nothing else about the subject, the book of Job is sufficient.

The book of Job essentially deals with the topic of suffering in a messed up world. By the end of chapter 1, we read that Job had lost his livelihood and all of his children had been killed.

If that happened to you or me, we would immediately ask the question: "God, what have I done to deserve this?" That question assumes that God will give good things to those who faithfully follow Him and He will allow bad things to come to those who are not following Him. (In other words, the false beliefs of the Health & Wealth Gospel.)

But, all we need to do is read Job 1:8 (and Job 2:3 where God essentially repeats Himself) to see that sin did not bring on Job's tragedy. It wasn't because he was out of favor with God. God wasn't angry at him or disappointed in him.

None of the above things were true. The truth is that God was thoroughly pleased with Job and proud of him!

Job 1:8 (NLT) "Then the LORD asked Satan, 'Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.' "

Essentially, there was a cosmic battle taking place. Satan wanted to demonstrate that God's followers were weak and would quickly abandon Him if their life got tough. God presented Job to Satan as a trophy and as proof that his followers wouldn't quickly abandon Him.

So, Job's horrible troubles weren't because of sin or God's displeasure. No! Job's troubles actually came about ... because God was very pleased with him and proud of him!

Friend, when bad things happen to you, it would be appropriate to do a self-assessment. Ask the Holy Spirit to search your mind and heart to reveal any hidden sins that may have brought on God's discipline (Psalm 139:23-24). 

But, if there is no known sin, then don't continue to assume that the bad thing(s) is evidence of God's displeasure with you. In fact, Job's example reveals that there will be times when God allows troubles into the life of those who are thoroughly pleasing to Him. 

In those times, don't waste your energy questioning Him. Just focus on passing the test. Keep your eyes on Him, strive for wholehearted obedience, and immediately repent of any shortcoming as you receive the grace and forgiveness to get back up and keep on going.

The Boston Marathon Tragedy: 'Grace' or 'An eye for an eye?'





Yesterday, as I engaged in study in my church office, my phone made it's characteristic noise that let me know I had received an e-mail. I reached over, tapped the screen and read: "Explosions Rock Boston Marathon Finish Line." About 20 minutes earlier, two explosions brought the much celebrated Boston Marathon to a halt as the rescue mission began. Some had been killed. Many had been wounded. Blood was everywhere. An atmosphere of celebration and cheer turned to one of fear, chaos, shock, and gut-wrenching grief.

As I awoke this morning, I read that the death toll had risen to 3 with the number of injured climbing to well over 100. There is a grave concern that some of those who are injured will not survive.

As is the case with millions of other Americans, my heart aches. My heart is angered. How dare someone ruin something so wholesome as the Boston Marathon! It is in that place that achievement is celebrated. Hard work has paid off. And thousands of Americans line the streets to cheer and encourage folks they don't know and have never met.

And then someone sets off two bombs!

How are Christians to think about this ... at least in regard to how we think of the perpetrator? This is important because as followers of Christ, we really don't have an option to determine for ourselves how we are to react. As Christ-followers, we need to know what the Scripture says so that we can think and respond accordingly.

Some think that we are to love and forgive the one who did this thing. Others think that he is deserving of the 'eye for an eye' principle. In fact, according to Scripture, he should get ... both!

Let's take a look at some relevant Scripture...

In Romans 12:9-21, we read how we as individual Christians are to relate to others. It begins with "Let love be genuine." That makes sense because the two greatest commands are to 1) love God with everything we've got and 2) love everyone we encounter just as we care about ourselves.

Yet, in these verses, God acknowledges that not everyone is going to be easy to love. Thus, the need for the following verses:

Romans 12:14 "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them."

Romans 12:17 "Repay no one evil for evil..."

Romans 12:19-21 "Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

I've heard that there was a 'person of interest' being guarded at a Boston hospital as soon as 2 hours after the ordeal. Could it be that they already have the perpetrator? Well, looking at the verses we've just read, is our only response to love him and forgive him (if he is actually the one who did this horrible thing)? Are we supposed to bless him and not exercise any sort of revenge?

If those questions are directed at individual Christians, the answer is a resounding "Yes!" But, if those questions are directed at the U.S. Judicial System, the answer is a resounding "No!"

Why do I make this distinction? Because the Bible does.

The very next verse after "overcome evil with good" is the first verse of Romans 13. In the previous verses, it stated clearly that we aren't, as individuals, to seek revenge. We are to let God take vengeance. Well, how does God take vengeance upon the evil doer? Simply read the next verses.

Romans 13:1-4 "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer." (emphasis added)


This is how the "wrath of God" against evil mentioned in Romans 12:19 plays out. It comes through the government. God has personally set in place the governing authority over each country (He's given each country exactly what they deserve). Further, they are set up by God to be "an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer."

Simply put, individual citizens are to show grace and mercy to the most guilty of criminals. Governments are to execute blind justice. Individuals are to love and forgive. Governments are to punish.

In fact, if you look at the three instances where the "eye for an eye" principle was commanded in Scripture (Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21), you would notice that the context addresses Israel's judicial system, not Israel's individual citizens. The judicial system was to administer punishment equal to the crime (not greater or less than; i.e. "an eye for an eye") and the individual citizens were not to take justice into their own hands.

So, in regard to the Boston Marathon tragedy, Christians should pray for the one responsible. We should pray for his salvation. We should pray for him to acknowledge his wrongdoing and make things right. If he was thirsty and we had water to give him, we should give it. If he is hungry, we should feed him.

But, at the same time, our judicial system should not let us down. Its purpose is to exercise blind justice. As individuals, we are to extend grace. But, for the betterment of society and as a deterrent to further crime, the judicial system should deal harshly and fairly with the perpetrator to the full extent of the law.

Grace AND 'An eye for an eye' apply!
 

Challenger tragedy - 25 years ago today

I remember the afternoon I heard of the Challenger tragedy as if it were yesterday.


That shuttle launch was advertised quite a bit more than usual because Christa McAuliffe was taking the ride. She was the first average citizen and the first school teacher to get the OK to go into space. This would be a very special and significant mission.


At the time, I lived in Galena Park, Texas, only a few miles from Johnson Space Center. As a student, I had made the trip to the Space Center quite a few times and always enjoyed the thrill and very clear sense of history, exploration, adventure and achievement of the American spirit as we took in all of the sights.


But on that fated day, January 28, 1986, I remember finishing my lunch in the high school cafeteria where some students were giving various reports of an explosion and the shuttle. But it wasn't until I finished lunch and entered the library that it really sunk in. The television was on and the 3 major news networks were playing the video of the launch, the 73 second flight and then the explosion over the Atlantic off the Florida coast.

An almost tangible cloud hung over the school for the rest of the day. Upon arriving home, we watched Tom Brokaw continue to break the news of the explosion. We learned more about those who were on that flight and how special they all were.

President Ronald Reagan would soon make his speech to the nation in our time of shock and mourning. I remember parts of his speech vividly, especially much of the last line. He said: "The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for the journey and waved goodbye and 'slipped the surly bonds of earth' to 'touch the face of God.'"

Last year, I took my family to the Kennedy Space Center. On a memorial plaque, I saw the engraved faces of those seven men and women who lost their lives that day. Among them were the faces of others who also died while bravely and proudly serving their country and furthering our knowledge of space.

On this day, 25 years later, may we take time to reflect on these men and women on the Challenger that fated day: Dick Scobee, Michael Smith, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Christa McAuliffe and Gregory Jarvis.

One final note: there was a bit of irony on that trip to Florida's east coast last year. On the same trip that I was reminded of the Challenger tragedy, I was able to enjoy an early morning shuttle launch with my family from about 25 miles away from the launch site. (The picture doesn't do it justice. The roar of the engines overhead and the brilliant orange flame that lit up the sky isn't conveyed adequately in this picture.) It was a reminder that tragedy is not the end. We learn from it, grow strong from it ... and keep on going.