Where is God When We Need Him?

The call of Jesus to pick up our cross and follow him meant from the beginning there would be a life of hardship and suffering for those who love him. In times like these when we do not understand what he allows, it is easy to ask questions such as “Where is God when I need Him?” Be assured this is nothing new. Our heroes of the faith had times when they asked the same questions. Thankfully, for centuries, our Good God has been showing himself faithful to those who love him.

One of the most dramatic Biblical examples is found in John chapter 11- the story of Jesus and Lazarus.

In the first 16 verses, the story is set up for us. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus are Jesus’ friends. He knew them. He loved them. He was only a few hours walk away from them when the messenger came. In spite of being told Lazarus was close to death, Jesus chose to stay away two more days instead of going directly to his friends and healing him. Why would Jesus do that? He boldly explains to the disciples, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” (verses 14-15) You could almost hear their responses: What? How can this be? What does Jesus mean?

Back in John chapter 8, he says, “I am always doing what is pleasing to the Father. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”  How could allowing Lazarus to die please the Father? Is God cruel, heartless, indifferent to our pain? You might read this account and ask why Jesus would let Mary and Martha suffer if he knew he was going to bring Lazarus back to life. None of this makes sense. But this is where faith comes in. 

The disciples had seen Jesus do other miracles: Feeding the five thousand, casting demons out, walking on water, calming the storm, healing a blind man. They wondered what was happening and may even have questioned Jesus’ character. 

We can be no different in our response to God during hardship and confusion. Often, we are so focused on our concerns that we forget the God we love and serve is also in control of all circumstances. We may know Romans 8:28 that in all things God works together for good if we love him and are called to his purposes, but our hearts can reveal we really don’t live that out when it is tested. We can let our prayers turn to fear and our anxiety remove the ability to hear God speak in the Word and in prayer.

Continuing on in John chapter 8, verse 17-37 tells us more about Mary, Martha, and the crowd gathered around them. Just like us at times, Martha reveals she knows her theology, but her pain keeps her from hearing what Jesus is telling her: “When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.  But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”  Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”  Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”  “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” (verses 20-27) In contrast to her sister, Mary just expresses her grief to the Lord. The crowd that followed her, however, acknowledges Jesus has the power to heal because they remember he had just given sight to a blind man. 

We know the ending here. After four days in the tomb, our God delivers. Lazarus is raised from the dead at Jesus’ command. His body was decomposing, and according to some Jewish beliefs, his soul had departed three days after his death. Jesus brings Lazarus fully back to life to the amazement of Mary and Mary and the crowd gathered. Verse 45 tells us that many of the Jews now believed in Jesus. God wastes nothing. Yet, this act was not just for the benefit of those who did not earlier believe. For Mary, Martha, the disciples, and others who did believe, by allowing Lazarus to die then be resurrected, Jesus gave them a great gift. They now knew for themselves that Jesus had the power of life and death Looking with 20/20 hindsight, they understood his ways and his goodness. Jesus may have looked cruel and uncaring, but he was not. In his great plan, through Jesus’ obedience to the Father, he gave them something better than what they already had.

In our world today, a dreaded, deadly virus has interrupted the course of our lives. Respecting our government and serving our neighbors well means we must socially distance ourselves and get creative. We miss our friends. We mourn the loss of families gathering together for fun. We lament our freedom to gather together to worship the One True God whenever we please. What could Our Heavenly Father be teaching us through this time? 

Challenges and hardship will be a part of our lives while we are in this world. It may not be this virus or that war or that other difficulty, but painful events will come our way. Hardship reveals what is inside of us and who we believe God to be. 

Is our God cruel? No.  He is loving and wise and his ways are not ours. Use this gift of time to do and to say the things that have gone undone. Share your stories of his great faithfulness. Play with your children, kiss your spouse, call your friends. Remind others of his gift of eternal life for all that would come to him in repentance. Take care of each other. Celebrate his goodness through worship and prayer. Dive anew into His Word with a fresh desire and different perspective. Make this time count. God is still in control.
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For an excellent book on how God uses suffering for his purposes, consider Sheldon Vanauken’s classic A Severe Mercy, a very personal look at the author’s marriage, the couple’s search for faith, and the friendship of C.S. Lewis who extended himself in time of need.