Council Grove Christian Church

2/26/26
Servants of God,
“Truth forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the throne, —
Yet that scaffold sways the future, and, behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above his own.”

• James Russel Lowell

From “This Present Crisis”
 
Life is not about the why; it is about the who. The who that matters is the Living God. This morning I listened to a short podcast in which a man tried to explain why there is so much suffering in the world. He is not a “religious” man but he is wise enough to know that there is something going on around us that is greater than what our senses can fully comprehend. I would not agree with this man’s conclusions but I do understand them. Having recently read through the book of Job, I realize that the question of “Why” is a very human reality. The Christian life is not a utopian, pain-free journey. We cling to a God who knows all about our pain and sorrow and suffering because in the person of His only begotten Son, He has suffered and knows what it feels like to feel betrayed and forsaken.
The cross of Jesus is a reminder that sin must be dealt with justly. The Old Covenant scriptures prepared the world for the Messiah. The lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world is the only true hope for fallen creatures living in a fallen world. The resurrection of Jesus is the most wonderful and hopeful event in the history of fallen humans. Christ is risen! I believe the church in America is in danger of losing the power and hope of the resurrection because we too often look for human solutions to spiritual issues. Jesus is not our mascot; He is our risen Lord and King! We are a people who have resurrection hope.
One of our sons who took my advice about what he should do after high school told me years later that he did not understand what I was trying to do in his life at that time. Then he added, “But I do now.” A human father’s task is to do everything possible to guide our children into responsible adulthood. A Christian father wants to guide his children in a way that ultimately leads to their embracing God’s design for life and their role as Christian leaders of the next generation. How much more an all wise, loving and merciful Heavenly Father offers good guidance to His children.
While Christians cannot help but wonder and ask why, we must not allow our ignorance of why to pollute our trust in Christ. God has promised to be with us in and through hard times, suffering and disappointment. As we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (Mt. 6:33) we begin to see how God overcomes evil with good and weaves the strands of our lives into a tapestry of beauty. The Bible is filled with the evidence of God’s providential goodness. Joseph, Moses, Ruth, the Apostle Paul and many others testify from the pages of holy scripture that in all things God is active on behalf of those who love him.
Right now, in our church body we have several who are going through various episodes and events that make us scratch our heads and wonder why. As we individually and as a body of believers pray and work to bring aid and comfort to those around us who are in pain and sorrow, God’s Holy Spirit ministers and encourages. We do not have easy answers to hard questions. What we have is a great God and Savior who is mighty on our behalf. Eventually we will all be able to say: “Lord, I understand now, and I thank you for your divine guidance.”
Blessings,
Pastor John
Coram Deo