All of us have most likely seen hurricane Matthew make its way through the Atlantic and across Haiti this week. Perhaps you have been evacuated, or have seen the videos of people who have been evacuating the coastlines in the path of this huge storm. Unlike the United States, however, Haiti did not have the chance to evacuate. Almost 900 men, women, and children have died on that impoverished island as a result of hurricane Matthew.
The question that often comes to our minds during situations and tragedies such as this is "why, God?" Why would God let something so tragic happen to a group of people that have already faced such tragedy?
This question might also apply to your own life as well. While none of what happens in our lives equals the death of 900 people, what we experience still leaves us scarred and confused. Whether that be abuse, or loss, or a death, or something else entirely, we are still often left wonder why God would let such a thing happen to us.
The answer must be that these events happen in order to glorify God. Let me clarify that, because what you are probably thinking now is how selfish God is to let 900 innocent people die in order to make Him look good. That is not it at all. No one can say why bad things happen other than there is a separation between us and God. When bad things happen, we are forced to reach out for a higher being. It is built into the creation to call out to the Creator. God is glorified because it causes us to realize that the only solution to pain and confusion is Him. C.S. Lewis explains that "pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." Its not to rouse the world just out of anger; its to cause us to call out for Him so that he can say "Hey, I'm right here where I've always been."
God will never leave us. Its in those times of terror and tragedy that he reminds us of that. One of the most famous verses in the Bible was written to a group of people who were confused and afraid. Perhaps no one has been as frightened as God's people in exile. Jeremiah 29:11-14 says:
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the
What he says still stands true today; "You will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you."
We cannot always prevent tragedy or death. But when it comes, and it will, we can rest assured that we have someone to call upon; God, who will always hear you, will be found by you, and will restore you when you need restoring the most.
