Many times when people encounter difficulties, they question God. Questions like, "Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?" or "How can there be a God when all this evil is going on?" There can be more variations. Let's think about this and take our minds back to the cross of calvary on our behalf. Our Lord in anguish and pain never cried out, "Where is God?" He saw the height of sin, felt the pain while suffering and cried out but never once did He question God. He never thrust God aside because things became so difficult. It never entered His mind to doubt God! He still called on His heavenly Father, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?" (Mark 15:34)
What does this teach us? It is alright to cry when we hurt. There is nothing wrong with expressing our inner pain using our lips to God. You do not have to pretend! You can be honest and express your heart (Phil. 4:6-7). In the words of Jesus, He is our representative to God for us. He expressed the inner agony for all of us. But that is not all. In Jesus our Lord, God joined us in our pain! Wasn't it God through Christ Jesus that was reconciling us to Himself (Col. 1:20)? For us, Jesus lives to make intercession for us (Heb. 7:25) and God invested His whole being into His Son on our behalf.
Never question God! Never thrust God aside or think that God is not aware. We need to sit and take a hard look at the cross and draw some proper conclusions. The cross teaches us God isn't absent in suffering! God is revealed in the suffering cross!! We feel abandoned sometimes in our sufferings and trials but that is not true. God joined us in Jesus our Lord to show us He is there too! He knows the depths of pain and suffering that sin causes and so through the cross of His Son, He joined in our lives of suffering.
A mother was grieving over her son who had died. Who wouldn't? She felt a great loss and a pain in her heart like nonother. The words came out, "Where was God when my son died?" The reply? "The same place He was when His Son died!" He knows the depths much more than ourselves and knows what comfort is needed in times of pain (II Cor. 1:3-6).
The presence of pain and suffering do not mean the absence of God. Do not cast God aside in your worship and service to Him just because you hurt. That should draw you even closer because He too knows what you need at your hour of pain. For those in Christ, the cross of Jesus is in their heart! Our Lord and God suffered with us and in turn we will suffer with Him (Rom. 8:16-17). Maybe it is time to refocus and look at the cross and ask, "Is the cross really at the center of my heart?"
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