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What is God's answer to evil and suffering? |
2005-02-24 |
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Three young soldiers from Minnesota were killed this week in Iraq as they stopped to help an overturned vehicle and a land mine detonated. A father kills his two preschool aged children in Garretson, SD. Mudslides and flooding continue to pound Southern California. A deadly avian bird flu is spreading through Asia, alarming the Center for Disease Control. Earthquakes continue throughout Asia. Threats of nuclear arms in Iran continue to be the center of news stories.
It is easy to be overwhelmed by all this “end times” news. We may believe that now more than ever, the world is being overcome by evil and Jesus’ teachings about the end of the age are more true now than ever before. We may wonder where God is in all of this bad news.
It is true that we are closer than the world has ever been to the “end of time”. But a “thousand years are like a day, and a day like a thousand years” to God. And we are not the first to feel this way.
The Old Testament also reflects people thousands of years ago who struggled with death, destruction and evil and longed to see God in the midst of it. They also longed, like us, for God to make some sense out of it all.
Psalm 88: “My soul is full of trouble and life draws near the grave.
I am counted among those who go down in to the pit
I am like a man without strength.
I am set part with the dead,
Like the slain who lie in the grave,
Whom you remember no more,
Who are cut off from your care…
…I cry to you for help, O Lord,
In the morning my prayer comes before you.
Why, O Lord, do you reject me and hide your face from me?”
The Bible never answers the question “why?” to the evil and suffering of this world. The Bible tells us that we are sinful and rebellious against God. But we ask, "why does God allow that?" We will not know the why in this life. It is only for God to know, God tells Job, who is the person in the Old Testament who demands an answer from God. The Bible does tell us who is in control of the universe, even in control of Satan himself. God!
But there are some things we do know for certain: God loves us, God’s answer to sin, evil, death and the devil is Jesus Christ, our risen Lord and Savior. This Jesus took on suffering and death for us! and promises to be with us in all our sufferings, struggles and questions. We do know God’s promise that he will be with us always in times of joy and sorrow, in times of gain and loss, in times of triumph and tragedy. We do know God’s promises of forgiveness, new life and hope even in the midst of the struggles of this world.
And we are told to not be afraid of the things to come. We are called to trust the One who will make all things new. The One who will save us from ultimate death and destruction. The One who has triumph and will triumph over evil at the end of time.
May you know the comfort of this One who comes to us in Lent---our suffering Savior, Jesus Christ. May you know his promise that he will wipe away our tears, and death and crying will be no more. Rest on these promises in all times and circumstances!
See you in church!
Pastor Janine
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Summer: starting Memorial Day Weekend
9:00 am Worship Service KMSD Broadcast
10:00 am Coffee and Fellowship
WOW (Worship on Wednesday) 6:30 pm
Winter: starting after Labor Day
8:30 am Worship Service KMSD Broadcast
9:35 am Educational Hour
9:35 am Coffee and Fellowship
10:45 am Worship Service
WOW (Worship on Wednesday) 6:30 pm |
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401 South Flynn Drive
Milbank SD 57252
605.432.5566 |
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