How often have we heard people ask, when a tragedy strikes, ‘why me?’. Frequently we hear those who don’t believe in God ask why he didn’t avert an accident or or natural disaster. It is more sad when we hear Christians questioning why something happened to them. Do we somehow think that if we are a follower of Jesus that nothing bad is ever going to happen? Notice a point that Paul made when writing to the Christians in Rome.

“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32 NIV)

I don’t see a promise of nothing bad happening to us but I see a reminder that God did not spare his own Son from being killed. If he allowed Jesus to go through what he had to experience, why do we think that we will be spared anything bad happening to us? Jesus also emphasised this.

“Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.” (John 15:20)

If God hasn’t promised to make sure nothing bad or disastrous happens to us, what has he promised us? Notice, again, what Paul told the Roman Christians.

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us…Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?…No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:18,35,37-39)

While God has not promised to spare us from suffering, hardship, persecution, famine, danger (and we could add floods, hurricanes, tornados, and other natural disasters), he has promised us that nothing can separate us from his love and the love of Christ. Nothing in this life – or if our life were to end – can separate us from God’s love. Nothing supernatural, nothing that might happen today or someday, nothing in all of creation can do this.

What does this tell us? It tells us that when tragedies happen God is there. When storms and floods occur God is there. Because he loves us he cares what we are going through. He has never promised to suspend the laws of nature so that we are safe but he has promised that these things cannot separate us from his love, which is far more valuable.

Perhaps the problem is that people are too attached to this life. We seem to forget that our life on the earth for whatever time we have is temporary. This is simply a staging area to prepare us for eternity. Yes, life on earth is good (at least mine is). But if we are living to be forever with God and enjoy his love forever, why should we fear death – or anything that might happen to us, for that matter?

Paul’s message to the Romans was to be “more than conquerors”. We face whatever life throws at us by holding on to our faith in Jesus. No matter what happens to us it won’t separate us from God and from Jesus – it might hasten our being with them but this doesn’t separate us from them.

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.…Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far.” (Philippians 1:21-23)

Let us live knowing that being with Jesus is far better.

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Readings for next week: Romans 12-16; Ephesians 1-4