A Christian man with a wife and three children—woke up one morning and left the home by 9.00 am to shop for grocery. He walked about, hanged out with friends, stopped by somewhere for chit-chat and on his way back hone by 8.00 pm got ran-over by a vehicle that crushed him to horrible death. Family and church fell into weeping and lamentations.   

A young Christian brother got struck with cancer of the intestine and hanged between life and death in a hospital. The church fasted and prayed so hard over his recovery. After few weeks of struggling with the cancer the brother died. The church went into tears and sadness hanged over everybody. 

Heavy rain fell. It was so heavy that major roads got flooded, with vehicles half-submerged pushing through the waters and pedestrians everywhere wadding through the floods. A Christian mother held her six-year old son firmly; she had just picked him from school. She held the boy firmly and they were about to wade through flood. She nudged the boy ahead, believing that he was secured in her firm grasp. The excited school kid dashed forward; alas it was not a flooded ground but a flooded 4 feet-deep gutter with powerful rushing flood. In split second the boy fell into it; in alarming force the rushing current snatched the boy from his mother’s firm grip—nearly pulled the mother along with her infant strapped to her back—that was the end of the boy. Tens of strong men and youths dashed into the gutter, smashed slaps, searched through length and breadth but the flood had taken him away—even his remains could not be found. State-wide grief swept across the state and the church.   

A group of Christians gathered to fellowship in a church; gunmen stormed in and opened fire—tens of Christians fell dead.

These true-life scenarios narrated above beg the age-long question: ‘Where is God?’ God could avert calamities, He could stop evil things from happening to His people, he could shield His people from horrible death, yet sometimes reality shows to the contrary. Now the common question on the lips of some believers and unbelievers in time like this has always been ‘Where is God?’ why does He allow tears and trials to before His people?’ God is unquestionable, yet we often question Him—though this is understandable.

First of all, every Christian should know that being a Christian will not immune one against the evil, calamities or trials of this life. Jesus says “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.” He further encourages, “But take heart, because I have overcome the world”, (John 16:33 NLT). He made it clear that here on earth we will have many trials and sorrows. If not, why else would he have gone to heaven to prepare a place for you? He could have stay on earth with us and no need for heavenly kingdom. He had foretold all the terrible things happening in the world today because he wants us to be aware and prepare our minds on the fact that any terrible things can happen to anybody in this life. Thankfully you can have peace in him in the knowledge that “all things work together for good for those that are in Christ Jesus”—good or bad.

God can avert bad or evil things from happening to His people. He had done so in the past and still doing it every second of our existence on earth. Sometimes we wonder why He permits calamites, trials or evil things to sweep through His people. Well, there are no straight answers to this question, but the hard truth points to Choices and Decisions that we make.  

In the history of the modern world a larger percentage of every calamity happening has its root in choices and decisions that had been made or being made. God had blessed humankind with the gift of ‘Thinking’ for oneself, making ‘choices and decisions’ for oneself and He is not in the habit of taking that gift away. Take for example, the Christian man that left home for grocery shopping in the morning and was returning at evening when he got killed had the choice to stay at home and not to go out for shopping. He could have picked up his Bible instead to study. The Christian woman that lost her son to flood had the choice to wait until the flood subside or follow the footsteps of other pedestrians who where wadding through different parts of the flooded road rather than tried to find her own path. The Christian brother lost to cancer if he was in the habit of doing constant medical check-up doctors could have detect the disease early enough and put him into therapeutic process. Each of the Christian worshippers who gathered to fellowship had the choice to stay home or go somewhere else, but their love for Christ made they come together in fellowship. The choices we make matter a lot, but making the wise choice is a major challenge to some Christians. Don’t you wonder why God said “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge...?” (Hosea 4:6 KJV).

Apart for humankind there are other superior forces that also have freedom of choice and decision making. These forces are not aligned to God perfect will. We know that the Grand-Enemy of Christ is Satan the devil with all his forces of evil. We knew about the warfare he is waging against the Christian population across the world. Sometimes God allows him to have his way with us, just as he had his way with Job in the Bible. But we can overcome if we carefully follow Bible teachings: “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.   Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand,” (Ephesians 6:10-13). We are in evil days, and evil things are happening all around us, you must be STRONG in the lord; you can’t afford to be weak.

God is not human; we all knew this; so understand that He does not share human feelings even though He understands how we feel. We cry over the lost of loves ones or we are in terrible situation that we believe He has abandoned us—we become emotional—but He is not. The faithful Christians brethren that we wept over their (noble or ignoble, timely or untimely) deaths on earth, the angels rejoice over them in heaven and welcome them to heavenly abode. God knows no fear, no worry, no anxiety, no sorrow, no regret and no grief. He can bring out the best situation from any worst situation. He only feel pity for the souls of unbelievers lost to dark forces, but feel delighted to have the soul of a faithful Christian return to him through death of whatsoever nature. So those we thought we had lost to horrible death might be those He had gained into His Kingdom. 

Does it matter if I die today, or tomorrow or in the next fifty years? There is nothing happening to a Christian that is new—it had happened or even happening to other Christians—even some unbelievers had experienced it. There is where our faith must come out strong, especially in times of trials and sorrows. Either in living or in dying let the faithful Christian say “All is well’.

God who has given His church power to all situations (and the weapon of our warfare is not carnal) expects us take charge of every situation. Prayer is our major weapon, and a powerful one. Though you prayed and still your prayer did not yield positive result, then I believe God wants you to stand in faith. Just like the three Hebrew youths in the Bible: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18, NLT). 

Even if God does not spare you from trails or sorrows of whatever source, just like these three faithful men say to yourself ‘I will not give in and will not give up on God.’ This is faith, the kind that move mountain, stop the mouths of lions, and put your enemy to shame. Stay strong in Christ your Lord, the sorrow will soon pass dear brethren.

Samuel Akinola is a gifted writer, novelist/poet, media artist, and website designer. By divine calling, he is an Apostle of Christ. He has written many articles, books, and novels. He lives in Nigeria, working passionately for Christ. More about him https://trilovemedia.com/samuel-olusegun-akinola