In a back and forth conversation, I finally sighed and said, “I know God is a good Father.”
“Oh yeah,” she spit out, “then where was He when my dad raped me? Can you answer that?”
Tough question, right?
And what’s really tough is that the person is a Christian. But yet, the person has always struggled with believing God loves her… and that He really is a good God.
This is not a unique situation. In fact, a large percentage of Christians have had terrible things happen to them which hinder their relationships with the Father. They may attend great churches. They may know the comforting presence of the Holy Spirit. They may say all the right things at the right time. They may even wear picture-perfect Christian smiles on their public faces.
But yet, in their heart of hearts, they don’t really believe God is a good God or that He loves them. For after all, why did He allow my dad to rape me? Or my baby to die? Or my spouse to reject me? Or why am I hungry? Or why am I penniless?
Sometimes, there are just no easy answers for why terrible things happen to people. A book or ministry may help a little bit, but let’s be honest, okay?
These believers need a first-hand revelation from the throne of God that the Father is head over heels in love with them. That He absolutely, positively loves each one of them.
And guess what?
Without the help of a ministry or church, the Father is going to reveal Himself and His love through dreams, visions and divine appearances to countless thousands of such hurting people.
One moment, they will have nagging doubts about the Father; and the next, they will be testimonies of the Father’s goodness and lovingkindness.
It will be a sovereign move of deliverance straight out of the Father’s heart.
For thus says the Lord: “… I will seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day. (Ezekiel 34:11-12)
Swimming Upstream appears at this blog site on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It’s a little of this and a little of that, all written to encourage and exhort believers in their Christian journeys.
Larry Who 
Amen.
And, you know, I don’t want to protect my own children from every painful and difficult situation they encounter. I want to help them through it- but I do want them to feel some pain because I want them to grow, to be strong, to be capable of living fearless lives. Being a good parent doesn’t mean keeping bad things from happening.
I have lots of answers for anyone who has experienced pain and loss. but if I have not had to overcome that pain, that loss, or anything close to it, virtually all my answers sound smug. The Christians who have overcome and grown closer because of it need to do the ministering. Even they don’t know why. Their advantage is how they came through, how long it took and the steps they had to take. I have not lost a child. I can wrap my arms around someone who has, I can pray with that person, but there is no instruction or explanation coming from me. Just support.
The following is a smug cliche type answer: God does not throw lemons at His children. He helps them make lemonade. Does that help anyone? Probably not. I’ll save it for when they’re safely on the other side of their chaos.
Lindsey and Jane,
Thanks for your comments.
I believe that the Lord showed me the reason why He is moving sovereignly to set these hurting believers free. Because when you think about it, why now?
One of the promises of the Old Testament and also the New Testament is that Elijah will come before the Day of the Lord. And I believe we are about to see an Elijah-like company of apostles and prophets arriving on the scene.
One of the promises in Malachi 4 and also repeated in Luke 1 is that Elijah will turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children.
Now, our heavenly Father is not going to be upstaged by the Elijah company of apostles and prophets because He is going to move on these hurting Christians who are His children and will reveal Himself as a great Father.
As Jane mentioned, these delivered believers will then be anointed to set others free.
nicely written, Larry. it took hind sight for me to realize I was crying in God’s arms in my darkest hours… as I sat in the darkness believing my soul was dead, the tears were the indication that it was actually emerging. It’s actually quite painful being born into reality.
It is an age-old question – why do bad things happen to good/innocent people? And the sad thing for many people like this woman, is that calling God our heavenly “Father” just complicates the message.
I think in times like this we have to be there for people. Not with all the answers, but to hurt with them, to cry with them, to endure, pray, suffer, and begin to hope with them. And in some small way, be Jesus’ heart, hands and feet on this earth.
Cindy and Philippa,
Great comments. Both of you could have handled the situation with the woman better than I did.
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