http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%208:28&version=NIV1984
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2016:33&version=NIV1984
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Cor%201:3-4&version=NIV1984
There is a word that strikes fear and terror into every human heart. It is the word that we all dread to hear. That word is tragedy. The reason this word is so feared is that it is altogether negative. More often than not it involves death. An unexpected death. A premature death. A death that shouldn’t have happened. A death under circumstances that were cruel or unjust. As such, there is nothing good about tragedy.
There are examples of tragedy all around us. A father falls to his death at a baseball game while trying to catch a foul ball for his son. A pregnant woman is killed by a drunk driver. An elderly man kills his dementia-affected wife. And then kills himself. 13 people die when a bridge collapses in Minneapolis. 30 American soldiers, many of them Navy Seals, die when their helicopter is shot down in Afghanistan. Overseas, thousands of people die in an earthquake. Or a flash flood. Or a typhoon. Yes, tragedy is everywhere we look. Sooner or later it touches us. Or someone we love.
A couple weeks ago we held a memorial service for a woman who attended our church for several years. Until she could no longer drive. She was 88. So God had certainly blessed her with a long life. Unfortunately that life was filled with tragedy. She lost not just one husband, but two, to cancer. Both died at home. And this woman faithfully cared for them until the end. Then she lost a son. And a daughter. And a grandson. There are people in our church have also suffered their share of tragedy. A couple lost their grandson in a freak pole-vaulting accident. Another couple lost their teenaged daughter to an accident 3 days after Father’s Day. A man who lost his wife to breast cancer and 2 of his children (17 & 21) to accidents. A woman lost her late-20's husband as a result of a drunk driver. Another woman lost her 20-something son-in-law when he fell from a roof. As I survey my congregation I see a lot of tragedy. One thing is very apparent. Life is unfair.
Such is our fate in a sin-filled world. If Adam & Eve could have only seen how much heartache and suffering their single, disobedient act has caused they would have run from that forbidden tree and never went near it again. But they did sin. And we suffer. Tragedy is common to the human race.
The good news is that Jesus is greater than tragedy. While He doesn’t undo tragedy, He does give comfort. And peace. Strength. Victory. I know. Because I have seen it in the lives of my flock. This 88-year-old woman was a joy to be around. She continued to love and serve others. The man who lost his wife and 2 of his young adult children is always smiling. He has a great attitude. One would never guess in a million years the kind of tragedy that he has endured. His faith in Jesus has made him an overcomer. Instead of becoming an angry, bitter, joyless man he has become a happy, joyful man who enjoys serving others. And who radiates the love of Jesus. Others have the same story. Instead of being overcome by tragedy they have allowed Jesus to help them overcome tragedy. To continue to love and serve Him. Though it might be with tears at times. And the occasional heavy heart.
I suppose that many of us live in fear of the dreaded phone call. The one that tells us that a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer. Or has been involved in an accident. Or was the victim of a crime. How will we handle that news when it comes our way? In my case I can honestly say that I don’t know. I hope that I will pass the test. That I will cling to Jesus at the time. And let Him carry me through. Could I survive a tragedy at this very moment? No. I couldn’t. But I am convinced that when and if one does come my way, that the potential for me to overcome it will be there. Through Jesus. You see, the grace of God is a lot like adrenalin. We all have adrenalin in our bodies but it doesn’t really kick in until we need it. That’s when we see people doing super-human things. Such as lifting a vehicle off of someone. It’s the same way with grace. We all have a measure of God’s grace in our lives. But when tragedy strikes God gives us extra-grace, overcoming grace, which enables us to rise about our circumstances.
I can’t say that I know all the reasons why God allows tragedy in this life. But I do know that, with His help, we can overcome it. I know this because I have seen living examples of it in my congregation. Ordinary people who rely on an extraordinary God. And He doesn’t let them down.
Lord, I confess that, at the moment, I could not endure tragedy. But I know that if and when it comes, that Your grace will be sufficient for me. Thank you for the many examples of triumph over tragedy that I see around me. Thank you for the inspiration and courage that they give me. For the inspiration and courage that I find in Your Word. You are a Faithful God. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A couple weeks ago we held a memorial service for a woman who attended our church for several years. Until she could no longer drive. She was 88. So God had certainly blessed her with a long life. Unfortunately that life was filled with tragedy. She lost not just one husband, but two, to cancer. Both died at home. And this woman faithfully cared for them until the end. Then she lost a son. And a daughter. And a grandson. There are people in our church have also suffered their share of tragedy. A couple lost their grandson in a freak pole-vaulting accident. Another couple lost their teenaged daughter to an accident 3 days after Father’s Day. A man who lost his wife to breast cancer and 2 of his children (17 & 21) to accidents. A woman lost her late-20's husband as a result of a drunk driver. Another woman lost her 20-something son-in-law when he fell from a roof. As I survey my congregation I see a lot of tragedy. One thing is very apparent. Life is unfair.
Such is our fate in a sin-filled world. If Adam & Eve could have only seen how much heartache and suffering their single, disobedient act has caused they would have run from that forbidden tree and never went near it again. But they did sin. And we suffer. Tragedy is common to the human race.
The good news is that Jesus is greater than tragedy. While He doesn’t undo tragedy, He does give comfort. And peace. Strength. Victory. I know. Because I have seen it in the lives of my flock. This 88-year-old woman was a joy to be around. She continued to love and serve others. The man who lost his wife and 2 of his young adult children is always smiling. He has a great attitude. One would never guess in a million years the kind of tragedy that he has endured. His faith in Jesus has made him an overcomer. Instead of becoming an angry, bitter, joyless man he has become a happy, joyful man who enjoys serving others. And who radiates the love of Jesus. Others have the same story. Instead of being overcome by tragedy they have allowed Jesus to help them overcome tragedy. To continue to love and serve Him. Though it might be with tears at times. And the occasional heavy heart.
I suppose that many of us live in fear of the dreaded phone call. The one that tells us that a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer. Or has been involved in an accident. Or was the victim of a crime. How will we handle that news when it comes our way? In my case I can honestly say that I don’t know. I hope that I will pass the test. That I will cling to Jesus at the time. And let Him carry me through. Could I survive a tragedy at this very moment? No. I couldn’t. But I am convinced that when and if one does come my way, that the potential for me to overcome it will be there. Through Jesus. You see, the grace of God is a lot like adrenalin. We all have adrenalin in our bodies but it doesn’t really kick in until we need it. That’s when we see people doing super-human things. Such as lifting a vehicle off of someone. It’s the same way with grace. We all have a measure of God’s grace in our lives. But when tragedy strikes God gives us extra-grace, overcoming grace, which enables us to rise about our circumstances.
I can’t say that I know all the reasons why God allows tragedy in this life. But I do know that, with His help, we can overcome it. I know this because I have seen living examples of it in my congregation. Ordinary people who rely on an extraordinary God. And He doesn’t let them down.
Lord, I confess that, at the moment, I could not endure tragedy. But I know that if and when it comes, that Your grace will be sufficient for me. Thank you for the many examples of triumph over tragedy that I see around me. Thank you for the inspiration and courage that they give me. For the inspiration and courage that I find in Your Word. You are a Faithful God. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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