Our faith in Christ requires us to understand the evidence that so many unbelievers will ask us.

 

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11

The recent supercell storms that brought havoc to Mayfield, Kentucky, and the surrounding areas is another example of some people deciding their faith is no longer worth following.

When bad things happen in life there are some who decide that  God must not exist because if he did then bad things wouldn't happen to good people like us.  I see this in the lives of grieving people, especially after a child dies. 

 Somehow, we have this idea in our heads that if I do x, y and z, attend church every Sunday, have consistent quiet times then nothing bad will ever happen to me.  For some, we're led to believe that our church attendance, faithful giving, and participating in consistent ministry opportunities will mean a prosperous life of growing wealth. We falsely place our faith in this prosperity gospel mentality.

  We even say to ourselves that God Abandoned us when in reality we abandoned God.   

God gave us the example of his son, Jesus, who suffered on the cross, taking the blows of the Roman guards until He took his last breath.  But the story doesn't end there. Three days later, God removed the stone in front of the tomb raising his son Jesus back to life. Christ's resurrection is the greatest story ever told because it is this story that God reminds us that He understands our suffering and because he understands He will walk with you every step of the way until you see the conclusion of your grief. 

One spokesperson speaking on the horrors of what he saw in the city of Mayfield said, "I don't know how we will ever survive this catastrophic event!"  As I scour other events like this, I see that not only did they survive, but they thrived in the aftermath of those events. 

The most important thing we can do in the aftermath of our pain is to keep putting one foot in front of the other and trusting our Savior, Jesus Christ, and to share that hope of eternal salvation with others that cross your path.