I was recently speaking with a lady who was struggling to see that there is a God who loves and cares for us. The reason for this was that she could not understand why, if there is a loving God, that so many bad things happen in the world?
My response to this is that we live in a fallen world where good exists alongside bad. The good news is that we have a Saviour in Jesus Christ. But being a Christian does not mean that we won’t face hardships along the way. In fact the Bible says not that we might have troubles but that we will have troubles. The good news is that we have Jesus to walk through those troubles with us.
John 16: 33 (New International Version) says: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Two more scriptures come to mind. The first is Proverbs 3: 5-6 (New International Version): “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
In the second scripture, God uses the metaphors of rivers and fire to describe troubles. Isaiah 43: 2 (New International Version) says: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
We all suffer dark times where we feel alone and wonder if God is still with us. I find the following poem an encouragement at such times. I hope that you do too.
Footprints
One night I dreamed a dream
As I was walking along the beach with my Lord
Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life
For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand
One belonging to me and one to my Lord
After the last scene of my life flashed before me
I looked back at the footprints in the sand
I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,
Especially at the very lowest and saddest times,
There was only one set of footprints.
This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.
“Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,
You’d walk with me all the way
But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life, there was only one set of footprints.
I don’t understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me.”
He whispered, “My precious child, I love you and will never leave you
Never, ever, during your trials and testings.
When you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”
Author Unknown
Feathers from Heaven 