Where Are You, Lord, When Tragedy Strikes?

“Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
~ Psalm 139:7-10, NKJV

“Even when I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
    for You are close beside me.
Your rod and Your staff
    protect and comfort me.” Psalm 23:4, NLT

“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
    I have called you by name; you are Mine.
When you go through deep waters,
    I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
    you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
    you will not be burned up;
    the flames will not consume you.” Isaiah 43:1-3, NLT

Where Are You, Lord? Help Me Understand

Lord, You are mighty to save, full of power, overflowing with mercy. So, where are You, Lord, when tragedy strikes? Why does it seem as though evil is prevailing?

Please help me understand. Open my eyes, and the eyes of others to recognize Your presence when the unthinkable happens.

When the children were being shot within the safe place of their school, did You rush to their side? Did they see You in all Your glory? When the roofs were being torn off by tornadoes and loved ones hurled into the air, did You draw near to hold Your people and comfort them?

The Word tells me You did.

My heart tells me You did.

There is a Conflict Between Faith and Flesh

But, my humanness has many questions — my mind wants to understand and my mind asks the questions, “Where are You, Lord? When senseless tragedies happen over and over again, where are You?”

Please forgive me for being so blunt, even irreverent. You know I adore You, and I place my hope in You. But sometimes I have a conflict between faith and flesh and it’s hard to reconcile the two.

This I know, and this I hold fast to: You. Are. Good. You cannot not be good, Lord. Even when tragedy strikes, You remain good. Even when I forget that this is a fallen world where the rulers of darkness play with the hearts of people, You are still good.

And You are still faithful.

Thank You for reminding me of Your covenant love that never fails. Thank you for reminding me of Your eternal perspective and that the deaths of Your people are precious in Your sight because eternity together begins at that moment.

What was Meant for Evil, You Will Turn for Good

You will never forsake us. You hold us in our sorrow. You comfort us and bathe us in Your peace. And You promise to work everything together for our good. You promise to take what was meant for evil and turn it for good.

I know I can trust You, Lord. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, because I know I can trust You. You are precious to me.

In the Name of Jesus, I pray,

Amen ~ let it be so

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Please don’t carry your burdens alone. I would be honored to pray for you. You may contact me directly at nan@nanjones.com

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Thank you so much for stopping by. I would love for you to share what’s on your heart in the comments below. Scroll a little farther down and you’ll see where you can leave your comments. Together, we can find the nearness of God in our darkest moments.

Sweet blessings to you,