Whatever it is, you are either in a trial, have been recently, or will be soon.
There is hope.
I'd like to share a few things with you, dear reader, that I have learned through the hard times and maybe it will help you, as it has done for me.
The foundational comfort to my soul has been this: to dwell and rest in the character of God.
God is sovereign over all the things that happen in our life. He causes us to go through tough times. When we understand who He is, we can understand why He does what he does.
So, here is a list of some of God's characteristics that came to mind when I was processing this three months ago:
1. God is the creator and sustainer of all creation.
Imagine this big, great, powerful God. He is terrifying and perfect. He is so huge and wonderful, you can't even comprehend it! That is our God. And that great and powerful God has got control over every little detail in your life, from how the your tiny hair grows on your skin to the next election and whoever it will be that will be the president next. Nothing, absolutely nothing is outside of His control.
2. God sees the things we can't.
God sees or past, he sees our present, and he sees the future. He knows each and every person. He sees the kind of people that we and those around us are behind closed doors. He knows what will happen if things continue, or had continued the way that it was going.
3. God loves us.
Please take a moment to understand. This is not a simple fact. After all, God is the very embodiment of love. His whole character is formulated around His person being love. God, the great creator and sustainer of all creation, the God who sees the kind of sinful person that you are behind closed doors, this God chooses to love you with a love that is so much greater than any we could ever imagine. His is a love that never ends and never fails. He will never leave you nor forsake you. It pursues you, even when you don't want to be. It is steadfast, strong, immovable, a love that will never change no matter how badly we mess up. Because of Christ Jesus and His work on the cross, we don't have to worry about being worthy of love. God already loves us.
4. God works all things for good.
No matter how hard things get, we can rest assured that it is meant for our good. God never does anything for evil intentions. It is always out of love that He does what He does. This gives us hope. All of the evil, all of the sin, all of the things that just don't go right, they can all be used for good. They will be used for good, thanks to our loving Father.
So, why do bad things happen?
Trials are meant to point us to Christ. They are God's way of reminding us of who is in control. Honestly, we will never really know why we go through the trials that we do. Maybe we will learn in heaven. We cannot fully know what good comes out of what happens.
In the end, it comes down to these two things:
1. Do you know who God is?
and
2. Are you willing to trust Him no matter what?
My hope is that we can all answer "yes". For, it is only is resting in the character of God that true joy, comfort, and satisfaction is obtained.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6