"If God really loved me . . ."

When tragedy, hardship, or even death comes into our lives, we might ask, “If God really loved me, then why did He let this happen?” It’s hard to see through eyes that are filled with tears. Though we cannot see how the situation will end or why it has come upon us, we can know that it flows from the love of God and is controlled by Him.

If you are not a Christian, however, when tragedy strikes, when heartache hits, when death comes, there are no words of comfort that I have to offer. But Christians can know that everything must first come through God’s protective screen that He has placed around His children.

When Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that their brother Lazarus was sick, they wanted a healing. But Jesus wanted to do more than heal Lazarus; He wanted a resurrection. By the time He arrived in Bethany, Mary and Martha were honestly upset. Yes, Jesus loved Lazarus. But He wanted to do something even more dramatic in his life.

If God is not coming through when we expect Him to, there is a reason for it. Do we ever stop and think that God might want to do more? Do we ever stop and think that God might want to do abundantly above and beyond that which we could ask or think? If God closes one door, He will open another.

Maybe you’re frustrated or even a little upset with God right now. Maybe something you were hoping for hasn’t happened, and you’re saying, “God has let me down.” Hang on. It isn’t over until it’s over. You don’t know what the Lord has in store. His delays are to be interpreted in the light of His love—and not the other way around.