I have been richly blessed:
A wonderful wife who has stuck with me for almost 50 years.
Sons and granddaughters
A home on a hilltop in the country
Health
And far more
I have also seen tragedy:
Illness in my family
The death of two sons
Your story is different. But, there has been, no doubt, a mix of blessing and tragedy.
We enjoy the blessings and we hate it when tragedy strikes. But……here’s the thing. God is the author of every one of our blessings. But, what about the tragedies? I believe that God is behind even the bad things that come our way. Perhaps he initiates the tragedies. Or, perhaps, he just allows them to happen. The story of Job is a case study in tragedy and blessing. God gives Satan explicit but limited permission to harm Job. The Bible never tells us why. God blesses Job…….God allows Satan to harm Job. In either event, God is working out his plan. He doesn’t need or ask for our approval. He doesn’t explain. We are left to fill in the blanks.
And so we do.
The Old Testament is full of this. God’s people sin and tragedy befalls them. They repent, and they are blessed. It is very tempting to view the blessings as rewards for good behavior and to view the tragedies as punishment for bad behavior. There is no doubt that this is sometimes the case. But, not always. God does reward us. God does punish us. But, often, perhaps most of the time, God is just working out the details of his plan.
Blessings are easy. Enjoy them. Praise God for them.
Tragedies, however, are an entirely different kettle of fish. How are we to react when God sends tragedy into our life…….when God allows Satan to harm us?
Why do bad things happen to good people?
God does not bless us because of who we are……or what we have done. God blesses us because of who he is.
God does not withhold his blessing because of who we are or what we have done. Sometimes, God withholds his blessing as a part of his plan. Sometimes, it really is a “zero sum game”. On a given Sunday, God may bless the Steelers at the expense of the Bengals.
The key thing to remember about God’s blessing?
It is about God…….not us.
Blessing is a tool that God uses to advance his plan…….not mine.
So……..enjoy God’s blessings. Try to run your life in line with God’s plan…….at least the parts of it that you and I can understand. This puts us in a place where we are more likely to enjoy God’s blessings…….his favor. When God withholds a blessing, be patient. God is working out his plan. He may be blessing someone else today.
Know this:
God loves you and me.
God has a plan.
God’s plan is good…….better than yours…..better than mine.
God sees the finish line when we cannot.
And his promise is that the finish line will be fabulous…….for those who love and serve him.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
James 1:17, ESV
And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.
Job 2:6-7, ESV