Making Sense Out of Seeming Senselessness

Our world can be amazing and awesome. At other times, however, it can be confusing, confounding, sometimes inconceivable. Watching the evening news, reading a newspaper (online or the old-fashioned paper variety), or following social media for more than a few minutes can have us scratching our heads. Every day society seems to be creating a new form of crazy.

 

But it’s not just the violence, natural disasters, global conflict and political chicanery. It’s the befuddling stuff that goes on in our own lives. An excited young couple has their hopes dashed when the baby they’ve been preparing for is stillborn. A young man who has eagerly responded to a call from God to become a preacher falls from a cliff, leaving him a paraplegic. After years of working with diligence and excellence, a man is laid off from his job, a victim of ‘downsizing.’ A young woman’s fiancé is killed while deployed in the Middle East only weeks before their wedding date.

 

The list could go on. We’ve all experienced times when life just doesn’t make sense. Maybe you’re going through such a time right now. We can read Bible promises like Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” But in the midst of a great hardship or devastating heartbreak, those words might seem empty. “How is God going to work good out of this?!” we might wonder or even ask aloud.

 

Recently I was reminded of a wonderful song, "Trust His Heart," first recorded by Babbie Mason in 2001. Its message resonates as strongly as it did then. A recurring refrain in the song states, “So when you don’t understand, when you don’t see His plan, when you can’t trace His hand, trust His heart.” 

 

In everyone’s life there are times we don’t understand, when we don’t see God’s plan in what’s happening, and when we can ‘t trace His hand – almost like He’s absent or indifferent. However, if we trust in the Scriptures and the assurances the Lord gives us through them, we know He hasn’t fallen asleep, gone on vacation or abandoned us.

 

Even in the midst of the most severe trial, we can cling to His promises, such as ones He gave through the prophet Jeremiah. For instance, in Jeremiah 29:11 He says, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” The outworking of this promise immediately follows: “Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.”

 

For many of us the senseless, unthinkable assassination of Charlie Kirk remains on our minds. We might wonder how such a thing could have happened – how God could have allowed it to happen. This tragic act ranks high among the things that don’t make sense.

 

The final chapter of Kirk’s life, however, has yet to be written even though he’s no longer living among us. His non-profit, Turning Point USA, remains very active and possibly more visible than ever. In some respects, it may be more vibrant now than when he was touring college campuses, holding forums, and debating some of the most pressing social issues of the day.

 

Sometimes for a movement of God to gain momentum, the death of a prominent leader is necessary. Jesus being crucified on the cross is the ultimate example. As He Himself said, predicting His own death, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (John 12:24).

 

I’ve heard and read reports of numerous college campuses where evangelistic outreach meetings have attracted thousands of students, with many of them professing faith in Christ and even being baptized. I believe this is part of a much greater plan of God, with Kirk’s mission and vision being a small piece of what He’s doing across our nation and around the world.

 

We could cite countless other examples of how God has transformed seeming tragedy and great hardship into marvelous trophies of His love, grace and mercy. Hearing about those can encourage us as we go through our own trials and tribulations. 

It helps to remember what God has said about our incapacity to comprehend what He’s up to: “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts'” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Trusting God’s heart, even when we don’t understand, can’t see His plan or trace His hand, will go a long way in enabling us to cling to hope in Him even when all seems hopeless. 

Blessings, Curses, and How to Tell the Difference

If we could to transport ourselves to the time of the ancient Israelites and observe their lives and behavior, I suspect it would seem like riding a rollercoaster: breathtaking heights of zeal, devotion and obedience to God, followed by terrifying plunges of apathy, rebellion and disobedience. Perhaps the Lord might have felt like He was plucking petals off a flower, one by one – “they love Me, they love Me not, they love Me, they love Me not….” 

 

Recently a friend and I were discussing blessings and curses. He’d been reading some of the Old Testament narratives about good and evil Israelite kings and God’s response to their obedience and disobedience. For instance, in Deuteronomy 11:26-28 we read, “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse – the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn away from the way I command you today….”

 

After the people of Israel arrived in the Promised Land after wandering 40 years in the wilderness, their leader Joshua determined it was time to renew the covenant they had made with the Lord many years before. He reminded them of God’s promises and admonitions: “Joshua read all the words of the law – the blessings and the curses – just as it is written in the Book of the Law” (Joshua 8:34).

 

Experience had taught the Israelites that if they did right, they’d get rewarded. But if they did wrong, they’d incur God’s punishment. Classic cause and effect. The New Testament, however, offers a shift in perspective and teaching. Rather than getting what we deserve, we’re told God in His grace offers us what we don’t deserve – forgiveness for our sins, salvation and eternal life. 

 

Romans 3:10 asserts, “There is no one righteous, not even one…there is no one who does good, not even one.” At times in reading this, I’ve wondered, “Is this about politicians?” But it clearly applies to everyone. So our hope of gaining God’s love and acceptance on the basis of merit flies out the window. Instead, we cling by faith to the assurance we read a bit later: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly…. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8).

 

Which brings us back to the subject of blessings and curses. Since the Lord has basically declared every last one of us a rebellious, disobedient mess, how can we expect His blessings? At the same time, since we often seem to forget about Him altogether, why aren’t we cursed more?

Maybe we need to re-examine our thinking about blessings and curses. Surely if we do right, we’re more likely to receive some kind of reward. And if we do wrong, we’ll likely encounter consequences. But many times, whether something is a blessing or a curse can depend on our response to it.

 

Years ago I had the opportunity – and blessing – to interview Joni Eareckson Tada who, despite being a quadriplegic, has achieved much-deserved acclaim as an author, speaker, artist and singer. She recounted her story of how as a teenager she became injured after unsuspectingly diving into a shallow lake. Her neck was broken instantly, leaving her paralyzed from the shoulders down. 

 

We could view that as a curse, in the blink of an eye going from a healthy, active teenager to one without the use of any of her limbs. And in her writings Joni tells how she struggled initially with the prospect of spending the rest of her life in that condition. She describes her despair and hopelessness. Who could blame her, right?

 

In retrospect, however, she admitted, “I shudder to think about what my life would have been like if I HAD NOT become paralyzed.” What? A blessing, not a curse? 

 

Joni explained that after the initial shock and grief, her injury gave her no recourse but to trust in the Lord for everything she would need. At the same time, she was able to refocus and develop her considerable creative talents to tell her story of faith, inspiring others and giving glory to God, showing how He can use even the worst circumstances for His good. 

 

What could have been a curse for Joni, had she responded the wrong way with self-pity and anger, turned into a blessing beyond anything she could have imagined. She’s had numerous triumphs and trials over the years since, but remains an example of the great promise in Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

 

On the other hand, the Scriptures offer some examples of individuals who seemingly were very blessed materially, but when those things took their focus off of the Lord, they became curses.

 

One was King Solomon of Israel. In succeeding his father, King David, he was a model of humility. When God visited him in a dream and said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you,” the new king replied, “Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” (1 Kings 3:5-9).

 

Asking for wisdom – that’s the kind of ruler we’d all like to follow. But starting well doesn’t guarantee finishing well, as Solomon sadly proved. He became consumed with riches, military might, and the many wives and concubines he had accumulated – all contrary to God’s expressed commands. By the end of his life, these “blessings” had turned into curses:

“The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel…. Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the Lord’s command” (1 Kings 11:9-10).

 

These are lessons for all of us. We might look around at our material possessions and think, “What a blessing!” But beware: If they take our eyes off the Lord, they could become a curse. Conversely, our present hardships – which might seem like curses – could turn into unimaginable blessings. Sometimes it’s all in how we look at our circumstances – and respond to them.