Praising God in the SOMETIMES

Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.     Philippians 2:27 ESV

My daughter, her husband, and their home came through a terrible storm over the weekend, safe and unharmed.  I have been praising the Lord for this!  After seeing the devastation caused by the tornado that went through their town on Saturday and being unable to reach them for several hours after learning of the storm, it was truly wonderful to hear Millie's voice when we were finally able to get through very late Saturday night.  

As pictures and videos have continued to post showing the destruction caused by this tornado, as related deaths have been confirmed and funds have been set up to assist those who have lost their homes, my heart has broken for the victims all while rejoicing at Millie and Jacob's blessing.  And so I have been at odds with my own self with regard to my response to this event.

Many years ago, we received a letter from a pastor in whose church we had recently ministered.  He wrote to shame us for publicly praising God for His protection through a horrific accident where we'd been hit by an 18-wheeler in our bus.  It was unkind and insensitive, he said, for us to give glory to God for sparing our lives and providing for us since other people's loved ones did not survive their accidents.

Was he right?  I pondered and prayed on the matter for quite some time after reading that letter.  My conclusion was that it is NEVER wrong to praise the Lord.  Clearly, though, that experience has lingered in my heart and mind and still sometimes leaves me second-guessing my responses.

And so, as I was reading Paul's letter to the Philippians this morning, I was once again reminded of this incident from years ago.  And I was reminded that praising God for healing, protection, and provision is most definitely an appropriate response, as Paul shows us.

Epaphroditus was evidently a member of the church at Philippi who had been sent to minister to Paul during his imprisonment.  Epaphroditus had been quite ill, but as Paul stated, "God had mercy on him."

So then, if Epaphroditus had not recovered, would that mean that God had NOT had mercy on him?  Other people that the Philippians knew had probably succumbed to illness around the same time that Epaphroditus was ill.  Did God love them less?  Should Paul have kept his gratitude to the Lord to himself?

I would have to say a resounding NO to all of the questions above!

Our perceptions and understanding of the ways of the Lord are so very limited in our humanity!  The sovereignty of God is a difficult concept to grasp.  But questions related to sovereignty call us to deeper faith.  These questions bring us face-to-face with the SOMETIMES nature of God.

SOMETIMES...

The Lord protects us in potentially deadly situations like accidents and storms.

SOMETIMES...

People die in accidents and storms.

SOMETIMES...

People recover from life-threatening illnesses and injuries.

SOMETIMES...

People die from illness and injury.

SOMETIMES...

We get the raise.

SOMETIMES...

We get the lay-off notice.

Life is full of SOMETIMES situations.  Our prayers are sometimes answered in exactly the way we hope.  But sometimes, it seems that we get the exact opposite of what we've asked for.

Hannah asked the Lord for a child, and not long after, Samuel was born.  Sarah prayed for a child, but Isaac was not born until Sarah was well advanced in years.  Did God love Hannah more than He loved Sarah?  Of course not.  

Because God is sovereign - knowing all and seeing all through time and space - He always does what is right and best.  There was purpose in Sarah's waiting.  And there is purpose in our waiting.

Paul himself had some malady from which the Lord did not deliver or heal him (see 2 Corinthians 12:7-10), but God healed Epaphroditus.  Did God love Epaphroditus more than He loved Paul?  Not at all.

The point is that no matter which side of the SOMETIMES we land on, our great God is worthy to be praised.   As Paul said in this same letter to the Philippians:

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  (Philippians 1:21)

And so today I will both praise the Lord for delivering my loved ones, and I will pray for those whose outcome was different.  I will praise the One who sees the big picture that I cannot see and Who is ALWAYS worthy to be praised - even in the SOMETIMES.

...Just a thought...