Shedding a Little Light

“How long, O LORD? I cry for help, but you do not listen! I cry out to you, ‘Violence!’ but you do not intervene. Why do you let me see ruin; why must I look at misery?” Habakkuk 1: 2-3

“How long O Lord?” is a good question. “Why?” is also a good question. Very often when bad times or bad situations come upon us, we cry out to God with questions like these. They are good questions, but the answers may surprise us. If God is so good, why does all the bad stuff happen? There are many reasons, and can we explain some and not others? Well, we may just have to wait until the next life to get the answers. God is good. God is so good that we were created with free will. God does not control us like robots making us do or say this or that. We have choices in everything we do and say. Things happen and can even persist because of choices we make, and that is called consequence. Good choices create good consequences, and bad choices create unpleasant consequences. That seems fair enough. If we choose a healthy lifestyle, we enjoy a good life. If we smoke or overeat, we may have health issues to contend with. Our choice.

What about stuff that happens through no fault of our own? Or because of someone else’s decision? Well sometimes we become collateral damage in someone else’s poor decision. Someone chooses to drive under the influence and has an accident, for example and the other vehicle and its passengers have trouble with no fault of their own.

We also must remember that there is evil in the world. The devil is always prowling about to turn people away from God. His temptations and foul works are always near, but we do not need to fear the works of Satan because we are baptized in the Lord and if we follow His ways, we will not be harmed. We may still feel the effects of evil around us, but we need not succumb to it.

What matters in times of trial is our response. It is always an opportunity to gain experience and to grow in our faith. These times can strengthen our prayer life and form us to be fit for heaven. So always ask, “Is this my doing?” “Am I part of someone else’s experience?” “What should I learn from this?” If you do feel that evil is working around you, then in Jesus’ name, send it packing! If you are experiencing consequences of your own or someone else, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you through it and help you learn from it. And when times seem dark, remember to …

Keep Living in the Light

Bernie