• Home
  • Author Bio
  • The Book
  • Excerpt
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Order Now

04 Aug

Two more mass murders yesterday! Where is God?

Dr. Bill Rudd Blog 0 0

Two more mass murders yesterday! That’s 22 in 2019.

“How long, O Lord, until you do something?”

In many parts of the Bible we read the anguished prayers of God’s people who cannot understand God’s apparent indifference and inactivity against the violence and injustice on the earth.

Here are a just a few samples.

“We are given no signs from God; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be. How long will the enemy mock you, God? Will the foe revile your name forever? Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?” Psalm 74

“How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, ‘Violence!’ but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds.”    Habakkuk 1

“They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth?”     Revelation 6

While I share the pain and frustration of those prayers, I also appreciate the honesty of the Scriptures about what it feels like to live on this sin-broken planet. The Bible doesn’t give trite answers to heart-wrenching suffering. Nor does it always pull back the curtains so we can see what God is doing and what the future holds — at least in the detail I desire.

So I cling to the many assurances that God’s apparent lack of response represents delay, not apathy – delay which gives time for repentance, enhances longing for Jesus’ return and Kingdom, and confronts us to act as God’s image-bearers and representatives to bring His Kingdom values into our relationships, communities, and nations.

We join with Christians everywhere as we pray what Jesus taught us: “Let Your kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

I also see in Scripture that God uses the same words, “How long?,” as He challenges us to turn to away from the false gods we constantly pursue as substitutes for the One true God who has revealed Himself in Jesus.

“How long will you people turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?”Psalm 4

So I must trust through my grieving and questions . . . trust the heart of the God who is perfectly displayed in Jesus — the God who promises that some day He will wipe away all tears and make all things new.


Facebook

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Recent Posts

  • IN THIS TIME OF TRAGIC DIVISION AND DISAGREEMENT
  • Speaking truth to power
  • How to interpret “hard things” in the Old Testament
  • What did Jesus mean?
  • Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing

Recent Comments

  • Cheryl Coldiron on Has gender bias in Bible translation hidden the truth?
  • Dr. Bill Rudd on How to interpret “hard things” in the Old Testament
  • Mark Wiggin on How to interpret “hard things” in the Old Testament
  • Dr. Bill Rudd on How to pray in times of trouble
  • Lois on How to pray in times of trouble

Archives

  • January 2020
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018

Categories

  • Blog


  • Home
  • Author Bio
  • The Book
  • Excerpt
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Order Now

Copyright © 2018. Dr. Bill Rudd. All rights reserved.
 
Cleantalk Pixel