Tragedy happens. We experience loss. We begin to wonder where God is in all of this.
Lucado reminds us that God’s thoughts are very unlike our thoughts. “We aren’t even in the same neighborhood.” God’s goals for our lives are not those of physical comfort but are of eternal consequence. God lives in a different dimension yet He bends down to be a part of our lives.
Just as small children do not understand the decisions and actions of their parents (say, to withhold a high sugar treat), so we do not understand the ways of God. Our small minds cannot comprehend how God’s actions are truly acts of love.
Lucado reminds the reader that God is for us (Rom. 8:31). He sent His Son to die for us. Should we fret over lesser things?
We are reminded that God’s goodness prevails, even in the midst of something evil. “Satan is still a servant of God…He is pressed into service to do God’s will in the world…” God used Satan to refine us, to wake us up, to provide an opportunity to encourage others, to learn to forgive, and to dwell in the silence where we can hear God. Lucado assures us that when we cry out to God He will answer.
Lucado is a wordsmith. Using examples from Scripture, he provides encouragement and strength for tough times. This is not a theological treatise as to why God does what He does. You won’t find any deep answers to persistent question of why bad things happen to people. This short (80 page) book will, however, provide encouragement to keep believing that God loves us, is for us, and will bring good out of evil.
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