And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? — John 11:37
I have always marveled at the statement, “I wish you had been here” or “I wish you were there.” It’s said a lot when events happen in our lives. Especially around our house when chaos happens. It never fails that one of our dogs will get into something they shouldn’t. Or perhaps our son breaks something and there’s a need for help. My wife will often tell me later that she wishes I had been there.
Obviously, I cannot go back in time and rearrange my day to make sure I am there when the chaos ensues. There is little way to know when things are going to happen in life so we can make sure we are present. Thankfully, that’s not the case with God. As the Bible says, He is always with us and we are never alone.
But I often seem to hear people say it feels as though God was nowhere near when they face difficulties in life. Even in the verse above, the people questioned why Jesus could not have prevented Lazarus’ death. I have heard those around me say something similar. Statements like, if God really cared, or if God really loved me.
Just because we face difficulties in life does not mean that God does not care. It has nothing to do with the love or compassion of God. It does, however, have everything to do with our faith! Sure, God could stop the challenges and difficulties, just like Jesus could have stopped Lazarus from dying. But the challenges come for a purpose.
Instead of accusing God of not loving or not caring, we should ask what God is trying to do through us and teach us. That day, Jesus showed the crowd a greater miracle and it led others to believe. That would never have happened without Mary and Martha going through their difficulty. Our trials have a purpose and God is with us through them all.
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