People go through so many things in so many different ways. We may have gone through similar adversities, but there’s always that difference, the personal here and now experience that makes things hard.

When people go through times of trouble and heart ache, as much as we, as their friends and loved ones, would desire to ease their pain and do stuff to do so, not much can actually be really done for them.

Last week, I was informed by my friend that the girlfriend of her office-mate is in a critical stage of cancer—she had days to live. This morning, she passed away.

It simply isn’t enough to eulogize over her and say that she was a good person, that every one loved her. Though all that is true. But that just doesn’t really help. As a matter a fact, it makes things worse. It makes things more painful, and deepens the loss.

It simply isn’t enough to say that things will be okay, or “I know what you feel. I’ve gone through the same thing. Things will be okay.”

We may never know where each and every one of us are spiritually. We may never really know what each of us are going through. Some may go through a season of blessings and peace. Some may go through seasons of despair.

It cannot be denied that each of us, as fleshly human beings, in times of trouble and need, would ask that question, “Why God? Why now? Why this?”

It simply isn’t enough to know what we get in the future. It simply isn’t enough to know what provisions God will provide.

The only way that any man can have comfort in any adversity, even in heart-wrenching pain is to remember: “But God…”

Then Job answered the LORD, and said, I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.  Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. (Job 42:1-6)

How is it, that Job, even after all the tragedies that occurred in his life can say these things? How is it that the Apostle Paul would go on and tell bond-slaves to serve their masters in the flesh as they serve the Lord Christ Jesus? How is it that even through trials, unimaginable pain and persecution that would come upon the Apostles and those who died in martyrdom for the Lord, could still find joy and confidence in Him?

How is it that the Lord Christ Jesus, would go up to pray to God the Father at the Garden called Gethsemane, even in knowing the magnitude of Wrath to be poured unto Him, and all the pain and agony and separation from the One He had forever loved and communed with,  would say, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”?

How is it that they can say such things? As sinful fleshly humans, we are not like that! We’re not! It’s always about my pain, my experience, my loss. Pity him. Pity me!

But…

As Christians, as redeemed sinners accepted in the beloved… as saints separated unto God to the praise of the glory of His grace, we understand, we have been made to see, that God is Sovereign.

That’s why I love this doctrine. That is why every time I talk with friends and share the things of God, I always remind them of God’s sovereign grace. That things don’t happen because of our mere mistakes and choices. That things don’t happen because we didn’t try hard enough, or we just didn’t wise up. But realize that God is sovereign!

It’s the main theme in the Bible! It is God who moves. It is God who saves! Even in the book of Job, God would say: “Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?” (Job 38:2) and He would say incredible things, that even in the minutia!–even in the things unknown to man, He is there. He is there, in anything and everything, actively involved in every event. God isn’t surprised by anything. God ordains and decrees all things.

What should we do in times of pain? What should we do in times of sorrow and defeat? As feeble humans, we are sure to forget these things, though we know them. But, even when things don’t make sense. Even when things don’t feel like it or when things don’t seem to have hope of getting any better.

Remember this, God is sovereign. Go back to what you know, God is sovereign.

I have no problem worshiping a God like that. I have no problem worshiping Him, because, I am assured, that even in my pain, in my grief and agony, there’s God. And if you are His, this should be a great comfort for you, because the only reason you’re going through hardships is because that God ordained you to, and that same God who put you through this, the process of making you the person you are to become, is the same God who will bring you out of it because, as Jeremiah 31:3 would say: “I have loved thee with an everlasting love.”

And that, my friend, is good news to me. That even though in word, thought and deed, I have always failed to give Him the worship and praise He deserves; even though in my sin and hatred against Him, He still sovereignly chose to love me. Even in my flesh and depravity, knowing that He is God and that He never changes, He has always loved me. He didn’t change His mind to finally love me because I finally did good enough, or because I finally prayed that prayer. He didn’t see anything in me to change His opinion of me from hate to love. No, no, no. Though we were enemies of God though wicked works, Christ died for us.

I have no problem worshiping a God like that.

It’s all about Him. He’s sovereign. And it’s all about grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, grace.