God Ordains Our Sorrow

In the midst of a life defined by suffering and the penalty of rebellion, the pain of existence and separation from our Creator is palpable. Us humans think and do all kinds of things to keep the inevitable reality of death from confronting our souls. Whatever pleasures, evils, addictions, or past times we may use to distract us, we at one time or another all come to face the truth: we are going to die and end up in His eternal hands which hold the book of life.

I’ve come to believe that these sorrowful moments have been ordained by God and come in many forms. Whether they are created by tragedy befalling a loved one around us or we reap the consequences of a lifetime of wrong choices, or tragedy or illness befalls us directly, He puts the assurance of death in our view for a perfectly good reason:

“And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him.”

Acts 17:26-27a

At the core of our deepest laments is the grief of an existence spent cut off from God’s presence due to our sin, whether we’re aware of it or not. Whether there be unfair circumstances from the outside or torturous thoughts coming from within, the cries of believers are rooted in a longing to dwell with God unfettered by the chains of iniquity.

In those seasons where we cry like David for our Father to show His face in the midst of our suffering, we learn from His Word that the sleep of death will not have victory over His children. There is an eternal promise of the tearless joy awaiting the righteous at the end of the age, and zooming out our perspective to look through the eyes of truth in this way reminds us that in fact:

“He is actually not far from each one of us, for ‘In him we live and move and have our being’ as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’”

Acts 17:27b-28

Like the stars glistening in blinding glory against the black void of night, God alone is the light that can save us from the darkness that dwells within us. To Him be the glory for His saving work of accepting sin’s judgment in our place on the cross, and to us all the shame if we refuse His gracious offer of salvation.

“Because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

Acts 17:31

Being made in His image means being bequeathed with the gift of will, and being confronted with death gives us a golden opportunity to examine the values that guide our steps. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to show us the fear, pain, and self-worship that once drove us and replace them with a love for God that, though we are frail, authentically moves us to seek Him out no matter what temporary fate overtakes us in this life.

He is near to those who draw near to Him, and I know in my moments of weakness and grief, I must do more to replace the lies of the enemy with the truth that He has spoken and earnestly seek Him out. I’ve heard Him answer at the bottom of those ravines before, and His answer was grace and love beyond imagining. In the midst of our sorrow, let us prayerfully remember the works of the Lord and intentionally shift our response as David did:

“But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.”

Psalm 13:5-6

~ Alex Nicholson serves as Music Director and Social Media Coordinator at LIFE Fellowship.