Faith & Insight: In the Day of Trouble

"The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him." (Nahum 1:7)

It was ten years ago last Sunday when our lives were changed by the terrorist attacks in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania. Last week our own Carson City was changed by a killing rampage that has shaken us to the core. Some have asked where God was in all of this. Well, He is in the same place He was when His own Son was killed. Since sin came into the world, we have and will continue to suffer its effects. Don't blame God. He still promises: "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."  (Hebrews 13:5b)

The apostle Paul wrote about the catastrophes that the early Christians suffered. "...indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves in order that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us" (2 Corinthians 1:9-10).

In times of tragedy, sorrow, and suffering, God's plan is that the difficulty causes us to trust Him more instead of trusting ourselves. Furthermore, Paul is convinced of the continual presence and deliverance by our loving Father in Heaven. He is with us, and He will deliver us.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

Lord, give us strength!

• Bruce Henderson is the pastor of Airport Road, Church of Christ, Carson City.