“The other gods were strong, but Thou was weak.
They rode, but Thou didst stumble to a throne.
But to our wounds only God’s wounds can speak,
And not a god has wounds but Thou alone.” – Edward Shillito, from “Jesus of the Scars”
Today Timothy Keller concludes his presentation of three powerful themes of Christian teaching that give us a new frame of heart capable of facing adversity.
3. The doctrines of the incarnation and the atonement. Pastor Keller notes that sociologist Peter Berger sees two ways the Bible makes sense of suffering. The Old Testament book of Job gives us the most difficult and severe truth about suffering- that in the end we cannot question God. The New Testament provides the solution- “the incarnate God is a God who suffers.”
Pastor Keller adds that Job rightly points to our sinfulness and finite nature, calling for complete surrender to God’s sovereignty. We are comforted through trusting in God’s sovereignty because our sovereign God came down into this world and experienced its darkness, as Pastor Keller describes:
“On the cross, he went beyond even the worst human suffering and experienced cosmic rejection and a pain that exceeds ours as infinitely as his knowledge and power exceeds ours.”
God has wounds. While we don’t know why He allows suffering and evil to continue, Pastor Keller states that we know what the reason is not: It cannot be because God doesn’t love us or doesn’t care.
Today’s question: To what degree has trusting in God’s sovereignty been an issue following your ministry or vocation loss? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “The Light in the darkness”
