This week I was heartbroken and outraged to hear of the tragic shooting that took place at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas which killed 19 children and two adults and wounded several others. The shooter was killed on the scene by law enforcement. I ache for the families who lost loved ones and I pray for God’s comfort and strength for them. Many questions remain unanswered like why did this happen, could it have been prevented, or what should be done to safeguard the future? Some people are even asking why did God allow this? I don’t know why God allowed this tragedy. But given his impeccable record of gracious salvation throughout the Bible and through personal experience, I do know that God is good, loving, just, faithful, powerful, and wise beyond what we can comprehend. Although from our finite perspective, we can’t always see it, God consistently saves and brings good out of the evil that broken people create in this fallen world (Romans 8:28; Psalm 118, 136). He will also hold everyone who rejects Jesus’ offer of salvation accountable for their wickedness (Psalm 37, 145:20; Revelation 20:11-15, 21:6-8). I have learned that when I don’t understand, I need to rely on what I do know and then trust God until he reveals more. So beyond why did God allow this, an even more poignant question is: Amidst difficulty and suffering will I receive or reject God’s comfort?
The Uvalde tragedy spotlights the need that we all have for God’s comfort. The shooter was disturbed and needed to turn to God instead of turning to anger, hatred, and violence. His grandmother and others wounded by him need God’s healing. The families of the dead victims are grieving and need God’s comfort. Losing someone you love, especially in such a heinous way, tears you up inside. Whether you are hurt, mourning, angry, lonely, or despairing God is your answer. He goes beyond empathy to having actually experienced to the greatest degree any pain and suffering you may be going through. Jesus, God the Son, was rejected, misunderstood, mocked, betrayed, deserted, tortured, forsaken and brutally killed on a cross, yet he had done nothing wrong. He graciously bore the sin of the world to save anyone who trusts and obeys him from dying and spending eternity in torment as a result of their sin. Therefore, only he can truly comfort you, redeem your suffering, heal you, and transform you into all you were designed to be in him.
Jesus is calling you find solace and salvation in him. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). Those who come to Jesus receive his comfort, rest, healing, and new life. Jesus promised, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3-10).
Not only do those who come to Jesus receive salvation, but he teaches them how to be his ministers of reconciliation so others can be comforted and saved (2 Corinthians 5:14-21). God gives every believer his Spirit to live inside them. The Holy Spirit comforts, counsels, corrects, trains, and empowers them to love, serve, and shine in a dark, callous, and desperate world (John 14:16-17, 26, 16:7-15). Followers of Jesus should take their experiences, especially the painful ones, which God has redeemed and utilize them to help others, administer justice, and extend mercy. While running for his life from King Saul, David, the man God chose to replace Saul understood the need to trust God and receive his comfort and salvation amidst suffering. He wrote, “Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to blot out their name from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned. The Lord will rescue his servants; no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned” (Psalm 34:14-22). David later became an effective leader of Israel because he received God’s comfort and offered it to others.
The same took place with the apostles who followed Jesus. When Jesus was crucified their whole world was turned upside down, they lost all hope, and they feared for their lives. But their mourning and terror turned to joy and courage when they received the comfort of Jesus’ presence after he rose from the dead. Within a few months they moved from hiding in the dark to boldly traveling the world sharing the love, comfort, salvation, and victory they experienced. If you receive God’s comfort, in time he will turn your mourning to joy and redeem your suffering for good. He will also use it to help others. Be open to that. The apostle Paul encouraged believers, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-5).
Comfort is actively entered into. It doesn’t just happen. Turn to God and receive the comfort only he can offer. We live in a wicked and messed up world. In just the last few weeks the atrocious murders in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York, the killing of Christians by Islamic, Hindu, and communist militants, as well as, the willful aborting of babies (over 2,300 per day in the United States) are merely a few examples of humankind’s depravity. In varying degrees we have all contributed to the state society is in. Each of us has transgressed against God and other people (Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:23). Whenever people choose to serve themselves instead of God it results in pain, suffering, and eventually death. Fortunately, out of love for us, Jesus has taken all the deadly results of our self-centered waywardness upon himself. He died and rose again so you don’t have to die due to your rebellion against God. If you trust and obey Jesus, you can receive his transformative comfort, healing, and power for your sin and any suffering from the impact of others’ sin (John 3:16-21).
That’s what each of us need each day. We need to repent and be forgiven of any wrong. We need God’s love in order to love others, his wisdom and justice to hold evildoers accountable, his grace to forgive, his comfort to heal, his strength to carry on, and his power to help save others. Even though life in this fallen world will still be difficult at times, you can live victoriously as you learn to reign with Jesus. Soon Jesus will return to make everything forever right on earth as it is in heaven. Believers will be rewarded and reunited with other believers who have died. Unbelievers will be judged. Evil, death, and Satan will be vanquished. Take comfort in God’s salvation now and into the future, then share God’s love and salvation with others so they can be comforted in Jesus also.