Where are you, God?
We often ask that question when we experience moments of terrible tragedy and heartbreaking loss. When such things happen, we understandably want to know where God is.
God is not silent in his Word. Let’s be clear about that. When we cry out to him, we know our God hears and answers us. Psalm 120:1 says, “I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me.” Sometimes our distress and grief are overwhelming when we mourn the loss of someone we love… especially the loss of a child.
October is Infant Loss Awareness Month.
We’re constantly—painfully—aware of the harsh reality that ever since sin entered the world, cold and cruel death also crept into existence as an unnatural consequence—something that was never a part of God’s plan for his creation. The wrongness of death is staggering. It sends us reeling in pain, confusion, and grief.
Nowhere is the wrongness of death more apparent than at the loss of a child.
A faint echo of that grief and the accompanying numbness is heard throughout the pages of Scripture. Never let it be said that a Christian should not grieve at the death of a loved one. Never let it be said that a Christian should not weep. A life lived in the valley of the shadow of death is always painful. Tears will flow. Grief demands to be felt. We can’t ignore it or push it off.
Jesus himself wept at the death of his dear friend Lazarus. He knew that in just a few short minutes he would raise Lazarus to life again, and still he wept. Our God wept because he saw what death did—not just to Lazarus, but also to those who loved him. People whom Jesus loved. He felt that pain and grief too.
Even as Christians, we still grieve. That heartbreaking fact is part of life here on earth. Our grief threatens to choke out all light of life, hope, and joy. Even if we’re grieving alongside a spouse or our loved ones, our grief can make us feel so very alone.
Where are you, God?
It’s so vital we look outside ourselves for God’s answer and his solution to our grief. The apostle Paul writes about how we as Christians grieve. It’s different than how the world grieves because we have hope—hope that is found solely in our loving God and what he has done for his children. We need to hear that every day—especially when filled with grief.
True comfort is only found in God’s Word. He is not silent. If you are grieving right now, know that God sees your tears. He knows exactly how you feel. He has not abandoned you. You are not alone. He is with you.
Where are you, God?
That question was once asked on a dark and lonely hill outside of first-century A.D. Jerusalem. A hill on which the Son of God was nailed to a tree. As he hung there, suffering the wrath of God for the sins of the whole world—including yours and mine—he cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
The answer? Silence. Silence so God could speak to you and me: “My dearly loved child, I have not forsaken you; I have not abandoned you, nor will I ever. I’m right here with you, and I will not leave your side. I promise I’m with you every step of the way because I forsook my Son, Jesus, in your place. I abandoned him. He took your sins away, so you can be home in heaven with me where I will wipe every tear from your eyes.”
On that tree, Jesus breathed his last and died. But we know that’s not where his story ends. And because it doesn’t, our story doesn’t end in death either. Death doesn’t get the final word. Our God does. Death itself lies broken and crushed under our Savior’s feet. And he says to us, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die, and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (John 11:25-26).
Until Christ returns or calls us home, we struggle under the weighty cross of living in the valley of the shadow of death. Sometimes we stagger under its weight with tears streaming down our faces. But we’re not alone. Our God goes with us every step of the way. So do our brothers and sisters in Christ.
As Christians, God puts us in each other’s lives to support each other. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 that if one part of the body of Christ suffers, we all suffer. We share in that because we’re a family. As a family, we also look for opportunities to point our loved ones to the cross—to Christ and his everlasting love for them because he is the only way we get through our many sufferings in this world.
Where are you, God?
In all things—even when we’re overwhelmed by grief—our God gets the final word. And he says to us, “I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you” (Isaiah 46:4).
That’s who our God is, dear Christian. He always keeps us in his loving arms.
If you or a loved one are grieving the loss of a child preterm or soon after birth, please know that we are here to support you. You and your loved ones are in our prayers. At Northwestern Publishing House, we have Christ-centered resources to provide God’s comfort to those who are grieving:
- Held by the Shepherd is for those who have lost a child preterm or soon after birth.
- Never Forsaken is for those who are struggling to find God’s mercy in the midst of a miscarriage.
- Purposeful Grieving provides 56 devotions that recognize the challenges of grief but also lift our eyes to the comforting cross of Christ.
- Where in the World Is God? provides 70 devotions written for anyone facing adversity, discouragement, or fear.
Alex Brown is the marketing and content copywriter at Northwestern Publishing House. He has his Master of Divinity degree from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and enjoys reading, writing, and spending time in God’s creation.