Do Christians ever seem naive to you? Have you heard someone say, “God is good!” and then thought, “You aren’t in touch with reality…how can you say God is good when so many people are suffering?”
It’s harder to think that, however, when you really know the one who says, “God is good!” I’ve pasted below a short email from a friend at church. Before you read it, you have to know that this man was a federal judge in his home country. He ruled against the government in a case, for which they took his job and his wife’s job, then tortured him. He fled for his life, leaving behind two daughters and his pregnant wife. After a six-year separation from his family, our church helped reunite them all. At Dulles airport he held his six-year-old daughter for the first time.
That’s only a summary of all he’s suffered. I share it because his words of encouragement to Sara carry more weight, are harder to dismiss as naive optimism, when you know something of his story. He wrote:
Dear Sara! My heart is broken! Don’t be afraid! Jesus is with you, everything is under control of God! Nothing is impossible to him. You will be ok! I and my family are praying every day for you. Already Christ has suffered in behalf of us. So no more sorrow for us!
Our lord is honest, we should believe on him, we have been saved through his blood. God loves you and he has care about you! Everlasting God bless you!
Our friend can offer that comfort because he himself has received comfort from “The Father of all comfort.” (See 2 Cor 1:3-5 and 2 Cor 12:7-10 … Paul suffered far more than our friend, making him a legitimate comforter. Moreover, Hebrews 4:15 reminds us that Christ’s own suffering is foundational to His encouragement toward us.)
Question: Do you know someone who says naive-sounding things about God, yet has experience to back them up? Tell us about it…
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