Psalm 112:4-9
Light shines in the darkness for the godly. They are generous, compassionate, and righteous.
Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly.
Such people will not be overcome by evil. Those who are righteous will be long remembered.
They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them.
They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly. They share freely and give generously to those in need. Their good deeds will be remembered forever. They will have influence and honor.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Recently, a good friend of ours underwent surgery to remove his kidney. Pat was diagnosed with a form of Renal Cell Carcinoma…kidney cancer. Preliminary scans determined that the brain and bones were cancer-free, and the surgery revealed that the lymph nodes are clear as well. The message we received was “They got it all out.” This is great news for this 40-something father of three small children…as well as for all of us who love this family.
In a message Pat sent me following the surgery, he said, “We both know God has - and will - see us through this. He was never caught off guard by this.” His wife Kerri added, “We are feeling the overwhelming love from everyone…and feeling the prayers. God is giving us strength and comfort. We feel His hand in all of this.” Friends and fellow church members gathered at our church during the surgery to lift Pat in prayer…to ask for wisdom and expertise from the medical team…and to call on God to offer compassion and comfort to Pat’s family and friends. Clearly, God heard the prayers!
The husband of another friend - also a 40-something father to boys ages 6 and 8, and five-month-old twins - is battling Glioblastoma…a deadly (and so far, incurable) form of brain cancer…or as his wife calls it, “The Beast”. Adam’s cancer seems to be growing faster than chemo can kill it. And as we pray for Pat, we are also praying for Adam and his family.
Two Godly fathers…two very different prognoses. And some would say, “What did one do that the other did not? Why is God showing more mercy to one than the other? Doesn’t He see that both families need these dads? Doesn’t He understand the long-term impact of these situations? Why doesn’t God intervene for both of them? Does he care more for one family than the other?"
The simple answer is that God does not play favorites. Yes, God is fully aware of every single aspect of these situations…and He truly IS showing compassion for all concerned. As Pat said in his message, “God was never caught off guard by this.” So while it may seem that this scripture passage is telling us that God rewards our “good deeds” with His love and care…this is not the “whole enchilada”. Clearly we have an example of two men who have served their LORD well…but the path He designed for each of them is radically different. The pervading message is that God loves both of them…and He has tremendous love and compassion for their lives and the events that are unfolding.
So what do we do with this? How do we square such distressing ordeals with a loving, compassionate, merciful God? How do we witness to others about a God who allows human suffering and loss? The answer is simple… we look to the cross. We gaze upon the beaten and mutilated body of Jesus Christ, our SAVIOR…and we see that God understands how we feel. His anguish over Jesus’ suffering was so profound that it caused Him to momentarily look away. God feels our trepidation…He fully comprehends our questions – and why we ask them. But He knows so much more than we do about the “big picture”. We cannot fully see what God sees or know what He knows. But God is never caught off guard by these events.
Surely God calls on us to be faithful in our service to Him…fair in business…generous and kind…benevolent and compassionate to the needy…and fearless in the face of trials and tribulations. But He doesn’t play favorites. He does not say, “I will punish this person with a horrific accident or illness”…or “I will take him/her out of this world for such misdeeds or lack of faith.” He doesn’t arbitrarily decide that one young father should get a good diagnosis while another’s is grim. We simply do not see God’s big picture…so there is no way to fully understand His purposes.
We must cling to the promise that God’s plans are always perfect. We must trust Him and recognize that He loves us more than we can ever, EVER begin to comprehend…and His mercy and compassion are unending. And we must love others and show them the face of God, no matter what our circumstances. I have been so moved by the models of courage and fortitude that both of these young fathers and their families have demonstrated. I have witnessed God’s love and care through their examples of unwavering faith and hope. I have observed the outpouring of love, kindness, compassion and mercy from others for these families. And I have seen God’s handiwork in both situations.
None of us knows what tomorrow holds…or if we are promised another day. If you are young, you may think you have the rest of a very long life to start living for Jesus…plenty of time to be fair, honest, faithful and benevolent. But truly, you don’t know that. So don’t waste one minute! Pick up your Bible and read Psalm 112 in its entirety. Move over to the New Testament and read about the events that led to Jesus’ crucifixion, death and resurrection. Then spend some time with God and ask Him to strengthen you in your discipleship…to truly enable you to be His face to others…to fortify your ability to be generous, compassionate, and righteous.
And pray for Pat and Adam and their families…and others who are facing tremendous tests and challenges. Ask God to reveal Himself to them in such a way that leaves no doubt that they belong to Him…that He is never caught off guard. Call on God to remind us in ways great and small that He’s got this – and them…and all will be well. To God be the glory…forever and ever. Amen!
©2014 Debbie Robus
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