Just where is God when things go wrong?
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and that’s a question that haunted me when I first broke my neck. Where was God when my accident happened? I felt as though He were off somewhere listening to the prayers of more obedient saints; I felt He was away on other errands, distracted by problems on the world’s stage. But over the years, I’ve learned where God is when things go wrong. He is smack-dab, right in the middle of all the wrong things — even a broken neck.
I was reminded of this yesterday when I received an email from my friend, Norma Abed. Norma is a woman from Lebanon who, when she was young, faced much suffering and persecution. For Norma, everything was going wrong in her life and she, too, wondered where God was. She was lost, hopeless and ready to end her life of misery. Little did Norma know that a friend of hers in Sudan had visited a Logos ship and picked up a copy of the Joni book. This Sudanese friend brought the book back to Nigeria where she lived. It so touched this girl’s life that she gave it to Norma. And in the Joni book, Norma read my story and how I discovered where God was when everything went wrong in my life. Norma read how I came to see that God was in the midst — the very middle — of my suffering. He wasn’t distant or far removed. Rather, He was near and real and, what’s more, he cared about my suffering. He could do something about it. For He, too, suffered and His own Son, Jesus, wondered aloud when He was on the cross, “Oh God, where are you? Why have you forsaken me?” And through the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ, He could then say to me, “I will never leave you; I will never forsake you. I am here. And I am Immanuel, which means God is with you. And because I am with you, I will redeem all your pain and heartache; as you trust in me, I will show you my plan and purpose. What’s more, together we will glorify our Father in heaven and we will do so in such a way that never would have been possible had you never broken your neck.” Wow!
Norma Abed read that story in the Joni book and God used those insights to radically change her life. This young woman from Lebanon found true hope in Christ. Best of all, she found where God is when she hurts. And now, many years later, precious Norma is passing on that hope to others through a ministry in the Middle East she founded in Lebanon called House of Hope. Through this Christian ministry, Norma and her small team minister to women in the Middle East, especially those coming out of prison; women who are wondering where God is in the middle of their hurt and their pain. And how is she reaching these women? She is teaching them English as a second language and she’s giving these women copies of the Joni book in Arabic. Through House of Hope, many have come to Christ and Norma couldn’t be happier. Hers is such a wonderful example of Psalm 119, verse 71 where it says, “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.”
Maybe you are wondering where God is in the middle of your painful circumstances. If you are, come to my radio page today at joniandfriends.org and ask for the booklet called “Where is God when Things go Wrong?” In it, you’ll discover the same precious insights that once blessed Norma Abed and insights she is now passing on to others who are suffering.
© Joni and Friends
Compliments of Joni and Friends
PO Box 3333 Agoura Hills, CA 91376