View our weekly devotional archives.

June 2, 2008 - Tragedy

“Tragedy is sometimes a circumstantial method by which God gains our attention.”

During the past few years it seems that our country has experienced more than its share of tragedy.  In understanding how we might better cope with the overwhelming events that have come upon us I’m reminded of the Israelites during their journey to Moab.  Numbers 21:4–7 describes some events that happened to the Israelites.

Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.

We can’t always view tragedy in a person’s life or the history of a great country as a sign of God’s disapproval, but we should look at every tragic situation through a spiritual filter. Though that is a difficult assignment, Col. Mike Anderson who was one of those lost on the re-entry of the Columbia space shuttle in 2003 and the second Afro- American astronaut, looked at life with a unique spiritual insight.  Col. Anderson was from Spokane Washington and attended a little Baptist church.  We have heard a great deal about this man’s rich spiritual heritage and abiding faith.

Prior to going on the Columbia mission, his pastor asked him if the colonel was ever frightened about venturing into outer space. Mike said, “If something were to happen in space I’m just that much closer to God.”  He went on to say, “Instead of coming down, I’ll just be going up to my home in Glory”.  That is the kind of attitude and assurance God wants us to have. 

God has used Mike’s story to touch thousands of lives in our area.  His family is being comforted and they are using their great faith to comfort others.

Scripture reminds us, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.…  Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.” 2  Cor.1:3–4, 6

God allows tragedy to interrupt our lives so that He can comfort us. Once we have dealt with our hurt, He will bring someone across our path that we can comfort. This is part of God’s strategy in maturing us. God is in the business of developing comforters. And the best comforter is one who has struggled with pain or sorrow of some sort and has emerged from that experience victorious. It is a very poor comforter who has never needed comforting.

Let’s go out and comfort those who do not yet know of our loving and merciful God.