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Where was God?
Where was God when young children were being abused?
Loyal
This is a hard question. I don't know if there is a "one size fits all" answer. I have a testimony to share later perhaps here, in the meantime here is another story.
One of my best friends growing up has a sister. She got married about 30 years ago. Her husband molested their daughters. She found out and put him in prison.
It's my understanding he is still there today. I talked to her on the phone not long ago, and she says she will never forgive him.... ever, no matter what.
I know her daughters, in fact they are named after two of my sisters. They are in their late 20's now. They seem like pretty normal people now.
They go to church (the daughters do, the mother doesn't). I have talked to them a few times, and this subject inevitably had to come up sometime.
When they were kids, they didn't understand what was happening. By the time they did understand, dad was already in prison.
In the meantime, mom taught them to hate their father. When they were in their late teens they worked up the courage to go meet their father.
He was surprised when they came. He hadn't seen them in over 15 years. He cried the whole time, he told them he loved them. He told them he was sorry.
They weren't sure if they believed he was sorry or not. So they went back a few times... "mostly to see if he was really sincere".
While they were visiting they started sharing Jesus. Dad got saved about 5 or 6 years ago. He prayed a prayer of confession while the daughters were listening.
They knew he wasn't faking it anymore. They started seeing Jesus in him. In things he said. In his actions. Eventually they told him they forgave him.
Now they see him almost every week. They even told their dad that they loved him. You can imagine what that did to his heart.
So I don't know where Jesus was in this story 30 years ago. But I definitely see Him in this story today. I see broken relationships fixed, broken hearts mended,
and at least one person getting saved after all those years. I hear he is even leading a Bible study there at the prison.
Their mom is a tougher story. She still holds a lot of pain and hate in her. ...but... a small glimmer of light here... she told me not long enough, she read a verse in the
Bible about God not forgiving us, unless we forgive others. She told me she knows she has to forgive eventually, but shes not there yet.
I asked her if she still believes in God/Jesus? She says she never stopped believing in Him, but her heart just could not love anyone anymore.
She would have never said this even 2 or 3 years ago. I'm sure God is working on her.
.. so I ask you where is Jesus in this story?
One of my best friends growing up has a sister. She got married about 30 years ago. Her husband molested their daughters. She found out and put him in prison.
It's my understanding he is still there today. I talked to her on the phone not long ago, and she says she will never forgive him.... ever, no matter what.
I know her daughters, in fact they are named after two of my sisters. They are in their late 20's now. They seem like pretty normal people now.
They go to church (the daughters do, the mother doesn't). I have talked to them a few times, and this subject inevitably had to come up sometime.
When they were kids, they didn't understand what was happening. By the time they did understand, dad was already in prison.
In the meantime, mom taught them to hate their father. When they were in their late teens they worked up the courage to go meet their father.
He was surprised when they came. He hadn't seen them in over 15 years. He cried the whole time, he told them he loved them. He told them he was sorry.
They weren't sure if they believed he was sorry or not. So they went back a few times... "mostly to see if he was really sincere".
While they were visiting they started sharing Jesus. Dad got saved about 5 or 6 years ago. He prayed a prayer of confession while the daughters were listening.
They knew he wasn't faking it anymore. They started seeing Jesus in him. In things he said. In his actions. Eventually they told him they forgave him.
Now they see him almost every week. They even told their dad that they loved him. You can imagine what that did to his heart.
So I don't know where Jesus was in this story 30 years ago. But I definitely see Him in this story today. I see broken relationships fixed, broken hearts mended,
and at least one person getting saved after all those years. I hear he is even leading a Bible study there at the prison.
Their mom is a tougher story. She still holds a lot of pain and hate in her. ...but... a small glimmer of light here... she told me not long enough, she read a verse in the
Bible about God not forgiving us, unless we forgive others. She told me she knows she has to forgive eventually, but shes not there yet.
I asked her if she still believes in God/Jesus? She says she never stopped believing in Him, but her heart just could not love anyone anymore.
She would have never said this even 2 or 3 years ago. I'm sure God is working on her.
.. so I ask you where is Jesus in this story?
Loyal
Where would God not be? Where was God when Cain killed Abel? All things come in there own time, Abel is not dead, as people who ask these questions would think, his body was killed, his spirit continued. Why is the flesh so much more important than the spirit to so many? Your real question is why is there pain? Do you know the answer to that?
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Where is God?
Many have asked the same question over and over for thousands of years....Where is God in all that is wrong in this world, all the atrocities that have happened?
This has gone on in recent history, currently, as well as ancient times ..so why?
Many greater persons than I have failed to come up with an answer. There is no good answer . Bad things just happen, doesn't solve it.
But, Bible is clear...there is sin (evil) in the world and bad things do happen......
I guess, as long as we are on this side ( physical ), we are left up to our own devices....a rapist is left up to their own devices,the victim suffers and the rapist will go to Hell, if they don't become saved before they die. I couldn't do it but, the Victim is called to forgive. Though, I understand that the Victim will continue to suffer until they do.
I would think that we are not to judge, God is Sovereign and too perfect to judge him. Just trust him to see you through to the end and all your questions will be answered ! Just remember Romans 8:1
Many have asked the same question over and over for thousands of years....Where is God in all that is wrong in this world, all the atrocities that have happened?
This has gone on in recent history, currently, as well as ancient times ..so why?
Many greater persons than I have failed to come up with an answer. There is no good answer . Bad things just happen, doesn't solve it.
But, Bible is clear...there is sin (evil) in the world and bad things do happen......
I guess, as long as we are on this side ( physical ), we are left up to our own devices....a rapist is left up to their own devices,the victim suffers and the rapist will go to Hell, if they don't become saved before they die. I couldn't do it but, the Victim is called to forgive. Though, I understand that the Victim will continue to suffer until they do.
I would think that we are not to judge, God is Sovereign and too perfect to judge him. Just trust him to see you through to the end and all your questions will be answered ! Just remember Romans 8:1
Active
It is a valid question, but we need to consider it from God’s viewpoint.
When we make demands of God, we demonstrate this attitude: God owes us, He should prevent every bad thing from happening to us because He is God.
But in true fact, God does NOT owe us, we owe Him. He is not under any obligation from men to right any wrongs, He is under obligation only by His character. Instead of demanding and questioning Him with whys, we should be entreating and pleading with Him to help.
Loyal
Really important question, which crops up again and again for all thinking believers. Whenever I'm struggling with comprehending how God permits so much evil in the world, I end up in two places that help me get past it.
The first is that God does not stand aloof from all the pain, anguish, sin and despair. In Jesus, he took on flesh and experienced poverty, rejection, being misunderstood, being beaten and, finally, executed. He knows what it is to be human, and he understands. In a real sense he is beside us when we are suffering.
The second are the verses at the end of Revelation:
"Just and true are your ways,
O King of the nations!"
and
"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. "
We are surrounded by evil, and stories of evil today, but there will be a day when God puts everything right.
The first is that God does not stand aloof from all the pain, anguish, sin and despair. In Jesus, he took on flesh and experienced poverty, rejection, being misunderstood, being beaten and, finally, executed. He knows what it is to be human, and he understands. In a real sense he is beside us when we are suffering.
The second are the verses at the end of Revelation:
"Just and true are your ways,
O King of the nations!"
and
"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. "
We are surrounded by evil, and stories of evil today, but there will be a day when God puts everything right.
Active
So God has no power of the evil of this world yet he saved my life, brought me back from absolute devastation. He is fighting my enemies EVERYDAY to keep me safe from harm. The difference in my life is like night and day. He fights the wicked for me everyday. If he can intervene for me then why not for the most vulnerable human beings on the planet?
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He has by offering them eternal life, not in this world but the next.
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I'm not saying he should stop every bad thing happening to us.. Us adults usually deserve the punishments because of our sins.. Children haven't even begun their lives of making mistakes and paying for them, they are innocent and vulnerable.
How are we supposed to bring people to Christ when that sort of thing has happened to them? It's totally understandable why they don't want to know.. What can we say to them to change their minds?
Active
God protects me everyday from serious harm, very real serious harm from real living people.. So why can he not protect them?
Active
How are we supposed to bring people to Christ when that sort of thing has happened to them? It's totally understandable why they don't want to know.. What can we say to them to change their minds?
Active
It is hard to understand but we don't change their minds, God does. The only thing I can offer is Matthew 10:14, I think the meaning is: always try but if someone is not listening, just move on and let God do the rest.
Active
There are many reasons to this, most of which I myself would never know. I have asked the same question before in front of God and others, especially when I think about the lives of Hitler and how his childhood abuse panned out. While I do not know how God will judge him per se, I believe on judgment day that whoever played a role in his downfall will pay the price. Jesus did say woe to the one from whom offences come.
One reason I can think of why some children are not rescued immediately from abuse is because God will use that abuse to bring the person to Himself. I would never have known God exists in my atheistic family background if not for the pain the abuse caused. Another reason is that God will use the abuse a believing child endured to strengthen him/her for greater things and even bring the offenders to repentance. God allowed Joseph to be betrayed by his brothers so they can go on to see the depths of their sins and finally repent. Joseph’s suffering brought about not only Joseph’s own greatness as a leader in Egypt, but also the salvation of Israel from famine and sin. In my own personal experience, my parents repented of their sinful ways precisely because of the pain of abuse and they would never have realised their sins without my suffering. God did a marvellous thing by using my pain to turn my parents around from their sins.
Active
Tell them the story of Joseph and how God brought about greatness to Joseph and also brought his offenders to repentance through his pain.
No matter how unbelieving they are, at least some of them will agree that out of suffering can come greatness to people who are tested by it. Since they also have this mindset, let them know God has the very same mindset and can bring both the victim and offender to a better outcome if they face it with the right mindsets.
Loyal
In light of "Holy Scripture", the Bible says God is Sovereign. Now do we believe that? Next:
God is the creator of everything that exist both visible and invisible according to His will. Now do we believe that? Next:
Is God anything like a human being, Scripture Declares He is not like us.
Now are we in the complete image of the creation of the creature called "Human" ? No! For Scripture in its fullness, declares, No!
Does everything that happens is so ordained by "The Lord GOD Almighty" before the foundations of the Cosmos? Yes!
Do will believe in the OT stories of babies, women, both pregnant and young even children to be slaughter was order by God,
Do we believe that when Jesus rose from the Grave, He received "All Power on earth and in Heaven" that included the power of death. That no one can die unless Jesus say so. Do we believe that?
Do we believe that no one can harm us unless it has been ordained by God to come to pass. [he allowed it to happen].
Do you believe that the "Arch-Angel" Micheal has more power than the Devil? The Bible declares explicitly.
So do will really understand the "BEING" who we Call " The Almighty GOD" and His molding process of creating a creature in the "Image of His Son"! Answer. No. But we do know He does not make mistakes and everything is according to His "Holy Divine" will and everything that happens on earth and in heaven and I mean everything is so ordained by GOD to come to pass. He is not a man! Man has a brain. GOD does not, He doesn't need one He is GOD, a being we cannot comprehend. "Churches used to teach "Theology", definitions in many fields has change so much. Theology used to mean "a Study of GOD and how He dealt. With mankind in light of the complete Bible" I used paraphrase form. Now mostly religion is taught and preach in our churches. And the definition of "religion used to be "a study of mankind on how they view God in their thinking" There in a great big difference in the 2"Schools of thought".
According to the Bible we will know why this journey was so violent and bloody. But we do know now, the world is the mixing bowl to create us into the being that God wants us to be. Everything is taking place as God has ordained it to be. Nothing is a second thought correction for GOD He is perfect and everything turns out the way he wants it to be. Even the bird that falls from the sky, and the waves that flows from the seas obeys God.
God is the creator of everything that exist both visible and invisible according to His will. Now do we believe that? Next:
Is God anything like a human being, Scripture Declares He is not like us.
Now are we in the complete image of the creation of the creature called "Human" ? No! For Scripture in its fullness, declares, No!
Does everything that happens is so ordained by "The Lord GOD Almighty" before the foundations of the Cosmos? Yes!
Do will believe in the OT stories of babies, women, both pregnant and young even children to be slaughter was order by God,
Do we believe that when Jesus rose from the Grave, He received "All Power on earth and in Heaven" that included the power of death. That no one can die unless Jesus say so. Do we believe that?
Do we believe that no one can harm us unless it has been ordained by God to come to pass. [he allowed it to happen].
Do you believe that the "Arch-Angel" Micheal has more power than the Devil? The Bible declares explicitly.
So do will really understand the "BEING" who we Call " The Almighty GOD" and His molding process of creating a creature in the "Image of His Son"! Answer. No. But we do know He does not make mistakes and everything is according to His "Holy Divine" will and everything that happens on earth and in heaven and I mean everything is so ordained by GOD to come to pass. He is not a man! Man has a brain. GOD does not, He doesn't need one He is GOD, a being we cannot comprehend. "Churches used to teach "Theology", definitions in many fields has change so much. Theology used to mean "a Study of GOD and how He dealt. With mankind in light of the complete Bible" I used paraphrase form. Now mostly religion is taught and preach in our churches. And the definition of "religion used to be "a study of mankind on how they view God in their thinking" There in a great big difference in the 2"Schools of thought".
According to the Bible we will know why this journey was so violent and bloody. But we do know now, the world is the mixing bowl to create us into the being that God wants us to be. Everything is taking place as God has ordained it to be. Nothing is a second thought correction for GOD He is perfect and everything turns out the way he wants it to be. Even the bird that falls from the sky, and the waves that flows from the seas obeys God.
Active
Thank you for that Born Again 2004. I went to bed last night and was in prayer when it came to me that I should 'leave it at the cross' as I was really struggling to deal with it. It's beyond my understanding so I'm trusting in the Lord with all my heart and I lean not on my own understanding. Proverbs 3: 5-6.
And thank you for your advice with Matthew 10:14
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Thank you Hekuran. I had an Epiphany last night that I should leave it at the cross as it is not for me to understand. I trust in our Heavenly Father.
Blessings brother
And thank you for the YouTube video.Active
Thank you Enxu for your message and your personal experience of childhood trauma. Because it is beyond my understanding I have 'left it at the cross in Jesus' name Amen. I was tormenting myself over it and getting nowhere. I trust in the Lord with all my heart and I know what a loving and kind person he is and of his amazing powers.
Blessings brother