My sister’s bike looked so cool that I just had give it a try even though it was way too big for me. I couldn’t sit on the seat and reach the peddles at the same time, so needless to say, I wasn’t very successful on my first attempt. Or my second. Or my third. But my father knew what to do. After lowering the seat and the handlebars he then ran alongside of me, holding the bike steady as I learned to ride. After I mastered my sister’s bike, he bought me my very own Schwinn. This was just one of the many problems he solved for me when I was a child.
But there were some problems he didn’t solve. At about this same time in my life I had bad dreams two or three times a week. I’d wake up in the middle of the night so scared that I’d bury my head under my pillow. I remember lying that way, waiting to get up the nerve to call to my father. When I did, he’d come into my room, pick me up, and carry me into his and my mother’s bed where it was safe. He’d put his arm around me making me feel so secure. The bad dream wasn’t gone from my memory, but it didn’t matter because my father was with me.
I was reminded of this time in my life because of a question that came from a friend who asked me why a loving God would allow people to go through some of the pain and suffering we sometimes face in our lives. I guess he thought that after becoming a Christian, all the problems of the world would just disappear.
Many people think this. They think that since God is good He just naturally wouldn’t allow bad things to happen. I’ve heard people attempt to address this apparent conflict by saying that in order to grow and to be able to help others, we have to deal with problems that are inevitable in this world. And while that’s true, it’s not the answer.
We need to understand that the Bible doesn’t say that when we accept Jesus as Lord all evil and sin is removed from our world. Far from it. It doesn’t even say that bad things will never again happen. Because they will.
Here’s what the Bible does say in Matthew 28:20b. Jesus told His disciples, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
You see, my father didn’t solve every problem I ever encountered. But, he was always with me as I faced those problems. And with him by my side, I could solve the problems myself or, at the very least, I could draw on his strength to get through the problems. I wasn’t alone.
There’s a song by Scott Krippane that says, “Sometimes He calms the storm and other times He calms His child.” And you know what I like? God knows when He should do one and when He should do the other.
Because just like my earthly father when I was a child, sometimes I need God to take care of the problem for me. But sometimes I just need Him to take care of me.
Thom Fishow
June 13, 2010