where was God?

It seems like we've had a lot of tragedies, maladies, etc. lately. And I bet you've heard someone ask something like "Where was God?"

Rhonda was terminally ill. The last few years, she was confined to a wheelchair. It was difficult for her to get around. Bodily debilitation continued to accelerate. Rhonda continued coming to church every chance she got, even when she had to completely rely on others to get her there.

Let's be clear, salvation has nothing to do with church attendance. Salvation has everything to do with your faith. It's who you trust, not what you do. If ever there was someone who could be excused from attending church, she was Rhonda. She kept coming.

One time, the preacher asked her why she kept coming. She felt closer to God where God was being praised. What an amazing response. What a spiritual response. What a scriptural response.

Yeah, that's a scriptural concept. God may have sat on the mercy seat in the temple, but His throne is where His people are praising Him. Psalm 22:3 says "yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel." (NLT)

You want to be where God is? Want to know where God is? Praise Him. Don't neglect praising Him. Go to church where you can join with others in lifting up a throne of praise for Him to sit on.

Where was God when tragedy XYZ struck? Where was God when Rhonda died? Where was God...? He was there. In our fallen world tragedy strikes, but God is there. He's comforting. He's answering prayers. Do you continue to praise God when the tragedy comes?

Rhonda was 34 when she died. She was the mother of one of the girls in our youth ministry. When she couldn't speak, her very presence glorified God. Because of her drawing close to God, she will be close to him for all eternity. In tragedy, she drew closer to the God that she knew was there. I think she may have asked why, but she didn't ask where.