“When bad things happen, it doesn’t mean you are bad! It doesn’t mean God is punishing you!” I remember saying these words to a large group of kids at our mid week program. A volunteer, who is also a mother, looked at me in relief as if to say, “Thank you for saying that”. Many of us were taught the opposite. One time as a boy, I was playing outside when I fell down and hurt myself. A trusted adult yelled at me, “See, that’s God punishing you!” These false ideas about God are planted very early for some of us. And even after we have become Christians and understand God’s amazing love, these wrong ideas creep back into our thoughts. As Christians we do believe that God does discipline us when we sin but it is always loving and with the goal to restore us. But what about when we haven’t sinned? What if we have examined ourselves and our conscience is clear and bad things still happen?
Even in the darkest times, stay faithful—God’s deliverance is sure, even when we don’t understand the struggle.
Psalm 44
In Psalm 44, David lists all the terrible things that happened to Israel at that time and then says, “All of this happened to us, even though we had not forgotten You. We had not broken the covenant You made with us. Our hearts had not turned away from You. Our feet had not wandered from Your path. But you crushed us and left us to the wild dogs. You covered us over with deep darkness.”
Facing the Unimaginable
I’ll never forget being called to the nursery when my son Phoenix was only 18 months old. He was handed to me in a limp and semi conscious state. As far as I knew he was dead. I looked at the worker's face for answers but her expression was that of helplessness. They guessed a deadly spider might have bitten him. Later at the ER we were told that he had a seizure and was diagnosed with epilepsy. The doctors assured us that the seizures did not cause brain damage. But in the weeks following we watched our son regress. Words he had learned to say, he lost, and even stopped talking altogether. We had to teach him sign language in order to communicate. In the months and years following he would miss many of the milestones that parents celebrate. He would go on to have many seizures. I can not explain to you the horror of watching something invisible attack your child at any time of the day or night. All this happened to us, even though we had not forgotten God!
Patience, Prayer, and God's Promises in Hard Times
What do we do during these hard times? Romans 12:12 says, “Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.” First, be patient. When you are caught in a storm, sometimes the best thing to do is wait it out. This is not a passive waiting, it is an active waiting, relying on God. Because waiting is the only thing you can do. “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (Ps 27.) Second, keep on praying! Don’t let it break down your communication with God, even if it seems like He isn’t listening. Job never stopped pleading his case until God Himself answered. “Let the Almighty answer me!” (Job 31:35) Lastly, hold on to the promises of God. For all the promises of God are “Yes” and “Amen” in Christ. (2 Cor 1:20) God promises to work everything out for good in the end. And, “our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” (2 Cor 4:17)
Active Patience
When life's storms hit, waiting on God isn't passive. Learn how to actively trust and rely on His strength during times of trouble.
Keep Praying
Even when it feels like God isn’t listening, keep praying. Stay persistent in your communication with God, just as Job did, until He answers.
Hold Onto Promises
Hold on to God’s promises, trusting He will work all things for good. Your present struggles are temporary, but His glory lasts forever.
From Struggle to Triumph
I can tell you today that our son Phoenix has been seizure free for a few years now! And he is thriving both in school and sports. God is still at work, even when we can’t see it. Our hope is in a faithful God who walks with us through the storm and brings restoration in His time. So when a storm is heading your way, let it rain...here comes a brighter day!
Written by Brian Russo
Brian met his beautiful wife, Sami, while serving together in NYC with Metro World Child. There, they learned how to share the gospel in creative, exciting ways with children. Together, they have impacted thousands of young lives, fostering many homeless children, including two girls—Brooklyn and Katie—whom they later adopted and who are now young adults. God also blessed them with a biological son, Phoenix. Brian and Sami have a special heart for children with special needs, as many of the children they’ve cared for—including their own—have special needs. Their passion is to make church a place where all kids feel welcome and can come to know Jesus, without anything hindering them from reaching Him.