Incomprehensible Tragedy... What a couple of words, huh?
'Incomprehensible' is defined as "unable to be understood."
'Tragedy' is defined as "an event causing great suffering, destruction, and distress..."
This holiday season I have seen numerous people that I love and care for deal with incomprehesible tragedy. Over the last couple weeks I have seen family Christmases canceled due to hospitilization, I have seen young children get sick and suffer more than than a young child ever should. I have seen men too young to pass away suddenly leave their families behind. I have seen messy, and brutal relationship struggles.
I am sure that this feeling, incomprehensible tragedy, is something that anyone reading can relate to. The lump in your throat... The pit in your stomach... The surreal, vunerable state you are in as you are overtaken by raw emotion.. We have all been there. Have you ever experienced tragedy so great that you simply cannot wrap your mind around it? Some tragedy is simply incomprehensible. Some tragedies don't just make us sad, they completely defeat us. They change the very fabric of our reality. We question, "Why did this happen?" "How could this happen?" "How do I move on from this?" "How do I do my life without __________?" The pain the some tragedy causes is simply incomprehensible.. There is no answer to the “why” question.. Often, pain is too great to wrap our human minds around. All we can do is try to put one foot in front of the other in our new reality..
So. This is about the most depressing blog post in history.. Let‘s look at the other side of things. The Bible has an answer for incomprehensible tragedy.
I want to preface this by saying that there is no magic formula for pain and tragedy. There is nothing to be said that will simply take the pain away. I also want to state that it is not wrong to be sad.
With that being said, what does the Bible have to say to offset incomprehensible tragedy? I want to mention three times that the word, or at least the idea, of ’incomprehensible‘ is mentioned in the Bible.
First, Philippians 4:6-7 - “Do not be anxious about anything,but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Second, 1 Peter 1:6-8 - “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy..”
Third, a handfull of verses in Job -
Job 11:5-8
“Oh, how I wish that God would speak, that he would open his lips against you and disclose to you the secrets of wisdom…
Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?
They are higher than the heavens above—what can you do? They are deeper than the depths below—what can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea.”
Job 37:5 - God’s voice thundersin marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding.
The Bible speaks of three specific things we can appropriately “incomprehensible.“
1. the PEACE that comes when a Christian casts his anxiety on God through prayer. (Philippians)
2. the JOY that a Christian can have as he thinks about salvation during trials. (1 Peter)
3. The WISDOM of our infinite almighty God. (Job)
Ok. So what is the point? Tragedy that is too great for our human minds to comprehend, that shatters our world, that causes pain we simply cannot process, can only be combatted by a PEACE, JOY, and WISDOM of the same nature.. Incomprehensible can only be defeated by the incomprehensible.
Makes sense, huh? Tragedy that is beyond our comprehension demands answers that are beyond our comprehension. It is in this sense that we must lean on the Lord.
So let’s make some tangible application.
— First things first, nobody, Christian or not, is exempt from pain and suffering. However, God has given the Christian a clear path which cuts through the pain of tragedy to the hope on the other side.
— God promises incomprehensible PEACE to those who hands his anxiety to God through prayer. So… PRAY!! A lot! Pick a time and a place every day to PRAY! — God offers incomprehensible JOY to the one who sets his hope on eternal life..
So… GET SAVED!! Ask the questions! Ask me! Let’s talk about what the Bible says man does do get saved. The deep rooted joy that comes with being confident in salvation is truly incomprehensible. — God has incomprehensible WISDOM. His ways are higher than ours. So.. TRUST HIM. TRUST His Word and His counsel.
As you face tragedy, do not cripple yourself and your fight with earthly joy, earthly peace, and earthly wisdom.
The incomprehensible can only be defeated by the incomprehensible.
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