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Can We Call
it Good? Part 2
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Christians mark the day in which Jesus was crucified
“Good Friday.” Can we call it good? The Germans call it Karfreitag.
The Kar part is an obsolete word, the ancestor of the English word care
in the sense of cares and woes, and it meant mourning. So in
German, it is Mourning Friday. And that is what the disciples did on
that day — they mourned. They thought all was lost. I think we
call it Good Friday because, in retrospect, one of the greatest tragedies
known to mankind brought about the greatest good there could be — our
beloved Brother Jesus Christ was crucified for the redemption of our sins.
If we call it Good Friday, we are confessing the Christian hope that no
tragedy — not even death — can overwhelm God’s providence, love and
grace.
Hurricane Katrina was a powerful storm that continues to wreck havoc in her
aftermath. Can we call it good? Christians and non-Christians
alike are asking each other, “Why did this happen?” We dare not
speak on God's behalf to explain why He allowed this particular act to
happen at this time to these persons and in this manner. Yet, at the
same time, we dare not be silent when we should testify to the God of
righteousness and love and justice who rules over all in omnipotence.
There is much we do not understand. As Charles Spurgeon
explained, “When we cannot trace God's Hand, we must simply trust His
Heart.”
Tough times happen to everyone at one time or another. Pain, illness
and suffering are a part of life. Can we call our earthly trials and
struggles good? There are many different reasons why these things
occur, but God is always here to bring good out of these situations when we
invite Him to. None of us wants to hear about how good pain and
suffering are for us. We find it
sometimes impossible to think beyond the pain. That’s when, as
Christians, we should submit and surrender everything to our Heavenly
Father, who will send us His gift of the Holy Spirit for help and comfort.
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When my best friend died very suddenly and unexpectedly two years ago (six
months after my mother — who’s death I was still reeling over), I was
devastated and didn’t know how I was going to get beyond it. Did I think
it was good? NO! We had been best friends for many years. We
shared a love for life, music and Jesus Christ as our Savior and friend. I
buried him the day I
turned 40. I didn’t know how I could get beyond the grief. I
surrendered everything to God — to carry me during this time of sorrow and
pain. Through prayer, living and reading His Word and fellowship of other
Christians, He met me, held His Hand out and said, “Come, follow me.” ~
Matthew 4:19
As Jake eloquently stated last week, “The only way to make sure we learn,
grow, and benefit from what seems to be bad is to keep trusting God in spite of
our feelings — trusting that in His wisdom, what looks bad can be turned
into something good.” (emphasis added) Thanks to what we call
“Good Friday,” those that believe in Jesus Christ and accept Him as their
Lord and Savior
will have eternal life with Him. People from the United States and all
over the world are rushing to the aid of those in Louisiana and Mississippi
after Hurricane Katrina – through money, prayers and other assistance.
When I lost my best friend and thought I could not get past it, I invited Jesus
to be my best friend. Are these things good? You’d better believe
it!
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love
him, who have been called according to his purpose.” ~ Romans 8:28
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