I read tonight a very disturbing story on the news. It was about Amber Lee, a 21 year-old married mother of two who at a little after 2pm in the afternoon last year was abducted from her house by a plumber, driven to his house, raped, shot in the head, and buried in a shallow grave in his backyard. But that wasn't the most disturbing part to me. The most horrifying thing is that when she was being driven to her death at about 6pm, she got a hold of a cellphone in the car and called 911, and as the worthless 911 operator kept saying hello, she was heard in the background pleading with the man to let her go and saying "please God, please protect me!"
When I read that, I felt sick. I still feel sick. I kept thinking about Psalm 50, when God says "call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me." I've thought about that psalm a lot in the past couple weeks, but how can I think of it now? Immediately I think "How God? How could you hear her begging to you to protect her in what was-if anything ever is-the day of trouble? But you didn't save her!"
Some of the most comforting words in scripture are where God is called the protector of widows and orphans, the defender of the defenseless. But she was defenseless! It's not as if she was defenseless and godless, she called specifically on God to protect her. There was no one else who could protect her, only God could protect her. But instead she was raped, taped up and shot.
I guess Jesus called out to God as He died, and asked why he was forsaken, and we can't say if he got an answer on the cross. But even so, He didn't beg God for protection - He chose to lay down his life. What about those who are terrified? Who beg God for protection? Who have no choice?
I don't know what I'm trying to say, except that I will be very, very careful saying to anyone "God will protect you" or telling them to claim psalm 91. Whatever those scriptures mean, It's obvious they don't mean that if you beg God to protect you, you won't get dragged out of your house away from your husband and kids to be raped and shot.
I Know God is there. I know He's real and that when it suits Him, He does protect those who beg. But I don't understand when He doesn't.
I am not righteous like Job, If God can rebuke Job he can certainly put me in the wrong. And what happened to Amber has not happened to me. I am just a man, and a sinful one. If something like what happened to her happened to me, I would not be able to call God to account for injustice. But the thing that sickens me is that a helpless and terrified woman can beg God to protect her, and be left to what horrors stalk the earth; while the majority of scripture seems to imply that this doesn't happen, that those who are afraid and call on the Lord are saved.
Maybe I'm wrong about Scripture. Maybe I've been reading it wrong. I'll search it to see - and I pray that God does put me in the wrong and show me that I'm a fool. It would be better.
4 comments:
This is and has been what has been disturbing me alot lately. I hear and see all sorts of helpless and sad creatures and people being dragged off by the wicked. I also read the psalms and was so sickened by what I was seeing in face of the scripture,especially when I was going to the scripture for hope and encouragement.
That was the day though that God told me my purpose, and for some reason it took away all the hopelessness for me. To know that I was partaking in the kingdom of heavens labors.
The only word that comes to me in regard to the suffering of the helpless is that the cup of wickedness is not full.
From my personal front, I pray for those I see in trouble and I pray for my neighbors.
But you are a lightbearer Judah, you will teach and instruct and strengthen the body of Christ.
And you and your wife are raising up and harboring sons and a daughter of God. All of us who partake in Gods kingdom stand against all the evil and darkness of this world. That is how I have hope. Partaking in the kingdom, where God has and will place me.
If you have any other more encouragaing words on the suffering of the helpless I would love to hear them.
Its top on my list of why I hate this world.
This is exactly the argument/question that comes to my head whenever I am home alone while Kevin is doing some army thing. It is why fear takes hold so easily... if you ever come up with an answer, let me know!
Judah, one thing to keep in mind or think about is that God gave us free will and that includes the will to inflict horrible and terrible things on each other. He is not just concerned with the protection of a human bodies, but our eternal souls.
If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up. Daniel 3:17-18
But He does say over and over again that he is concerned with the protection of human bodies. In fact, he makes mention of it more often than of protecting human souls.
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