Finding God in Our Pain and Doubt

 

Summary

In times of tragedy or sudden change, it's natural to question God, to feel anger, or even to doubt His presence. These feelings are universal, transcending faith systems and religious beliefs. When life takes unexpected turns, we instinctively look up, questioning the divine. This series, "Under the Circumstances: Holding onto God When it Appears that God is no Longer Holding on to You," addresses these moments of doubt and despair.

The narrative of Jesus and Lazarus is a profound example of how God is present in our pain. Jesus deliberately allowed Lazarus to die, creating a scenario filled with grief and sorrow, to demonstrate that God is aware and cares deeply for us. This story is not just a tale but a real event that intersects with our lives, showing that God is with us even when it seems He is absent. Jesus engineered this situation to affirm our feelings of frustration and anger without condemnation, illustrating that our circumstances do not indicate God's absence or lack of concern.

When Jesus wept at Lazarus' tomb, He entered into the pain and grief of Mary and Martha, showing that God weeps with us in our sorrow. This act of empathy and compassion is a reflection of the Father's love for us. Jesus' actions demonstrate that God is not distant but intimately involved in our lives, sharing in our suffering and offering hope beyond our circumstances.

The resurrection of Lazarus is a testament to the power of God and the hope we have in Him. It assures us that God's promises are true and that there is hope for the future, even in the darkest times. This story invites us to cast our cares and burdens on God, trusting in His love and compassion. It is an invitation to find peace and grace, knowing that God is holding onto us, even when it feels like He is not.

Key Takeaways:

- God's Presence in Pain: Jesus' deliberate delay in coming to Lazarus illustrates that God is present in our pain, even when it seems He is absent. This story shows that our circumstances do not indicate God's absence or lack of concern. Instead, God is intimately involved in our lives, sharing in our suffering and offering hope beyond our circumstances. [11:17]

- Empathy and Compassion: Jesus weeping at Lazarus' tomb demonstrates God's empathy and compassion for us. It shows that God weeps with us in our sorrow, reflecting the Father's love. This act of empathy assures us that God is not distant but deeply cares for us, entering into our pain and grief. [18:55]

- Hope Beyond Circumstances: The resurrection of Lazarus is a testament to the power of God and the hope we have in Him. It assures us that God's promises are true and that there is hope for the future, even in the darkest times. This story invites us to trust in God's love and compassion, finding peace and grace in His presence. [27:28]

- Invitation to Trust: We are invited to cast our cares and burdens on God, trusting in His love and compassion. This invitation is an opportunity to find peace and grace, knowing that God is holding onto us, even when it feels like He is not. It is a call to trust in God's presence and promises. [34:32]

- Faith in God's Love: The story of Lazarus invites us to believe in God's love and compassion, even when life is difficult. It challenges us to trust in God's presence and promises, finding hope and assurance in His love. This faith in God's love is the foundation for peace and grace in our lives. [31:23]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:11] - Understanding Doubt and Anger
- [00:32] - Series Introduction
- [00:56] - Instinctive Reactions to Tragedy
- [01:27] - The Insensitive Statement of Jesus
- [02:01] - Assurance of God's Awareness
- [02:25] - Entering the Story
- [03:10] - The Story of Lazarus Begins
- [04:28] - Jesus' Deliberate Delay
- [05:26] - Confusion Among the Disciples
- [06:14] - Jesus' Casual Talk About Death
- [07:00] - The Difficult Statement
- [09:41] - The Importance of Belief
- [11:17] - Jesus' Engineered Circumstances
- [12:03] - Affirming Our Frustration
- [18:55] - Jesus Wept
- [27:28] - The Resurrection of Lazarus
- [34:32] - Invitation to Trust

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. John 11:1-44 (The story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead)
2. 1 Peter 5:6-7 (Casting all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you)

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#### Observation Questions
1. What was Jesus' initial reaction when He heard about Lazarus' illness, and how did His actions seem contradictory to His love for Lazarus? [04:28]
2. How did Martha and Mary express their feelings to Jesus when He finally arrived in Bethany? [14:13]
3. What was the crowd's reaction when Jesus wept at Lazarus' tomb, and how did it reflect their understanding of His power and compassion? [19:46]
4. What was the significance of Jesus praying aloud before calling Lazarus out of the tomb? [23:42]

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#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why might Jesus have deliberately delayed His visit to Lazarus, and what does this reveal about His understanding of faith and belief? [09:55]
2. How does Jesus' empathy and compassion, as demonstrated by His weeping, challenge common perceptions of God's nature? [18:55]
3. In what ways does the resurrection of Lazarus serve as a testament to the power and promises of God, and how does it invite believers to trust in Him? [27:28]
4. How does the story of Lazarus encourage believers to cast their cares on God, and what does this reveal about the nature of divine care and concern? [31:23]

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#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt God was absent during a difficult situation. How does the story of Lazarus challenge or affirm your feelings during that time? [11:31]
2. Jesus wept with Mary and Martha in their sorrow. How can you be more empathetic and compassionate towards others who are experiencing grief or pain? [18:55]
3. The resurrection of Lazarus is a powerful reminder of hope beyond circumstances. How can you hold onto hope in your current challenges, trusting in God's promises? [27:28]
4. What burdens or anxieties are you currently carrying that you need to cast onto God? How can you practically do this in your daily life? [31:23]
5. How can you cultivate a deeper trust in God's presence and promises, especially when it feels like He is not holding onto you? [34:32]
6. Consider the ways you might be questioning God's love or presence in your life. How can the story of Lazarus help you to reframe these doubts? [15:49]
7. Identify one specific area in your life where you need to experience God's peace and grace. What steps can you take this week to invite His presence into that situation? [34:45]

Devotional

Day 1: God's Presence in Our Pain
In moments of deep sorrow and confusion, it can feel as though God is distant or absent. However, the story of Jesus and Lazarus reveals that God is profoundly present in our pain. Jesus' deliberate delay in coming to Lazarus was not an act of neglect but a demonstration of His awareness and care. This narrative shows that our circumstances do not reflect God's absence or indifference. Instead, God is intimately involved in our lives, sharing in our suffering and offering hope beyond our immediate circumstances. Jesus engineered this situation to affirm our feelings of frustration and anger without condemnation, illustrating that our circumstances do not indicate God's absence or lack of concern. [11:17]

Psalm 34:18-19 (ESV): "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all."

Reflection: Think of a time when you felt abandoned in your pain. How can you invite God into that memory today, trusting that He was present even when you couldn't see Him?


Day 2: Empathy and Compassion
Jesus' weeping at Lazarus' tomb is a powerful testament to God's empathy and compassion for us. It shows that God weeps with us in our sorrow, reflecting the Father's love. This act of empathy assures us that God is not distant but deeply cares for us, entering into our pain and grief. Jesus' tears are a reminder that God is not indifferent to our struggles but is moved by them, sharing in our suffering and offering comfort. This profound empathy invites us to draw near to God, knowing that He understands our pain and is with us in every moment of our lives. [18:55]

Isaiah 63:9 (ESV): "In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old."

Reflection: Consider a current struggle or sorrow in your life. How can you allow yourself to feel God's empathy and compassion in this situation today?


Day 3: Hope Beyond Circumstances
The resurrection of Lazarus is a testament to the power of God and the hope we have in Him. It assures us that God's promises are true and that there is hope for the future, even in the darkest times. This story invites us to trust in God's love and compassion, finding peace and grace in His presence. The miracle of Lazarus' resurrection is a reminder that God can bring life and hope out of seemingly hopeless situations. It challenges us to look beyond our immediate circumstances and trust in the greater plan and purpose that God has for our lives. [27:28]

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (ESV): "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen."

Reflection: Identify an area in your life where you feel hopeless. How can you begin to trust in God's promises and look for His hope beyond your current circumstances?


Day 4: Invitation to Trust
We are invited to cast our cares and burdens on God, trusting in His love and compassion. This invitation is an opportunity to find peace and grace, knowing that God is holding onto us, even when it feels like He is not. It is a call to trust in God's presence and promises, even when life is difficult and uncertain. By placing our trust in God, we can experience His peace and grace, knowing that He is with us and will never let us go. This trust is not passive but an active choice to rely on God's strength and love in every aspect of our lives. [34:32]

1 Peter 5:6-7 (ESV): "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."

Reflection: What is one burden you are carrying today that you can cast onto God? How can you actively trust Him with this burden and experience His peace?


Day 5: Faith in God's Love
The story of Lazarus invites us to believe in God's love and compassion, even when life is difficult. It challenges us to trust in God's presence and promises, finding hope and assurance in His love. This faith in God's love is the foundation for peace and grace in our lives. By believing in God's love, we can face life's challenges with confidence, knowing that He is with us and will never leave us. This faith is not just a belief but a deep trust in God's character and His unwavering commitment to us. [31:23]

Ephesians 3:17-19 (ESV): "So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

Reflection: Reflect on a recent challenge you faced. How did your faith in God's love influence your response, and how can you deepen that faith today?

Quotes

When Jesus wept at Lazarus' tomb, He entered into the pain and grief of Mary and Martha, showing that God weeps with us in our sorrow. This act of empathy and compassion is a reflection of the Father's love for us. Jesus' actions demonstrate that God is not distant but intimately involved in our lives, sharing in our suffering and offering hope beyond our circumstances. [18:55]

Jesus engineered a heartbreaking set of circumstances to address our where's-God-when-we-need-God circumstances. That's what this is. The Jesus engineered this so that in the moment of our where's-God-when-I-need-God, where's God when my sister-in-law needs God. Where's God when my brother needs God? Where's God when my child needs God? In our where's God when I need God moments Jesus engineered these circumstances, this narrative for you. [11:17]

Jesus is about to affirm what you felt when God didn't show up for you. Jesus is about to put an exclamation mark, not cross it out, an exclamation mark beside what you felt when God didn't come through for you or your son or your daughter or your friend or a husband or your wife. He's about to affirm what some of you are feeling right now. But here's the amazing thing. He's about to affirm your frustration and your anger and your grief and your questions. And he's about to affirm all of that with no condemnation. [12:03]

Jesus wept. Why? Because Mary and Martha were weeping. Mary and Martha who blamed Him were weeping and He enters into their pain and their frustration and their loss and their grief and He weeps. And it's not that His eyes were moist or there was a tear, He was weeping in such a way that the entire crowd could see Him being moved by emotion which was not normally appropriate for a man to show in public. [18:55]

If the Father sent the Son to show us what the Father is like, then you can rest assured that the Father weeps with you in your pain regardless of your blame. That He weeps with you in your sorrow just as Jesus wept with His friends in their sorrow, even though He could have done something about it. If the Father is like the Son, and this is Jesus' point, if the Father sent the Son to represent the Father, then you can know with certainty that circumstances are not an indicator of God's absence or God's silence. [27:28]

Jesus is saying, "I've allowed this tragedy, to play out the way it has, so that you, anyone who hears this story and knows what happened, will believe, will believe, will believe." So Jesus engineered, think about it. Jesus engineered a heartbreaking set of circumstances to address our where's-God-when-we-need-God circumstances. That's what this is. [11:17]

And Jesus went out of His way to demonstrate and punctuate that very thing. And now you are invited, or for some of you, you're invited back because it's just been too hard to maintain faith. You are invited or you are invited back to cast all of your care and all of your grief and all of your sorrow and all of your anger and all of your frustration on Him. And you can know with certainty He cares for you because God sent the Son to illustrate and demonstrate that for us. [34:32]

Jesus is so brilliant because of what happens next. Jesus is about to affirm, don't miss this, Jesus is about to affirm what you felt when God didn't show up for you. Jesus is about to put a exclamation mark, not cross it out, an exclamation mark beside what you felt when God didn't come through for you or your son or your daughter or your friend or a husband or your wife. He's about to affirm what some of you are feeling right now. [12:03]

If the Father sent the Son to show us, we talk about this all the time, I don't know if this has gotten from your head to your heart yet. If the father sent the Son to show us what the Father is like, then you can rest assured that the Father weeps with you in your pain regardless of your blame. That He weeps with you in your sorrow just as Jesus wept with His friends in their sorrow, even though He could have done something about it. [31:23]

And you have found your Heavenly Father to be as faithful, as Jesus was faithful to those He loved and those that chose to follow Him when He was on planet earth. So whatever you're going through, whatever you're going through, whatever you're facing, whatever you're navigating, whatever you're stuck with, whatever you're stuck in, the situations where there's no solution and there are no great options. God has not abandoned you. God is actually with you and He weeps with you as well. [34:32]

Jesus is saying, "I've allowed this tragedy, to play out the way it has, so that you, anyone who hears this story and knows what happened, will believe, will believe, will believe." So Jesus engineered, think about it. Jesus engineered a heartbreaking set of circumstances to address our where's-God-when-we-need-God circumstances. That's what this is. [11:17]

And Jesus went out of His way to demonstrate and punctuate that very thing. And now you are invited, or for some of you, you're invited back because it's just been too hard to maintain faith. You are invited or you are invited back to cast all of your care and all of your grief and all of your sorrow and all of your anger and all of your frustration on Him. And you can know with certainty He cares for you because God sent the Son to illustrate and demonstrate that for us. [34:32]

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Transcript
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