Disappointment with God

And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. Revelation 22:7

As I’ve mentioned before, I have a list of people and things I pray for every morning. Somewhere in the middle of that list, I pray for those I know who’re seriously ill. I pray for physical healing, but I also pray that God would use the illness for his purpose, causing those individuals to be drawn to him through the tough times. I know that, in the end, our spiritual health is more important than physical health. Still, I pray and hope for physical healing.

A few people have been able to come off my list as they’ve gotten better, but in the last month, two of those on my list have succumbed to their cancers. I can’t begin to imagine the grief and loss of these families, but I do imagine that they must, at some point, ask God why. I prayed. I’m sure they prayed. Yet death came anyway. If God can heal, why doesn’t he? I hope that these life trials deepen the faith of those who’re suffering, but deep down, I’m at least a little worried about what that kind of loss might do to my faith.

Disappointment with God is certainly nothing new. In today’s passage, John recorded Jesus’ words about his imminent return. Those who first read John’s Revelation would have been alive to have known Christ. When they heard that he was going to return soon, I’m sure they understood this to mean during their lifetime. They lived and died without seeing the fulfillment of Christ’s promise. In fact, nearly 70 generations have come and gone, and Christ hasn’t returned. What exactly did Jesus mean by, I am coming soon?

At some point, if we really want to explore the why of God, we must at least make some attempt at grasping his perspective. In Revelation, we read God’s words, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end (Revelation 22:13). All of time exists in God. In relation to eternity, our time here on Earth is but a blip. Yet our time here on Earth determines our destiny. God’s perspective, timing, and will is infinitely beyond ours, but we can understand that to him at least, the exact date of our death, isn’t nearly so important as the condition of our souls.

God loves us and has prepared heaven for those who follow him in this life. On this Earth though, we all experience pain, suffering, and death. We all know disappointment in God as his will doesn’t always align with ours. In knowing God in this life however, we can also experience joy and peace despite life’s trials. We can look forward to knowing that one day, we’ll be healed and made perfect as we spend eternity with him.