You can’t help but feel angry, troubled, upset, and sad about the tragic massacre in Maguindanao. The brutal murder of 57 people has plunged our country into a state of sadness and utter disbelief: How could someone do such a thing? Is there anything that could have been done to prevent it? What is happening to our society? Why is there so much evil in this world? The inability of some to reconcile the existence of a loving God with that of an evil and depraved world is one of the primary reasons why many reject the message of the Bible. However while this tragedy will prompt some to question the existence of God, in truth, it is only by turning to God that any real answers can be found.

…When we trust God and choose to follow Him, our suffering is not in vain…

The Bible teaches that God created the whole universe. He created our world and everything in it, but the world He created was very different from the world we live in today. Genesis 1:31Genesis 1:31
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV
31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. And the evening...: Heb. And the evening was, and the morning was etc.  

WP-Bible plugin says that “God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.” However when Adam and Eve disobeyed God everything changed, sin and death entered into the world – and into the heart of man. God created man with a free will – the ability to make choices. He could have made us like robots, pre-programmed to love and obey Him. Instead He gave us a choice, because He wanted us to come to Him willingly. Mankind suffers because of its sin, and it is because of our sin that we are separated from God, who is perfect and holy. However there is hope.

The Bible says that everyone has sinned, that the punishment for sin is death (both physical and spiritual), and that our sin separates us from God. Furthermore, there is nothing we can do to obtain the holiness (or perfection) necessary to enter into God’s presence. Left to ourselves, without God’s intervention, we are hopeless. However because God loves us, He has graciously given us a way out of our predicament. He provided us with a substitute, Jesus Christ, who was perfect and blameless, to take our place and bear the punishment for our sins. Because He died for us, we can be forgiven.

When we trust God and choose to follow Him, our suffering is not in vain. The Bible says that God uses trials and obstacles to teach us and draw us closer to Him. Yes, closer and closer…until we finally see Him face to face and leave this world of sin. But in the meantime we’re here to represent the Lord – to love and to care, and to preach the gospel in an uncompromising boldness. When I see tragedy like this, more and more I’m reminded that man’s heart is indeed evil and the only solution isn’t a social program, isn’t a political reform, not even a higher education – but Jesus Christ. When the love of Jesus invades and permeates any one’s heart, that life will never be the same again! I know…for He did it to me!

Let the love of God in Christ fill your whole being today. Let Him touch you again…so that you can be His hand to touch others throughout this week until He returns!