Bad Fire Trucks?

I heard a story once of a little boy who lived near a fire station. He loved to hear and watch the fire trucks. Every time the siren would sound, he would race to the front window to see the bright, red engines racing by on their way to a fire.

One day he asked his mother, “Why do those big, red trucks go start fires all over town?” After recovering from her shock and regaining her composure, his mother explained that the fires are not started by the red trucks. The fires are already burning and the big, red trucks are going to help put them out.

The story is quite humorous. The mother truly believed that her son understood why those fire trucks raced off each day. She believed she had adequately taught the child that the men and women in those trucks were going to save lives and put out fires. Firemen were among the list of community helpers she had taught her son about.  She had called them heroes. Unfortunately her son had gotten this all wrong.

People often react this way to God. We go about our daily lives and hard times inevitably occur. In the midst of our deepest struggles and hardest trials, we may find it difficult to talk to God or to believe that He is still for us. We can actually blame God for the difficulties we are experiencing. If not blatantly considering God the cause of our problems, we may still become angry that He does not quickly take them away. But God never moves in our lives to start trouble and cause destruction. His is often moving unseen on our behalf to provide help and rescue.  

There are many people in the bible who misinterpreted life’s trials in the same way. When Naomi returned from her struggles in Moab she stated, “Call me not Naomi [pleasant]; call me Mara [bitter], for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, but the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?” (Ruth 1:20-21 AMP)  The loss had been great, but the blessings to come were to be even greater.  Job’s wife, his friends and even Job believed that the tragedy he experienced must be God’s punishment for sin his life. In reality, Satan was responsible for the evil that befell Job. (See Job 1)  God allowed the events, but His heart was for restoration. “And the Lord turned the captivity of Job and restored his fortunes, when he prayed for his friends; also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.” (Job 42:10 AMP)  Daniel, waiting for an answer, could have believed that God no longer heard him and refused to respond to his cries.  The angel finally and the answer finally arrived. “Then he said to me, Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your mind and heart to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come as a consequence of [and in response to] your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me for twenty-one days.” (Daniel 10:12-13a AMP)  Ruth and Job believed a lie concerning God.  Daniel easily could have. 

King David had many opportunities to despair for his life.  He cried out to God and sometimes, feeling abandoned, David even asked God where He was.   His laments were numerous and passionate.  But in the end, David always returned to praising God.   He knew where his help came from. “The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer; my God, my keen and firm Strength in Whom I will trust and take refuge, my Shield, and the Horn of my salvation, my High Tower.” (Psalm 18:2 AMP)  The Psalms show that David’s praise was far more passionate than the lament.

How do we respond in time of trial?  Do we run away from God or to Him? Scripture states, “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11 AMP)  In order to remain joyful in trials, we must remain in God’s presence and trust Him. That does not mean we cannot pour our hearts out before Him. We do not have to pretend that everything is okay. We can even ask Him why things are happening and tell Him that right now it hurts. Just as the fire truck is going to put out the fire, we must believe that God is en route to extinguish the trials in our lives. He has not caused evil to happen.  He does not have a bad plan for us and He gains no joy from watching us suffer. He is always working to bring about character and victory in our lives.  He always loves.

So if you are experiencing hard times, do not run from God.  Run to Him and pour out all your feelings. Trust Him.  He is already planning your deliverance.  The trial may last longer and be more intense then you would like, but God is working for your good, even now.  Trust Him!

(Note:  I am speaking both from past experience and the middle of struggles that I do not understand.  I too am crying out to God and striving to remain close to Him when instinct says to run and hide from it all.)