On the sovereignty of God in a broken world.
Emily’s Story
Take time out of your day to watch both of these. Juanita and Terry Stauffer of Edson, Alberta, whose teenaged daughter Emily was murdered a year and a half ago, were interviewed by a reporter from 100 Huntley Street, a Canadian Christian TV program. In these two videos, they share how God prepared them for their loss and continues to uphold them day by day.
The Keys to Death
In God-orchestrated serendipity, Nancy Guthrie is also talking about losing children and our big God. “[N]o one goes through the door of death unless and until he opens that door,” she says. (The Gospel Coalition Blog)
[W]hen we begin to think that “the God I know would never allow this,” we have taken our first step toward discovering that God is not who we think he is. That is when we can begin to explore the wonder of his sovereignty seeking to know him as he is and not as we have reduced him to be.
Though God’s sovereignty can be initially hard to accept, ultimately it is the only solid ground to stand on in this broken world, and eventually we realize that it is really a soft place to land. His sovereign power to redeem the suffering we experience in this sin-sick world is our only true hope and comfort. Without confidence in God’s sovereign oversight of the universe, life becomes meaningless, hope for justice fades, and everything seems random. The truth is, if God is not sovereign, then we’re in trouble.