Please Don’t Say That!

Last week another hurricane hit Florida. Yet another powerful storm, this one bringing the added danger of record-breaking tornadoes.

We endured Category 1 winds in my hometown, but not the Category 4 and 5 originally forecast. Worse than the hurricane were the more than 100 tornadoes that ripped apart homes and neighborhoods. We boarded up and hunkered down, escaping with relatively minor damage compared to other neighborhoods in our county and across Florida. Many experienced no power, no cell service or internet, and some flooding. But all in all, most of us emerged fairly intact.

What People Say

In a recent conversation, a friend and I shared our respective hurricane experiences. Both of us were immensely grateful we came through with minimal damage. Both of us have neighbors affected more severely than us. And then I heard it: the phrase that motivated this post. “God is good – we were spared because He hears the cries of His children.”

It broke my heart. Don’t get me wrong. Of course, I know God is good. And I believe God does hear the cries of His children. I, along with many others, prayed for protection as the hurricane bore down on us. And I am ever so grateful for the protection the Lord provided.

But, as Christians, perhaps it’s time to reconsider saying things such as “We were spared because God hears the cries of His children,” as if this is a magic formula for protection. Because, while God does always hear His children’s cries, He sovereignly answers according to His perfect will and His perfect timing. And how He answers is not always in line with our immediate desires.

Consider the Christians in Sarasota devastated by 8+ feet of storm surge. What about the Christians who experienced the loss of homes and loved ones from the record number of tornadoes preceding Hurricane Milton? Of course, let’s not forget the Christians in other states still reeling from Helene’s destruction.

Didn’t those Christians cry out to their heavenly Father for protection? Didn’t He hear their cries?

In a recent article, “Storms of Life, Trust, and the Sovereignty of God,” I noted that the natural consequences of living in a broken world include storms: physical, emotional, and yes, hurricanes. And whether God protects us physically in every storm or not, our relationship with Him remains the same. We are still His children. He knows the intimacy we will experience with Him in our suffering. He knows the blessing we will be to others in the midst of the worst trials.

Enter Faith

Faith isn’t needed when life is pleasant and our requests are fulfilled. Faith is the muscle we exercise when our circumstances lure us to despair. Will we say with Job, “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him” (Job 13:15 NAS)? Or will we grumble at God for not responding to our requests for protection, as if He’s a genie in a bottle obligated to meet our demands?

Even worse, to those who don’t share our beliefs, we can sound like children taunting each other on the playground: “Nyah, Nyah, God protected us because we’re His children and you’re not.” Yet the Bible tells us, “He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45 NAS).

So, as children of God through Christ, by all means, let’s pray for His protection. Let’s thank Him when we receive it, and continue trusting Him if we don’t. Share the joy and the intimacy that results from a relationship with the Creator of the universe who calls us to run to Him as our Abba, our Papa. Let’s be as salt to increase the thirst of others for that same relationship. Let’s be light in a dark world when God protects us as we asked, and even when He allows the very circumstances we pleaded for Him to prevent.

God may be using painful circumstances to accomplish something better. Something greater. Drawing us to Him in deeper intimacy. Molding us to be more like Jesus. Making us bright lights in a world growing darker, not just by the day, but often by the minute.

Fred Rogers, better known from his children’s television program as Mister Rogers, once said that in times of disaster, “My mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” As I look around today, I see Christians being the hands and feet of Jesus. Helping in their communities and sending help outside their communities. Being salt and light. A powerful, practical witness by those who are God’s children.

For those who are not in a restored relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ, please don’t hesitate another moment to begin this relationship. Believe Christ died for your sins to restore you to your heavenly Father. Not because you will be protected from every difficult situation. But because this relationship grants us the promise that He will never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5) and we have a protected eternal future, regardless of what happens in this temporary life.

For now, let’s please remember God does, indeed, hear the cries of His children. When we pray for protection, in His sovereignty He may choose to spare us from some consequences of this broken world . . . or not. But if He does not, it’s because He is fulfilling His best plan for our ultimate good and for His eternal glory. And there’s nothing better than that!

What are your thoughts?