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Planes drop out of the sky, killing all passengers. Mini-dictators initiate programs of genocide against neighbors. Forces of nature storm across the landscape, leaving devastation in their path. Bizarre individual behavior leaves heads shaking, "How can anyone do such things?" Accidents at home and on the highway steal loved ones away.

All this gives credence to the sardonic line of a poem, which begins, "It's a wonderful world to be born into, if you don't mind a touch of hell now and then."

How do we respond to "a touch of hell now and then"?

Do we go on a binge of moralism, chiding the sinfulness of a wicked world? Do we start off on a tirade against the irresponsible decisions people make? Over cups of coffee, do we chastise parents for ineffectiveness in exercising control and influence in shaping their children's lives? Alone and in front of a mirror, do we berate ourselves over the personal failures in our own lives?

All of us respond to the evil and tragedies in the world by engaging in moralism, judgmentalism, pointing fingers at others, and devaluing ourselves, especially when the evil and tragedy touches our lives. To do these things, however, is like tying a millstone around the neck with the expectation of still swimming in ten feet of water. There is no good news here; only the weight of a law that there will certainly be more of the same day after day. All of our moralism, judgmentalism, pointing of fingers, and breaking our own mirrors will not change this.

The root issue at stake in all of these things is whether or not we can still believe in a good and gracious God. Please, do not misunderstand at this point. The issue is not whether God is good and gracious. God is! And God is good! And God is love! God is good and gracious. The psalmist, in reflecting upon the activity of God in history on behalf of his people, creating them as a nation and freeing them from bondage in Egypt, writes, "He has done marvelous things."

The root issue is whether we can believe in a good and gracious God, whether we can trust that God's redemptive purposes for the world and the lives of all in the world will finally triumph. Again, the psalmist is convinced, "His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory." Can we assent to this? Can we experience the victory of faith that the Bible talks about? How?

We are encouraged by the psalmist to "sing to the Lord a new song." Can we "break forth into joyous song and sing praises," with all that is happening around us? Can we find the courage of faith to believe in a good and gracious God despite being touched by hell "now and then"?

Recall the experience of God's people in the wilderness after being freed from under the oppressive hand of the Pharaoh. Their memory was short. They began to complain against God because the way was difficult. At least in Egypt they had food to eat and they knew where they were. In the wilderness, although they were free, they had to go from day to day for each meal and they really did not know where they were. This was unchartered wilderness where they had never been before. So, they murmured against the Lord.

Scripture reminds us over and over again that "the Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and of great kindness." This was demonstrated in the wilderness. In their discomfort, the people argued, "God, why are you doing this to us? Make it a little easier. Give us a break!" Although the people murmured against the Lord, God did not send them back to Egypt; nor did he obliterate them in a sandstorm. He had freed them; he would not go back on his word. He did, however, discipline them.

There was an infestation of snakes in the camp of God's people. Many were bitten; many died. When they realized their foolishness, they prayed to God for help. God responded by having Moses set up a bronze snake in the midst of the people. Whenever they looked to the bronze snake, even though they were bitten, they would live and not die. It was their faith in God, their willingness to trust in the goodness of God even in the midst of terrible times, that gave them life. They had been birthed by God into freedom; as they trusted God with their lives, especially in the midst of the wilderness, they experienced "the victory that conquers the world."

Jesus referred to this wilderness event when Nicodemus, a Pharisee and leader of the Jews, came to him one night. Nicodemus wanted to understand Jesus more fully. He acknowledged that Jesus came from God; "for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God," he said. Then, he asked Jesus how he himself could be born of God. Jesus responded with this comparison: "Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life."

Yes, because the children of God did not believe in the goodness of God, there was an infestation of snakes among the people. There was discipline in the desert. Yet, the Lord still held his people in the hollow of his hand and did not deliver them entirely over to the powers of destruction.
The Lord held true to his promises and eventually led his people across the Jordan and past the crumbling walls of Jericho and through the Philistine encampment, where not even Goliath was able to stop God's purposes for his people.

What a God in whom to believe! What a God in whom to trust! From the psalmist the refrain rises, "All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God."

The miracles of Jesus embody the presence and power of God to lift up those who have been stricken. Lepers were cleansed, the crippled were enabled to walk, the sick were healed, and the blind were restored to sight. Even the dead were raised. People who had been bowed down by life were lifted up by the love of God through Jesus.

Jesus is God's ensign to the world, just as the bronze snake was an ensign to the people in the wilderness. Jesus was lifted up on the scaffold of evil, bearing the brunt of its force in his person, accepting the pain of the world that is touched by hell now and then. Whoever looks to him, just like the people in the wilderness looked to the bronze snake, will be saved. This salvation is not some fantastic exemption from the ravages of evil. Evil will still have its day. The victory of faith is that God will finally have his way.

Think about it! The people who were cured by Jesus certainly experienced other aches and pains of daily life, just like we do. Lazarus, though raised from the dead, did indeed die again and was laid to rest to wait for the final resurrection. Life is still tough, even for the people of God. Paul had his thorn in the side; could it have been epilepsy? Peter was hung upside-down in martyrdom. The great reformer Martin Luther had bouts with depression. His namesake, Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated. They all still confirmed that God is good and gracious. The question for us is this: Do we have the courage of faith to trust in our good and gracious God even in the darkness of the night? If we do, our faith will give us the victory of light in the night.

In rejection and death, Jesus entrusted himself to the care of God, his Heavenly Father. "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." This was done on the cross against all odds.

In the crucible of our human experiences, we can fall into thinking that something could actually separate us from the love of God. Faith overcomes this. Faith conquers this worldly temptation. The believer trusts that in Jesus God has done all that is truly necessary to overcome the darkness of the world with the light of his love.

A few years ago there was a national gathering of Christian youth in Dallas, Texas. A bus driver, who escorted a group of teenagers from Wisconsin, was tragically shot in the motel parking lot in a senseless act of violence. His daughter, Becky, wrote a letter to the Christian youth from other areas who responded to the family grief with prayers, letters of encouragement and memorial gifts of love. Here is a portion of her response. It reflects the victory of faith that can conquer the worst that the world can hurl at us.

Dear Christian friends,



Thank you so much for your prayers, letters, and money, which will be put towards a scholarship for students attending our local Christian high school.

When I first heard that my dad had been murdered, I believed that the world was a horrible place that had no good in it, but then when so many people sent cards, or visited, or called, I realized how wrong my thinking was. No matter how bad the day may seem, God always does something to make it better. Although I want to ask "Why him?" I realize that God has a plan and everything will work out. I could not imagine going through this without my faith or without Christ to lean on. He has comforted me in so many ways.

My family and I are trying to put our lives back together again. It's hard, but we have each other to lean on ƒ It gets a little easier with each day.

Your letter and gift, because it was from Christian people my age, really meant a lot. Thanks so much.

Sincerely,
Becky.1


Amen, Becky! You have experienced the victory of faith.
Since this event, Becky has pursued a career that engages her in the rehabilation of criminals. Faith enables us to conquer the world.
May we all share such a faith and know the victory of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
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1. Used with permission..