Job 2:10 Shall we accept only good things from the hand of God, and never anything bad?” So in all this Job did not sin. We can often think that because we’re believers in Christ no harm should ever come to us. We can often think that only good or should I say our perception of good should come from the hand of God. The Bible, and history itself, is clear that bad things do indeed happen both to the ‘righteous’ and the ‘unrighteous’. Job is a clear example of just how evil can come upon someone. The Bible tells us that Job was blameless and upright, he feared God and shunned evil. Yet in spite of this he loses everything from his health to his family and livelihood. I’ve often wondered where our own personal tragedy in 2022 came from. Was it from Satan? God? or just a matter of life’s unfolding events that has nothing to do with either Satan or God? One thing is for sure God in His sovereignty allowed it to happen, just as God allowed Satan to buffer Job by taking away everything, but his life. God does allow tragic things to happen for His purposes beyond our understanding. When we try not to wrestle with the questions of why or who and accept what has happened, we will then begin to find some peace and some purpose. We must learn to accept that God is still in control in spite of the sufferings that happen all around us. These things can take time but we are on the journey to finding peace and purpose in the midst of pain. Prayer - Lord please will you help me to know that You are in control and that you have my life in your hands whatever comes my way. Amen

‘God, I know you’re not mean, but it feels like you are today’ I came across these two statements in my reading recently. A big part of me instantly agreed even though I wasn’t quite sure what to make of statements that seemed to be quite blasphemous and irreverent. When used as a verb ‘like’ can mean to take pleasure in; find agreeable or congenial: The question begging then, is do I always find myself agreeing with God and the way He does things. When I see the suffering in the world and how people are treated it is something that is difficult to come to terms with if God is, indeed, in control. To put it another way, we could ask the age old question ‘Why does God allow suffering’? I think it’s normal for anyone to have questions about suffering, injustice etc. and particularly those of us as image bearers of God - a God who is love and loves justice. Do I agree with what God allows? Do I agree with how He seemingly puts up with all the suffering in this world? So often in the Bible, we see people ask God ‘How long’? Rev 6:9-10 “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Psalm 13:2 “How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?” Psalm 94:3 “LORD, how long will the wicked, How long will the wicked triumph?” I am sure as I write this, there are God fearing people in the war torn Middle East and other parts of the world asking the same question ‘How long?’. ‘Dear Lord, I don’t always like You’ all of a sudden has a different meaning when seen in this light. Am I congenial (agreeable) to what He allows? How presumptuous of me even to ask such questions. But when you’re in the midst of deep suffering, it is ok to question God. We ask why is God allowing us to go through this trauma with our son? Others ask why so many lives lost with the tensions in the Middle East? The BIGGER picture We may not always like what God allows, However, God sees the bigger picture, His creation from beginning to end, His plans and His purposes. We only see the small fragments of our own lives, the pieces of the mosaic without seeing how they fit together into the whole picture - the beautiful finished completed artwork. We may not like God in what He allows but we are called to love God with everything, in spite of our circumstances… Luke 10:27 “And he answered, “You shall love the Lord Your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.” Joseph struggled with God when he was forcibly sold and taken to Egypt. Yet God used great distress for His good. Genesis 37-50. The same could be said with Job when devastation stripped everything but his life from him, yet God blessed Job’s latter years more than his former. Job 42:12 God is God for a reason. We are not God. He allows and purposes things for a reason in spite of us being disagreeable. Are we content with our son Nathanael being left unable to walk and talk? Of course NOT. But we have to trust God that He will show us how this is working for the greater good of everyone. Prayer - Dear Lord, I don’t always like You because of what I see happening in Your world. But I do love you because You first loved Me and sent Jesus. I don’t understand everything that’s going on right now, but I trust You that you have the bigger picture in view. So help me to trust you in my suffering and the suffering of so many people in this world. Amen

No matter what our circumstances, let us ask God to open doors of opportunity and use us for His purposes. So often our prayers focus on ourselves. Prosper us Lord, Keep us safe Lord, Give us a happy life Lord and so on. When Paul asked the Church at Colosse to pray for him, he didn’t ask for any of those. This is how he puts it... Colossians 4 v2-4 "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak" Even whilst in prison, Paul is seeking opportunities to share the gospel and we pray that way also. Maybe this is the way to deal with hard times, even when you feel like you’ve got nothing left. Simply asking God to open a door, knowing that if He opens one it will be the right one just for you. God wants to use whatever situation we’re in. He’s done it time and time again with people who have suffered terribly. In our own personal tragedy and pain, we’re praying that God will use us and the situation for His good. Even writing this on our blog today is a way of God using our suffering to reach out to others and we pray that more doors will open to share His love and great hope in the midst of suffering. Prayer - Lord, even though I am going through a tough time right now, please would you show me how You want to use this. Please would You open the doors for me to walk through that will enable You to use this for good. Amen

When someone leaves the room and they’ve been gone a long time, you begin to wonder of their whereabouts. When we are going through a difficult time, God can seem like He’s left the room. We can feel as though He has abandoned us - sometimes never to return. When we look at all of the suffering in the world today, we cry ‘where is God’?! Has He really forsaken this world that He caused to be in existence? Questions questions questions. Are there any easy answers to the questions of God’s seemingly ‘loud absence’. A term coined by John Lennox. Even Jesus felt the anguish of His Father leaving and forsaking Him when He was on the cross. Let me encourage you to read Psalm 22. There are no easy answers. However the Bible does point us to a picture of hope. God has not forsaken His creation. From the beginning we forsook Him and His goodness. We’re actually the ones who turned our backs on Him and have been dealing with the consequences ever since. God still longs to be in the room. He longs for us to know Him. He has made this possible more so than ever through Him sending His Son, Jesus. One of His names in the Old Testament is Emmanuel which means God with us. We can look around at the world and see the suffering, we can look at our own lives and see the brokenness, yet God wants to be with us. In spite of everything that we and this world goes through we can have hope in the midst of it all. Ultimately all suffering will disappear one day when He returns and we will all know Him fully, There will be no loud absence, only loud presence, for He will dwell with us completely. For now let’s trust God with whatever we face. If it seems like He’s left the room, call out, seek Him and He will be there for you as He has been there for us. God bless you. Prayer - Thank you Lord that you have made a way for us all to know you through the death of your Son Jesus. In spite of my pain and suffering, thank you that I can still have that intimate relationship with You today. Amen

We all go through seasons, difficult times and experiences when God seems so far away from us. Our circumstances can sometimes dominate our emotions and make us feel that God has abandoned us. The Apostle Paul reassures us in Romans 8v37-39 “Yet in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” One of the enemy’s tactics is to try and make us feel as though Jesus is not in the boat (our circumstances) with us. When the storms come, we can get easily distracted focussing more on what’s in front of us rather than the reality that God is with us. The Bible tells us He will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb 13v5) God’s love for us is unstoppable. He is constantly pursuing us. His desire is for relationship with us, His desire is for oneness. Whatever we are going through, even death itself will not separate us from His love. If you are His child you can be confident that nothing, absolutely nothing will come between you and Him. There have been many times in our situation of suffering when we have felt alone, in despair and that God has abandoned ship. But whenever we feel that way, we have to bring ourselves back to the truth of the Word of God. Yes, our circumstances are very real and the Lord knows our frailty, He knows our weaknesses, but it is IN our weaknesses that God points us back His promises. He says nothing will separate you from Me. Sin separated the first man, Adam from God and we've all been separated since. The good news is that through the death of Jesus, God has taken away our sins and therefore we are now reconciled to Him through the death of His Son and because of His great love. You can connect to God today either for the first time or for the umpteenth time. Let us know today if you’ve done that or need help in doing just that. Let us encourage each other. God bless you. Prayer - Lord please help me to know You more today. In spite of how I feel, would You draw near to me as I’m drawing near to You. Thank You for Your promise to never leave me. Amen

Isaiah 42v3 A bruised reed He will not break, and a faintly burning wick He will not quench; He will faithfully bring forth justice. Jesus quotes this scripture in Matthew 12 after healing a man with a withered hand. He’s just had a conversation with those who say it is not lawful to work (to heal) on the sabbath and shows them the importance of saving, even a sheep, on the sabbath - and how much more important they are to God than a sheep. Yes, Jesus has power to heal and deliver, but He is also gentle and has deep compassion on those who are weak, broken and empty. The reed is an emblem of feebleness, as well as of fickleness or want of stability, Matthew 11:7. A bruised, broken reed is an emblem of the poor and oppressed. (Barnes notes on the Bible) Most would trample on a broken reed, seeing it as worthless and pointless. But Jesus comes to strengthen and hope to those who feel hopeless. The Pharisees in Matthew 12 were more concerned with performing outward rituals and keeping laws. But Jesus was and IS more interested in character, heart and the whole person and most importantly in our weakness and brokenness. The smouldering wick - This refers to the wick of a lamp when the oil is drained - the dying, flickering flame and smoke that hangs over it. It is an emblem, also, of feebleness and infirmity. Jesus would not further oppress those who had a little strength; He would not put out hope and life when it seemed to be almost extinct. (Barnes notes) Jesus wants to fan the smouldering wick into a flame. He did this time and time again through His ministry, whether it was in speaking to the woman caught in adultery or encouraging the thief on the cross next to Him. Jesus reaches out to all bringing life and hope. Ultimately, Jesus will bring forth justice and victory in all its fullness when He returns. Verse 4 of Isaiah 42 text goes on to say ‘He will not grow faint or be discouraged till He has established justice in the earth’ Until that day let us be encouraged that God is for us and God is with us no matter how broken and feeble we may feel. Life can be incredibly tough, and some days we have to draw from God’s resources every single hour. Thankfully we can hang onto God’s character of mercy and grace when we are down and feel we have nothing left. He wants to build us up because we are precious to Him. Maybe God would have you to play a part in fanning someone’s smouldering wick in to flame today. Or strengthening someone who is broken like the reed. As His Body, let’s all look for ways in which we can show love and compassion to those around us. Prayer - Lord, at times I feel like I’m so broken and have nothing left. But thank You that You haven’t finished with me. You bring hope and healing in spite of how I feel today.

The title of this blog is taken from a song that was sung in the 70’s by Al Green. Brokenness can be a good thing in the hands of God. Look at the following scripture. "The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God" Psalm 51v17 (NLT) The day before Nathanael’s accident I was speaking on Psalm 51. One of the points I emphasised was that in order for us to be truly repentant we need to be broken. Little did I know that the following day we would be completely broken. We are still broken and will be until we see all things renewed at the second coming of Christ. God is doing a healing work, He is dealing with the broken pieces and He will do it in His way and in His time. We will most certainly carry with us the brokenness of that awful day for the rest of our lives. But that is not a bad thing. There is an art in Japan known as Kintsugi. When repairing broken pottery they do so with gold or silver lacquer as it is repaired to enhance the cracks of brokenness. The understanding is that the piece is more beautiful for having been broken. When we have been broken there is something that has been added to us. God wants to mould us into the image of Christ and He will break us if that is what is needed. Dare I say it but we all need to be broken, in ways known only to God. How is a broken heart mended? The world will throw in many suggestions to deal with brokenness. But only God can truly do so. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147v3 (NKJV) Prayer. Dear Lord, we can see that You are the One who deals with our brokenness. Thank You that You use our brokenness in order to shape us into the people you wants us to be. Help us to move toward You in our brokenness so that You can use it for Your glory and our good. Amen

Matthew 8v23-26 23 And when He got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but He was asleep. 25 And they went and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26 And He said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then He rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. ‘Doubt is not a sign of no faith; It’s a sign of embattled faith’ John Piper I believe that if we’re really honest with one another, the majority of us would say that we struggle with the issue of faith. There can be a number of reasons for this We are made to feel like we’re inferior Christians if we seem weak in faith. Maybe life has thrown up some difficult situations and your faith has been knocked in the process. Jesus had great faith and we are told we should also. Jesus said “You will do even greater things.” There may be many more reasons. But I think we need to start being real about faith issues. We hear sermons preached about faith. Soundbite after soundbite, cliche after cliche. Out of context scriptures. The Bible pulled apart to emphasise that we need more faith to be successful, to be fruitful, to see more healing etc. The many of us can become worn out with such preaching and in reality we may need someone to put an arm around us and say ‘it’s ok to struggle, it’s ok if you have doubts’. We all struggle with faith, with doubts at some point and I’m here to say it’s ok. Many characters in the Bible struggled with faith and doubt. From Adam to Abraham. Moses to David, John the Baptist to Peter and Thomas to name but a few. In Hebrews 11 we read a list of men and women who were ‘faithful’ in spite of their weaknesses. We are all on a journey, one of mountains and valleys. There have been times in my life when I’ve had great faith and times when my faith has wavered. Thankfully God works in spite of my faith and this is where we can be misguided that we need great faith for God to move. Jesus of course talked of mustard seed faith, the smallest of seeds. At this time of writing I feel my faith is especially weak, however, I haven’t shipwrecked my faith and God remains faithful. My faith may seem as though it is in a war zone but in spite of that, God is working and keeping me. God seeks after those who will remain faithful to Him however fragile we feel. The word translated faith is 'emunah'. This can be translated faithfulness, integrity, steadfastness. He’s looking for those who will hang on to Him in spite of what they are facing, in spite of their wavering faith. It’s God’s faithfulness that keeps us if we are faith (ful) even in times of weakness and suffering. It’s God who gives us strength for today when we hang onto Him in faith (fulness). It’s God who will keep me until the end if I do not deny Him and remain faith (ful). Paul Tillich wrote, ‘Doubt isn’t the opposite of faith; it is an element of faith’. The disciples, when they were perishing in the storm, in their doubting, cried to the Lord for help. Surely then, there was an element of faith in their little faith, in their doubting. They wanted to remain faithful to Jesus. In my doubting, in my weakness and suffering, I can still find God. Just as the disciples found Jesus and subsequently found calm and peace. May that be true for you today. True faith is shaped by trials, suffering, doubt. Allow all these things to grow your faith as we continue to look to His faithfulness. Prayer - Dear Lord, we thank You that You understand our every weakness. You know our hearts and yet You help us and carry us and rescue us in spite of our little faith. We give You praise that You are indeed our faithful Saviour and Rescuer. Amen

This will vary greatly from person to person depending on your personal situation, but here are a few tips that you might find helpful… Create space for yourself When you’re feeling hemmed in, it’s time to do something different. Take a break, have a change of scenery, go for a walk and breathe deeply. Be alone with God and read His Word There is great comfort and reassurance in spending time with God and meditating on His Word. Talk and pray with a close friend Have a coffee with a close friend, be honest, share and pray together. Have counselling with someone outside of your circle Spending a few sessions with a trained counsellor can be of great benefit. It’s a safe place where you can confide in someone who is not personally or emotionally involved in your life. Think on good things Our minds can be a battlefield. So train your mind to think on positive and good things. The Bible encourages us to do so. Marvel at God’s creation in the great outdoors. God’s creation shouts God’s praise. Spend time enjoying outside in the fresh air He has made and given us to enjoy. Don’t look back or too far into the future. Enjoy what you have now. We can torture ourselves dwelling on the past or worrying about tomorrow, when the truth of the matter is that we can’t change the past or know what the future holds. We only have now so make it count for the better. Resist the enemies lies The devil, our adversary seeks to pull us down through our thoughts. I am hopeless is a lie. I have no future, is a lie. Try to resist these thoughts meditating instead on what God says - you have a future and a hope through Jesus. Change the routine So often we can get caught in a rut repeating the same routines most days. Dare to be different. Change things up a little, try something new and see the difference. Have an eternal perspective Our afflictions are only momentary although they feel like they will last forever. But eternity is awaiting us all. It’s then that we will be completely transformed in mind, body and soul. Look forward to that.

Psalm 77v7-9 “Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable? 8 Has his steadfast love forever ceased? Are his promises at an end for all time? 9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah When you are going through a tough battle many questions arise in your mind and it is good to ask ourselves and God difficult questions. One such question I have struggled with is “Has God somehow failed us if we are struggling?” We all have different life journeys and personal struggles. For example, alcohol can be a struggle for many fighting the grip of addiction each day. Sadly my own brother lost his life battling alcohol addiction, although he attended church many times and committed his life to Christ. Still, in the eyes of many he was a failure. But did God fail him? I’ve asked the same question of myself many times. If I let go of God in the midst of my suffering, will I be seen as a failure? Will God be seen as a failure if I haven’t remained strong? or haven’t endured? For those who have devastatingly lost their beloved babies at the hands of Lucy Letby in recent times https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-65960514, do they feel that not only has the NHS failed them but that God has failed them also? Maybe these tragic events will sadly keep them from seeking God. Our hearts go out to these families, their lives will never be the same again. The same is true in our situation. Our lives will never be the same again. Yes, our son has survived but living with a traumatic brain injury has changed him and us and how we live. We are living in that suffering. But if our suffering causes our faith in God to dwindle, would He truly going to cast us away forever? Ultimately it is sin that separates us from God. But does our suffering also keep us from God both now and eternally? These are big questions that we shouldn’t be afraid to discuss. We live in a world where suffering abounds and therefore we need Godly wisdom grounded in Scripture to understand God’s character and His faithfulness. God never fails us. He is the great I AM, He is God and His promises are towards us. Lam 3:22 “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.” NIV The truth of the matter is that we live in a very broken suffering world with disease, addiction and sin. This does not mean that God has failed us but that the world has fallen far from what God had originally planned for us. But we can take comfort in the knowledge that the Lord has kept us and we haven’t failed Him, His grace is sufficient for us. We and this world are waiting for the final redemption. A time when God will make all things new. A time when every tear will be wiped away. No more sorrow, nor more sickness, no more heartache. Until that time, we must trust that God, the Judge of all the earth will do right. Gen 18:25 Prayer - Lord, you know the thoughts and intents of all of us. Please help us know that you are for us even in the midst of the fiercest battles. Even when we fail you, help us to have the assurance that you’re not failing. Thank You that you’re the God who helps in our suffering. Amen.

1 Cor 13:8 “Love never fails…” Don’t ask… “How are you?” - it is too general and difficult to answer. Instead ask …. “How are you doing TODAY?” Don’t say… “Have a great week!” Instead say… “I will message you in the week to see how you’re doing.” Don’t say… “God knows!” Instead ask… “How can I pray for you?” Don’t say… “This was God’s plan it’ll all work out in the end!” None of us knows why suffering happens. Instead… encourage them with positive scripture. Don’t say… “Call me if you need anything!” It’s a vague offer of help. Instead offer specific help… “I’d like to bring you a spaghetti bolognese on Tuesday or I’m free Thursday can I run any errands for you?” Don’t say… “Things could be so much worse you should be thankful, count your blessings” You can’t minimise pain this way. Instead say… “I’m sorry you’re feeling this way”. And listen to understand, more than speak. Don’t say… “I’ll pray for you” People usually forget. Instead say… “Can I take a few moments to pray for you right NOW” Don’t say… “Lets meet up sometime!” It sounds casual and uncaring. Instead say… “I’m really glad you feel you can share with me. Let’s make a date NOW to have a coffee and talk some more”. Don’t say… “lots of Bible characters suffered, it’s scriptural!” This is like a discouraging mini sermon. Instead say… “You’re not alone in your suffering, let’s look at scripture together or testimonies to encourage us”. Don’t say… “Sounds like you’re not handling things well, I’ll drop off some books to help you”. This is unsolicited advice that sounds like veiled criticism. Instead say… “I know you’re facing difficult days, how can I help to encourage you?” 5 extra tips to help your suffering friend Show up in person Offer specific help and encouragement Be consistent Listen to them Pray with them

Whilst in my bathroom the other day, I noticed and read the following quote on a toilet roll pack wrapper ….. ’Rebellious hope is good but early diagnosis is better’ For anyone suffering with cancer this statement is absolutely true - the earlier the diagnosis the better and a rebellious hope helps to generate a positive fighting spirit, much needed for anyone battling this terrible illness. or indeed anyone suffering. During those first critical ten days in the hospital Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Lindsay did not move from Nathanael’s beside as he fought for his life. She had that fighting rebellious hope, a hope that was never going to give up on our son. Rebellious can have a negative connotation but used in the right manner, in the right context it can be a very beneficial quality, a defiance or dogged determination to overcome. We are so blessed by the fact that we have Jesus who instills hope into our hearts and lives both now and eternally. Romans 5:3-5 “And not only [so], but we also boast in the tribulations, knowing that the tribulation doth work endurance; and the endurance, experience; and the experience, hope; and the hope doth not make ashamed, because the love of God hath been poured forth in our hearts through the Holy Spirit that hath been given to us.” YLT Going through and enduring a tribulation can produce hope in us. It’s a hope that is rooted in God’s love for us. God has a tenacity about Him that will not let us go. He wants to produce hope in us. He wants to produce joy and love and so many other qualities. As we saw Nathanael come out of the induced coma and very slowly begin to recover, an inner hopeful joy albeit amidst deep tragedy would well up within us. Lindsay’s defiance to not give up on hoping and praying fervently for our son’s life paid off. She prayed, read and sang worship songs over Nathanael every hour of every day in those early days with a hope that she says came from God. She had nothing within herself at that time, but God was very present giving her that strength, that rebellious, defiant hope. That hope in the God of all hope. We all need hope because without it, hopelessness can make us weak and crushed, even destroy us. Proverbs 13:12 says “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” Whatever tough situation we are going through let’s continue with hope in our hearts and more so that the God of all hope would fill our hearts with Himself. When this life does finally come to and end we can go the sure and confident hope that takes us into eternity with the eternal God who has displayed Himself in Jesus Christ. Prayer - I pray that God, the source of all hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13.