I meet people from time to time who say they’ve defriended God because He didn’t do what they thought He should. The sick grandmother they prayed for didn’t get better, and tragedy took the life of a loved one. Where was God? If He’s really powerful and in charge, He’d fix everything. Right?
Well, no. Everybody Jesus fixes ends up dead. Not exactly a winning record if that’s how you keep score.
God chose to create our world in a framework of time and space, which means everything—including you, me, and those we love—is bookended by a beginning and an end. We know from the second law of thermodynamics, one of the fundamental laws of science, that everything in a closed system moves from a state of order to disorder. It’s always been that way, and God’s not going to change it.
In the final book of the Bible, the author gives us a glimpse of what he calls the new heaven and new earth:
He (Jesus) will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" (Revelation 21:4-5 NIV)
This tells us there's an old order that includes death, mourning, crying, and pain. Earth is that old order. Rust, rot, decay, and death will continue their work on our cars, houses, and bodies until Jesus makes everything new in heaven. God is not a cosmic genie whose primary objective is to make our earth-dwelling days easier and more comfortable. While He may temporarily interrupt the downward spiral for reasons known only to Him—things we call miracles—the clock is always ticking. Every person is born into this world with an expiration date stamped on their body known only to God (Psalm 139:16).
Jesus healed a man from leprosy, but the old order eventually won: he died
Jesus brought Lazarus back from the dead, but the old order eventually won: he died.
Jesus restored the sight of a blind man, but the old order eventually won: he died
Jesus fed five thousand hungry people, but the old order eventually won: they died
The miracles of Jesus recorded in the New Testament always had something bigger going on than just making someone’s life a little better for a few years. They powerfully demonstrated His divinity in ways that drew people to Him so true healing could take place: the forever healing of the soul.
God never intended for anyone to face the realities of earth-dwelling on their own. It’s way too hard. The miracle of miracles is that He wants to breathe His divine life into our dead souls so we can navigate the pain and perplexity with a deep sense of peace and purpose. That’s what the cross of Jesus is all about. The power of God has little to do with the temporary fixing of a decaying body. If that’s how you keep score, you’re destined for disappointment.
"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life." Jesus
(John 5:24) Death is a reality of the old order that will never change on earth. Never. But living connected to the life of God changes how we navigate the valley of death and will eventually usher us into the new order of heaven. While death may win the battle, it will always lose the war (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).
That’s how you keep score!