You must have heard the story: 33 miners were trapped in the depths of a mine in San Jose, Chile for 69 days and were just recently rescued – all 33 with very limited injuries.  The story has taken the world by storm, with everyone hanging on to the edge of their seats to see the outcome.

One of the survivors made a profound statement, a statement I want examine. They said the following: “I was with God and I was with the Devil, but God won.  I held onto God’s hand, the best hand, and at no point in time did I doubt that God would get me out of there.”

Whenever I watch these touching stories and see the people praise God for His help, I always have one question in the back of my mind – What if some did not survive?  What if all died?  How would they view God then? 

I don’t know why I think it, but I do. Well, wait.  I think the thought comes to my mind, because I want to know how I will react when the “really” bad time comes my way. Right now, everyone is praising God (as well they should be), but is there still room for praising Him if everyone died?  What would our reaction be toward Him if they died (and praise God they didn’t)?  Would God still be good then?  And as the quotation above says: Would God still have won?

This is a realistic question many have had to answer.  Consider if you will the families of the ones who died during the 9/11 attacks.  I remember going to church that week and hearing one lady in the congregation stand to her feet and yell toward the pastor: ‘Where was God?’ You didn’t really hear lots of people proclaim the goodness of God after 9/11 or the Tsunami of ‘04 (230,000 lost), or Hurricane Katrina. Was God still good then?

It makes you wonder: Is faith believing that God will always save the day or is faith believing that God is still good even when He doesn’t?  Which is harder to believe?  It’s pretty easy to always believe that the superhero is coming, but how much harder is it to believe he is still good when he doesn’t? 

I want to look at two incidents in the Bible dealing with this subject— the first will show the proper mindset before tragedy was about to occur and the second will show a faith-filled reaction after tragedy occurred. Let’s look at the first…

The first happens in Daniel 3, to the three boys about to be thrown in the fiery furnace for obeying God and not worshiping an idol.  Right as they were about to be cast into the furnace they looked at the King of the most powerful empire on earth at that time and said: “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.  But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image you have set up” (Dan. 3:17-18).

Did you catch that little phrase, “But if not”?  They were not going to worship anyone but God, whether He saved them or not.  Interesting… The second case-study I want to inspect is Job (of course). After his sons and daughters had been killed, all his property had been destroyed, and his body afflicted with boils, he made this statement:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there.
The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away.
Blessed be the name of the LORD.”

So put yourself in the shoes of the families waiting desperately to see their loved ones pulled up from the mine.  You are a wife, a brother, a mother, or a son waiting to see the face of someone you love more than anyone on this earth and they don’t come up...Is God still good?  Do you proclaim this to the cameras when they come your way to interview you? 

Our time is coming and our reaction will be crucial.  I hope I can respond like Job did in Job 13:15:

“Though He slay me, yet I will trust Him”

I’m just being Frank with you...

Pastor Frank