Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
- Joshua 1:9 (NKJV)
Usually when we read this verse we focus on the “be strong and courageous” part, but today, I’d like to focus on the second part of the verse, the “God is with you” part.
I often hear people ask “where’s God” when horrible things happen.
Where was God during the tragedies that have happened, the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, the horrific events of 9/11/2001, the disastrous effects of hurricane Katrine in 2005, the devastation of the 2011 Tohoku tsunami?
Where was God when children were being hurt by adults, when loved ones were dying from awful diseases?
Where was God when people we care about took their own lives because they just couldn’t carry on?
In 2023 The Afters released their song “God is with us” which in their own words “addresses a hard question that most people ask at some point in their lives. Putting words to the moments when you can’t see, feel, or fully understand God comes not only from the band's personal stories, but from the hope that can be found in God’s promise, that He will never leave us. ‘Through all the years that we've toured as a band, we've heard people share their stories of brokenness and loss, and one question that we've heard again and again is, ‘Where is God in this story?’ I believe that God isn't afraid of our questions. Our loss, our hurt, the hard things we go through ... those things are precious to God. And He has promised to be with us in every single moment of our life. He's not going to leave us, He will never forsake us, and that's where we can find the hope we need during our hardest times.’”
The lyrics are:
Where is God in the heartache
Where is God in the fear
Where is God when it hurts so bad
That you can't hold back the tears
Where is God in the sickness
That the prayers didn't fix
When it don't make sense
Where is God in all of this
He is right here where He's always been
He never left and He never will
Where is God
God is with us
He is right here where He's always been
It's where He'll be until the very end
Where is God
God is with us
Where is God in the ashes
Of a broken home
Where is God when we lose
The ones we love the most
Where is God in addiction
When you lost the battle again
When it's all too much
Where is God in all of this
...
We might never know the answers
We might never know the outcome
But we know Jesus
We know Jesus
Even when we face the darkness
We know better days are coming
Cause we know Jesus
We know Jesus
And He is right here where He's always been
He never left and He never will
Where is God
God is with us
He is right here where He's always been
It's where He'll be until the very end
Where is God
God is with us
So where is God
...
It’s no surprise if this song hits a spot with us, it is supposed to do that.
It’s a reminder that God is with us, even when we don’t see Him there, He is, and He always will be.
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