As Christians, we love to talk about God's blessings, His provision, healing, and miracles. We celebrate when prayers are answered with a "yes," when life feels good and faith seems straightforward. But what happens when the storm hits? When cancer strikes, a loved one dies unexpectedly, a marriage crumbles, or tragedy strikes without warning? In those moments, many of us quietly wonder: Where is God? Does He even care?

A Reflection on Evil, Privation, and the Cry of the Cross

Jesus’ words from the cross cut through every tidy explanation of suffering. They are not the complaint of a man who made poor choices. They are the anguished cry of the sinless Son of God, nailed to wood by the collective evil of humanity, abandoned in a way none of us will ever fully grasp.

When Privation Meets Pain: Rethinking Evil Through the Voice from the Whirlwind

When Job finally hears from God, it is not the answer he expected. After chapters of lament, accusation, and theological debate, God speaks—not with a tidy explanation, but with a whirlwind. In Job 38, the Lord answers Job out of the storm, asking, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” This divine response is not evasive; it is expansive.

Remedy lies not in technique but surrender, praying within divine will, rejoicing amid unraveling, trusting unseen hands. From lip-service to lived faith, panic to peace, idolatry to adoration. Release clutched details; the galaxy-Creator governs faithfully.

Psalm 55 is David’s panic attack as he struggles to comprehend an unfolding tragedy. Wrestling with God and seeking refuge from the swirling turmoil, David helps us honestly address feelings of panic.

Matthew 13:24-30 The Wheat and the Weeds. Jesus tells a parable about how good coexists with evil and describes His plan for resolution.

The second generation of wilderness Hebrews have looked on their circumstances and decided it does not meet their expectations. They look at their redemption from Egypt and see a rouse that will lead them to a death by starvation and thirst. How could a good God bring us to this awful place?

Is God in control?  In a sense yes, but it is not a control like is commonly assumed.  It is not as though God has a game box controller that pilots us like a video game.  God is in control, but perhaps a better way to say it is that God is in command.  When tragedy comes and we scream and ask the question, does God see?  Isn’t He in control?  The common answer is, Yes - but this is a wholly inadequate and incomplete answer when facing tragedy. 

So when Habakkuk sees the evil going on inside the city walls, and the evil preparing for attack outside the city walls, he asks a valuable and important million dollar question, "God, where are you?". It is an honest question. It is a pertinent question. And it ranks among the preeminent questions human beings ask the Almighty.

Christ in the garden, trusting and moving forward despite the trial ahead - adds metric tons of value to Christ's humanity. Like us, Christ faces the catastrophe in trust and endures despite the trial. Christ didnt volunteer for the cross. The cross found him. And when presented with it, Jesus trusted and moved forward.

It is a foregone conclusion that suffering gets a bad wrap. Why wouldn't it? Nobody likes suffering. It is by definition a bad thing. There is low-grade suffering like, "Darn, I missed the bus." There is average suffering like "That didn't go as expected." And then there is tragic suffering that occurs because of paradigm altering catastrophe or loss.

The Bible’s answers to difficult questions is going to ask us as believers to make two commitments.

You will notice that the book of Habakkuk has similarities to the book of Job. In fact, I believe it would be accurate to say that Habakkuk is a mini-Job book…

A point of application is we see the difference between complaining to God and complaining about God. Scripture is loaded with instances when believers complain to God about circumstances. Indeed, entire books of the Old Testament are dedicated to the exploration of tough questions related to God's sovereignty in the valleys of life.

If there is a negative force that is causing bad things to happen, and this results in a void, or shadow over what is right in God’s good creation then we are saying God’s sovereignty is voluntarily limited and truncated by events that do not go as He planned.

"Why!?" is a perfectly valid question for Habakkuk to ask. It demonstrates that he cannot reconcile bad events with a good God. Wrestling with the problem of evil is common among those who experience it's destruction. If God is good, why does tragedy happen? If God is good, why does evil win? How can I look at the mess around me and conclude that God is in control, much less cares?

Captain Ahab is a man obsessed with the thing, the White Whale, that changed his life.  The White Whale is his nemesis, an uncontrollable element of life that has left him lame and threatened his reality.  Now Ahab is intent on destroying the thing that has broken him.  Ahab's life was that of a whaler, sea captain and successful merchant.  Now he is uprooted, physically changed, and the dominance he felt over his life’s direction is torn and changed by the will and force of an outside entity with a mind of its own.  The White Whale intends to destroy Ahab and has the power to do so. (Job 41:10)

There are seasons of life when the big questions come to mind and trouble our faith. We read about tragedy in the news every other day, hear of friends or loved ones experiencing life changing circumstances, and read the deeply heartfelt laments found in scripture. When life appears under control, these hard events are mournful and draw our sympathy. When life is a struggle, we join the laments in concert and through the tears and confusion ask God for answers. Difficult circumstances can lead us to a place where we throw the gauntlet at the foot of the throne and ask God million dollar questions.