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. 

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…

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?

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.