Everyday Kingdom
What if the Kingdom of God wasn't just for Sundays - but for every moment of your life?
Everyday Kingdom is where deep biblical truth meets real-world living. Hosted by Kaleb and Rafael, this show unpacks Scripture, explores powerful God-stories, and breaks down big spiritual concepts into practical steps you can live out right now.
From understanding how God speaks, to seeing Jesus in the Old Testament, to finding faith when life is hard, each episode will inspire, challenge, and equip you to walk out your faith with authenticity and courage.
Whether you're a seasoned believer, new to following Jesus, or just curious about Christianity, you'll find honest conversations, relatable stories, and practical wisdom to help you experience the reality of God's Kingdom...every...single...day.
Everyday Kingdom
82. Why Does God Let Bad Things Happen?
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In this episode, the crew talks through one of the more challenging questions of life. How do we navigate these times? Where's God in it all?
Welcome back to the Everyday Kingdom podcast. I'm Caleb and I'm here with Miriam and Raphael. And today we are we're just having uh a conversation and we wanted to invite you into this conversation with us because this is the space where we are right now in this season. Uh, and we're just talking about uh a couple of questions. Why do bad things happen to good people? And or you know, why does God allow bad things to happen in life? Um, right now we're we're walking through something with uh a dear friend, and um things don't look great. And so, of course, anytime that you're in a season like that, and you're walking through an experience like that, um, it's challenging. It challenges your soul, it challenges your emotions, your faith. Uh, you begin to ask questions. And, you know, even as people who are in ministry, uh, you know, we still experience those things as well. Uh, we're not impervious to that. Um, we certainly don't walk around thinking that we have every uh answer to every question uh at all. But um one thing I I can say, at least for the three people in this room, uh, is that we love Jesus and we trust them. And and so that is the lens with which we try to navigate life and see things, you know. So I just want to kind of open up and and say, hey, how are you guys doing? I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to talk about it. Yeah, and that's I think that's that's that's part of it though. There's a lot of times rough people don't want to talk about these types of situations. They're hard to talk about. You know, how do you when you're going through something that maybe you don't have the answer to, how do you navigate something like that when it seems like things are negative around you?
SPEAKER_04Sometimes talking about it can make it really good. Sometimes bringing it up after a long time stirs up stuff that shouldn't be there. But I think it's good to talk. And if you have stirred something up, talk about it because there's something that needs to be settled. If uh I was for for example, uh if somebody tried to drown me in a swimming pool more than once, more than once, I'm like, that is like the one enough.
SPEAKER_02Why did you go straight to to somebody killing you?
SPEAKER_04Maybe it's happened a few times.
SPEAKER_02Um kids count.
SPEAKER_04I don't think kids count. But but I think it's good to have conversations about that because I you might be feeling uncomfortable in that moment. Sure. And when you talk about things, sometimes people may not understand in that moment what's going on. You may not understand what's going on, and that's okay. Job didn't quit talking to his friends, he didn't quit talking to elders, he didn't quit talking to God. I think that's so important because if we are truly to love God and love people, we also gotta let God love us. Let people love us.
SPEAKER_00So, okay, Miriam, when what do you do when you are in a space where I know that I need to talk about this? Like I I know I recognize the value of having a conversation, but I don't have the words, like I don't know, I don't know what to talk about, like how to even approach approach the the conversation. Like how do I how do I even talk about stuff like this?
SPEAKER_02You know, you're asking what I do? Yeah, how do you how do you how do you I just don't talk about it? I just repress it. Isn't that the most healthy way to deal with? That's exactly it. No, uh seriously, it takes me a while.
SPEAKER_00Um what have you what have you learned in your years of ministry and being around people that that has been um helpful or useful in defining words to the thoughts and the feelings that maybe are going on inside of you.
SPEAKER_02Um I have learned that you can't practice it. I mean you can, you can you can you can practice a response that will keep you from breaking down, which is helpful. Um It doesn't get easier for me. Maybe it does for other people. Um and that if I just trust him, I'm not gonna say anything wrong.
SPEAKER_04You know, I mean like that there's not a wrong thing you can say when you're grieving as far as if you're just saying it the way you feel you know, like it's it's easy to think, well I feel this way, that's wrong, or like give morality to your feelings or whatever, but sorry, I don't I I love how you can say anything with people that you love. And you might be going or feeling like you're going crazy in that moment, but it's good to be able to release that and you can release that around family, and you can release that around true friends.
SPEAKER_00And Raf, what you're saying there, Miriam, what you're saying there, uh both of those things I think are the reason why you can even do that is because there is a foundation of trust that's been established, that there's no fear of rejection or abandonment or anything like that. So it allows you to be completely who you are and and and to emote or to to share the ugly parts or what you would maybe consider the ugly parts or raw parts, maybe that's a better way to say it, the raw parts of your life and your emotion without fear of being rejected, being abandoned, um, or anything like that. I think if you have uh, you know, people around you that you can emote to in that way, hold on to them. Yeah, hold on, hold on to them and and and know that that is such a treasure. It's a precious plant that is so valuable that that to have someone in your life that you can go to and you can be unashamedly, unabashedly ugly, raw, a mess, and that they will not look at you any less or different. They'll just they'll love on you, they'll allow you to have the space that is necessary for you to process through the stuff you're walking through. Because that's the thing, guys. Like ultimately, when you are hit with some type of traumatic experience, you know, whether it's happening to someone that you love or whether it's happening even to yourself, uh there has to be a space for your soul to be able to process that. You know, when you're hit with a lot of information all at once and it's overwhelming, your body and your mind, there's a lot of stuff going on there. And so, and the scriptures give us, you know, things that we can do to help with that, you know, by taking it to the Lord and casting those cares upon him and and those types of things. And and that's what we should do. And also having a person, here's the other side of that. Like, so sometimes the way that you take things to the Lord is by taking them to a friend. Because Jesus calls us the hands and feet of himself. Like we are the hands and feet of Christ. He says, I was I was naked and you clothed me. I was in prison and you visited me, I was hungry and you fed me. Would that not apply to I was hurting in my heart and you heard me? I I was I was walking through something challenging and you were beside me. Anytime that you are with a friend and they are able to walk with you through something and to talk with you and to listen, you're being the hands and feet of Jesus. And so one of the ways in which we cast our cares on the Lord is by talking with our friends and having those conversations with one another. So if you have a air quote, safe space, if you have a place of friendship that you trust and you can you can be yourself and you can be honest and you can be real and you can emote and it can be ugly and and not polished and and and you're still loved and accepted, cherish it. Cherish it because that's that's rare and it's Christ-like.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_00Because that's what that's exactly what he does, is that he he doesn't reject us in our moments of what we would call ugly. He doesn't he doesn't condemn us in those spaces. He welcomes us, he holds us, he embraces us, he lifts us up, he sets our feet upon a rock, which is exactly what a good friend does. It says, Here, come on, let's walk together. You know, so it's it's if you have that, hold on to it, because it is such a a treasure. So what do you do then when someone approaches you and and and you know we're in ministry, right? So we get these kinds of questions a lot. What do you do when someone is upset and hurting and they say, Miriam? Why? Why do I have to walk through this? Why is God making me go through these things? That's typically the language that they'll use, right? Why is God doing this to me? What's your response in a situation like that? How do you respond to somebody in that moment?
SPEAKER_02Well, I usually say first I give them a hug. That's my default, is I hug.
SPEAKER_00Miriam gives the best hugs.
SPEAKER_02Because I think there's a lot of power in that. But I hold them first. And then I say, God is not doing this to you for two. And then I say, I don't know.
SPEAKER_00Oh, wait, are you saying that it's okay to say that you don't know everything?
SPEAKER_02Yes. I do, I do, and then you know, I don't know that I intentionally have done this, but try to direct it away from the why because I sincerely believe that some things we will not know why until we see his face. But I try to direct it to can you see Father's hand in this, or can you see how he's loving you in these midst, you know, or in the mid, I don't even talk in the middle of this, and or you know, how can you love this other person who's treating you this way? Or how you know, how can you respond in love? And that's that's sort of like default, but and what look at him. Like I just try to be like, look at him, and I'll tell you what, but I don't naturally like I might say that to somebody, but when something it's not being done to me, but when I'm hurt by something, I don't automatically look at him either. Even when I think I'm looking at him and like I want to pray, and I'll tell you because this was highlighted to me yesterday when you were praying, because I was thinking, oh, I want to pray this for the care team and that they do this and that they do this. And I was putting my faith in the system and not in him. But the way that you prayed was straight to Father, and it was straight, God, what you can do in this, and that just kind of like not pierced my heart, but just struck me as like, oh my gosh, why not go straight to the top? You know. Um, but just looking at that instead of, you know, even though I wasn't asking, why is this happening? My brain was thinking, okay, what is the why for how this can be fixed? And let me think about the exact thing that I need to pray to direct the people to do the things that they need to do instead of just saying, God, you've got this.
SPEAKER_00Raphael, why do you think people ask the question why?
SPEAKER_04Because they want to know what God's face looks like. They wanna they wanna know what what they do in the moment of grief, of anger, of whatever that they're going through in that moment. And they really what they really want to see is God's face, God's hand, and what's going on. They want to know exactly the atom, the cell, what's the what's the purpose of every intricate thing in our in our minds can't hold on to everything in that moment. But if you look at its face, you might see the glory of God, or you might see the marred son of God. Uh either one is very glorious. One is very hard. They're both hard to look at if you have the wrong set of eyes. Either he's too bright or you're too sad to look at his face, but they're both glorious. And so when when trouble is happening, I think it's it's good to keep a perspective that this is glorious, this is not shame. This is everything that was bad will be turned for rejoicing. Those tears that were sown in sorrow, God will let you reap with joy. Yeah, you're going to have a harvest. These people who are in pain right now, they are going to have a harvest.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_04And it's not gonna be bad. It's gonna be a good, there's going to be a good harvest.
SPEAKER_00You know, you and I just read that yesterday and in in our conversation, we were talking about Romans chapter eight, and about how it's one of the greatest uh chapters in all of scripture, and how how just potent it is, littered with things that are so encouraging and are so true, you know, from our heir being an heir with Christ and not being uh given a spirit of slavery to or spirit of fear to fall back into slavery, but a spirit of sonship that by which we cry Abba Father, you know, and that this is is is sealed with us and revealed through us by the Spirit of God, but that continues on and it says that the the present sufferings pale in comparison to the glory that is to be revealed in us, and that I'm convinced that nothing can separate us from the love of God that's in Christ Jesus our Lord. Like there's just so there's so much in it that is encouraging that literally just yesterday Father was trying to shape us and and to prepare us for the news we were about to receive and to hear because he loves us that much. And I think that when we walk through something that's challenging, we go to the why question because we're trying to wrap our heads around it, like you said, we're trying to we're trying to wrap our minds around it to figure out the angle to gain some kind of control, yeah, to understand, like as if as if understanding is going to to help bring peace and and to bring closure and to bring a steadying of the ship. Because I think that's that's really what it is. Like ultimately, when you're hit with bad news or when you're walking through something, it's like a storm hits you, right? And so the why is like trying to grab on to the the the the wheel of the ship just to just to try to get and gain some semblance of control uh so that you can navigate this storm. And you know, I think sometimes sometimes we get the why question, we get the answer to it, but most of the time we don't. Right. Most of the time we we ne we don't get that why, at least maybe not on this side of eternity. Like you may someday, but but and I think that's one of the most challenging spaces for a human mind, because it's the space where you say, I don't know, I don't understand yet. I'm going to trust.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_00I'm gonna, I'm going to believe that God, you're still good, you're still on the throne. And even though I'm walking through challenging things, like that's I think that's one of the biggest purposes of scripture that we see and that we read is is you know, the Bible does not promise that there won't be hardship. In fact, it actually says the opposite.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00Um, it it doesn't say that, you know, just because you believe in Jesus, your life is gonna be hunky-dory and things are gonna be great and it's awesome. It it it the difference between Christianity and so many other religions is that our God gets down in the suffering with us. Yeah, he's not just like, hey, let me let me remove all suffering from you. He he's he's about he he is about the suffering. He he and he suffered, and and he's that stuff doesn't scare him. It's and it's and it's in spite of the suffering. I'm still God, I'm still good, I'm still on the throne. Can you trust me that I make all things new, that I wipe every tear from your eye? Yes. Miriam, you have something to say.
SPEAKER_02Well, I was just gonna say that you can be abundantly joyful and abundantly sad.
SPEAKER_04I literally just have that thought.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, you know, that our life is abundant, so it's not that I'm up and down all the time, but that I can feel a depth of sorrow or of sadness and experience that with somebody to get down in the depths with them just as he is with us. And then I then can also be on the highest of mountains, exuberantly happy and joyful with them. You know, it's rejoicing together and crying together.
SPEAKER_00That is abundant life, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Like yeah, and it's so much life. It's like we talk, we've talked before about the both and, you know, like I would always rather have only joy, right? Always, right? But that's not what life is. And the daily part of life is there are ups and their downs.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02So let's let's do all of it to the fullest. Right. Not not giving in to despair because we don't despair like those that have no hope. Exactly. There's still a hope. Yeah. But I can I can sit in the sadness or experience this depth of emotion, right? And not despair.
SPEAKER_00Right. And and Paul, I mean, that is littered throughout scripture.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00You know, and that's that's that's that's Paul and Jesus. It's it's it's it that's the human experience that we get here in this life. And there will be a time that comes where there is no more tear. Like that that there is a time for that, but on this side of Of it, this is what we can know and what we can expect. It's also what Jesus lived.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_00I mean, it, you know, if if who is our ultimate example, it's Christ. Right. Right. And as he came as a man and fully God, fully man, he experienced the ups and the downs of life. It's how he can go and he can visit Lazarus, knowing I can raise him from the dead and he can still cry.
SPEAKER_01Right.
unknownRight.
SPEAKER_00You know what I'm saying? Like, like you have the God of all the universe who is weeping because his friend died, knowing I'm about to raise him. How does that even work? How does that how does that match up with your logic? Because you would think, oh, he's so powerful. He knows. And he's and he knows what he's gonna do. He already knows what he's gonna do. He already knows he can do it. And and and yet, why so why are you crying? And and religion would say, Don't cry.
SPEAKER_02Right. Look to him, he's good. Right. You know, don't don't don't emote, don't feel that. Don't feel it. Mask it. Exactly. Don't be real. Yeah. Be fake. Right. And say all the right things. Fill in the formula, and that equals life. But that's not true.
SPEAKER_00Right. Right. Can you can you hold on to faith? Can you hold on to relationship with Papa in the midst of the crying?
unknownRight.
SPEAKER_00It's it's can you still trust him? And it's when you when you have emotion, when when you are dealing with something, when you're feeling things, if if you want to, like you said before, just push it down, shove it down. I can I can I can Christianity shove it down and ignore it. And I can say, oh, I'm not, I'm not to feel that way. That's not okay. That's not right. That's not God. That's not joy. It's not hope. And I can and I can what happens is people then begin to question, well, do what do I actually believe? Do I actually trust God because I'm feeling this way?
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00Right. And so now all of a sudden what you're doing, when you when you begin to to think in that way, you are you are now saying, okay, my emotions are are the the thermometer for my faith.
SPEAKER_02Well, and I'm putting my faith in me. I mean, yeah, because because I don't have the faith to make this happen.
SPEAKER_00So if I can't make it happen, if I can't control my emotions in such a way that I don't have them anymore, then then I'm not I'm not living in faith enough. I'm not I don't trust God enough because I shouldn't feel this way. And now you start to live from the shame of should have. Right. And so it that what I'm saying is that that if you allow your emotions to be the thermometer of your faith, then you're going to live a life that's psychotic. Right. Like spiritually psychotic, right, and and spiritually anxious. What would happen if it what would happen if you could instead let your emotions be what they are? Your emotions are chemical reactions in your body that God happened to create.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00God happened to create. God happened to create. Yeah. Doesn't he create good things? Yes, he does. Your emotions are your emotions are not bad things. Let your emotions be your emotions. They're just warning lights and temperature gauges. That's all that they are. Don't let them be the barometer of your faith.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00Let your faith be what it is. Let it be the rock. Let it be built upon something solid. And so when I'm walking through something, instead of looking at the emotions and being like, oh, my faith is wrong. I let the emotions be what they are. Say, wow, I'm I'm really hurting in this. This is rocking me. Father.
SPEAKER_02Yes. And you are good. Yes. You are face. Yes, help me. I need you. I'm fully dependent on you. Yes. I'm sad. And you are good.
SPEAKER_00I want to think about it. I just want to think about it in this context, okay? Because of how ridiculous it can become with some people and how where they take things. You know, I had a really good dad. I had a really good mom growing up. They are good parents. They provided for me. They took care of me. They led me spiritually. They fed me. They did all of the right and good things. They were great models for me. Um, and they they sacrificed for me. They laid down their life for me. They loved me very, very well. Did I walk through life growing up and not have any bad emotions? No. Of course I did. I absolutely had bad emotions. I was sad. I was angry. I was I was frustrated. All of the things that we would consider negative emotions, you know, I had those things. Yet did it change the fact that my parents were good? Did it change the fact that they loved me, that they were there for me? No, it didn't. In fact, what it did was in the moments that I had those types of emotions, those were the very moments that they were the most present.
unknownRight.
SPEAKER_00That they were the ones saying, I'm here. How can I, what can I do? How can I love you? How can I help? If my evil earthly parents can be that good, how much better than my, you know, my heavenly father? Yet people think that for some reason, if I have these negative emotions, now all of a sudden God's disappointed or angry with me, or or God's gone because I'm dealing with something emotionally that that makes me that where I'm angry or I'm sad or I'm you know depressed or I'm what like whatever it is. What if you can just let your emotions be what they are and let your faith be what it is? Right. And then and then the in the moments where my emotions are, I'm experiencing what I would consider negative emotions. What if I could in those moments then say, okay, God, where are you in this? Right. Help me in this. I need you. Only you can help me in this.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_04I think sometimes we think grieving is negative.
SPEAKER_00Right.
SPEAKER_04But there's plenty of times in scripture where it's positive. And I've had grieving, and then I've had where I was saved from that place of grief. And I still cried, but it wasn't tears of grief, it was tears. I have finally been saved. I had fun like and I cried out because I had finally been saved. Like I waited for for all this time for this salvation in my life, for for for this safe place in my life. And it's just like I finally, I finally have it. You know, like I finally get this this place where I can just trust God and and and I could actually feel the love of God and feel the love that He's put in other people around me. And so if you are grieving, don't let it just be a negative thing. Grieve. Go for it. Grieve with everything that you got. Because those who are grieving, God will comfort. Yeah. And so if you're leaving something in there where you don't want to grieve, just grieve. Because He will when once that when you let that be emptied out, He will fill you with so much more. And if there's something else that needs to just come out, let it come out. Yeah. And it may sound like personally, it may like there's times that I've had to shout. And there's times that I've had to be quiet. But I also do that with joy.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_04And nobody says, oh, because you're rejoicing, that it's bad.
SPEAKER_00Right. Right. Our emotions are not God's kryptonite. Our our anger, our frustration, our sadness, desperation, whatever it may be, like that, that's not God's kryptonite. You know, it's are you maybe here's a question for everybody to consider. Are you afraid to go to God angrily? Are you afraid? Are you afraid to say, you know, Father, why? And to release that? Or have you built a foundation of trust with him that you're not afraid of abandonment, you're not afraid of rejection? And so you can openly and honestly say, what the heck is going on right now? Right. This hurts. Right. And I don't like this at all. Yeah. God is not, when you know the nature of something, its behavior doesn't surprise you. Right? If I know the nature of a rattlesnake when it tries to strike me, that doesn't surprise me. You know, if I get too close, right? If I if I know the nature of a of a mama bear and I try to go moving on her cubs whenever she tries to attack me, that doesn't surprise me. Right. When I know the nature of something, it doesn't surprise me. Right? It's behavior doesn't surprise me. Don't you think God knows the nature of his creation?
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_00So our behavior does not surprise him in any form or fashion. If it if it did, then he wouldn't know his creation very well.
unknownRight.
SPEAKER_00But that we know that's not the case.
unknownRight.
SPEAKER_00He knows his creation very well very well. In fact, before we were formed, he knew us. He knows the the every hair on our head. He knows every thought that we think. He knows every little detail about us. Don't you think? Jesus says, I already know your needs before you even ask. Right. Like I can anticipate what you need before you even think about what you need. I know. So if that's the case, don't you think Father is inviting us and is waiting for us to step into the place of a foundation of trust where we can go to him raw, honest, open. Whether it's exuberant in joy, or or or whether it's downcast and in in in depression, or whether it's hot-headed, coming in spicy with anger. I think that he is an he he opens openly wants that kind of relationship with us because it's real.
SPEAKER_04Yes.
SPEAKER_00It's a foundation of faith. It's a foundation of trust. I trust you in this.
SPEAKER_04I like how Jonah was so angry that he didn't want to go to Nineveh and that he's like going to somewhere else and he's running. Yeah, God never said, Hey, you're not my child.
SPEAKER_00Right.
SPEAKER_04He's quote unquote the most disobedient prophet that we read of. Yeah. But I think he's just a son. I honestly just think he's a son. And if you're a son, you may do things like that. And he always guides you back to the place where you're supposed to go. Even if you feel like you're miles in the sea, on a ship, and you and you're sinking in the ocean, and there's you like you're you're you're dead. He will come with a well. A great fish, whatever it may be. And he'll spit you right on to the land as a sign to a people.
SPEAKER_02When you said he will come with a a well, it sounded like a whale, it sounded like you said well. And so I thought about the depth of what he brings. Because when he comes to you, he doesn't. I mean, like we we we want to offer people platitudes or whatever, but we actually have a very deep well to offer to people when they are suffering.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And when they are, you know, like giving up, like, I'd rather die, than than do than believe that God is who he is. We actually have a very deep well to offer people whenever they are suffering. But if we aren't willing to explore that and to pull the water out of it to offer to somebody who's thirsty, then they may sit in their suffering longer than they have to and not see the hope that we have to give.
SPEAKER_00So good. So that leads us to our ultimate question, which is why does God allow bad things to happen? Why does why why does he allow these things to happen? I I think I think your view of God really matters here. Absolutely. Because God is sovereign. But he is not controlling. It's not what he does. And and I I think that sometimes people's perspective of God is that everything that is happening in life is by the will of God. So you're essentially saying whatever happens is because God either allows it to happen, permits it to happen, or causes it to happen. Yeah, decrees it to happen. There are things in life that happen because God decrees it, because God commands it. But there are many things in life that happen not because God is causing them to happen, not because it's his will for it to happen. But there's a difference between being sovereign and being in control. The easiest way to think about it is like this God is a king over his kingdom, not a puppeteer.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_00He's not up there with with uh with strings, like a marionette, causing all of creation to do exactly the things that he wants it to do. If that were the case, there's no need for Christ. There's no free will whatsoever.
unknownRight.
SPEAKER_00Because God is not up here pulling strings, making things happen. Does he have the ability to turn things together for good? Absolutely, he does. But just like a king who rules over his kingdom, a king has subjects, and he does not control what the subjects do. He has a will, he has a decree, he even has a law. But the subjects get to determine do I abide by that or not.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_00And not every subject inside of a kingdom does exactly what the king wills. And I think that's part of it for us is, you know, as believers, as sons, like you said, Ralph, as sons, there are some sons who who the way that they walk doesn't quite represent Father's heart accurately. Yet he still loves them and he wants them to. You know, just because God wants something does not mean that it happens.
unknownRight.
SPEAKER_00Jesus says, uh, I think it's in Matthew, he says, Oh Jerusalem, I long to gather you like a mother hen with her chicks unto myself, yet you were not willing. Second Peter says that that God wills that all would be saved.
unknownRight.
SPEAKER_00So he says, This is my heart for you. Yeah. This is my will, this is my rule, my desire. Yet that doesn't always happen. God does not always get what he wants. Let that sit for a second. God doesn't always get what he wants. That means that there are things that happen in our lives that is not ordained by God. God is the author of life. He wants healing. In fact, he's the tree of life whose leaves bring healing for the nations. This is his heart and his purpose and his desire. Creation is groaning for the manifestations of the sons of God. Why? Because it cries out for healing, for liberation, for rule, from freedom and truth and life. And so with that being said, there are things that happen in our lives that are not God ordained. It's not his heart, his desire, his want. And for you and I, what we get to do is we get to say, Father, what is your heart? What is your desire? How can I live and express that in my life every day? In the midst of my suffering, how can I emit your goodness? How can I lament when it's time and cry and grieve, like you said, Ralph, and and weep with those who weep and be a deep well for those in need. And how can I be joy? How can I bring life? How can I bring healing? How can I bring hope? It's a life that is laid down, yielded, and surrendered to Him. Not just in the good times, but also in the times that are hard too. Say, God, I don't understand this. I don't need to understand it. I understand this one thing.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Christ crucified and resurrected. I understand this one thing. You love me. There's nothing that's going to separate me from your love. And it might look like I died here, but this is not my eternity. Come on. I I might look like there's stuff going on in my body, but this is not my eternity.
SPEAKER_02That's right.
SPEAKER_00You are my eternity. And you are my hope. And you are my life. And there's nothing that's going to shake me.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_00Or change my mind in that. No matter what I see and no matter what I experience. And I might cry through it and I might laugh through it. I might dance through it and I might fall flat on my face through it. But by golly, we're going through it. We're going to walk through it. And you're going to be not just on the other side, but you're going to be on every side.
unknownRight. All around.
SPEAKER_00Because that's who you are. My life is yours. And you are my life. And so, hey, hey, come what may. I'm not going to let that ruin my day. No, sir.
SPEAKER_04No way. I like how you said dance because I believe that we will dance on the watery graves that people have lived in. I believe the people who ha have been in watery graves will dance on those watery graves. And I just thank God that he always, with baptism, with death and life, whatever, he always brings people who are mourning and he turns their mourning into laughter and dancing.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. He sure does. And you know, we just finished up the revelation series and and it talks about how um there are the the saints and the martyrs and those who were who were you know killed and by the beast. And and yet they were they were rejoicing and they were uplifted and they were exalted in heaven. And and and Jesus says, You you overcame. They were the ones that were killed. If your perspective is just temporal, then it looks as if they've lost. But if your perspective is eternal, they haven't lost because they held on. And I think that's the the the beckoning cry for each and every one of us in the church is to say, no matter what I'm walking through here temporally on this earth and in my life, I will not let go. I'm gonna hold on to this truth. I'm gonna dance. I know that I'm gonna dance on those graves because you are the author of life. And this flesh suit that I have is not the end-all be-all. You know, pain may kill my body. They they kill our bodies all day long, right? That's what it says in in Romans that that that we are are are are burned and we are beaten and we are whipped. But I'm convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, no distance, nor all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. And I'm gonna hold on to that truth for all of eternity. And I will live that for all of eternity.
SPEAKER_02Yes, sir.
SPEAKER_00Knowing that you are good in the tears and in the smiles all the time. Every of the times. Every of the times. Thank you for watching slash listening to the cryings and rumblings of the everyday kingdom podcast.
SPEAKER_04It's an everyday kingdom, and every day looks different. Every day looks different.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. But our eyes are always on him. Yes. So thank you for listening today. Hold on. Let your heart be encouraged. And let him cry with you and let him laugh with you in every moment. Let your heart be encouraged. We love you guys. See you next time.