Where Is God in the Middle of This?

My prayers are with the families in Texas who have been affected by the flooding. Some are mourning the loss of loved ones. Others are still searching. Many are left wondering how they will ever rebuild their lives.

Tragedies like this lead to serious questions. Could the government have prevented it? Is this the result of cloud seeding?

But one question rises above them all: Where is God?

That is not a small question. It is real, and it deserves a real answer. It is also one of the hardest questions a Bible teacher can be asked. I will do my best to answer it with an honest view of Scripture.

Truth 1: The Bible Does Not Hide from Pain

The Bible does not offer a sugar coated view of life. It does not speak in catchy slogans or pretend that everything is always great.

Instead, it speaks honestly about a broken world. Romans 8:22 says,

the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs.

This is not just poetry. It is a reality. Ever since mankind turned away from God in Genesis 3, creation has been under a curse. Death entered, pain was multiplied, and even the ground itself was affected.

The world became a place where beauty and disaster live side by side. We see mountains, oceans, and sunlight... but we also see cancer, earthquakes, and floods.

The Bible never says we will escape tragedy. It says we should expect it.

Truth 2: Atheism Has No Hope to Offer

In moments of tragedy, the difference between belief and unbelief becomes very clear.

Atheism can observe suffering, but it cannot explain it. It can name pain, but it cannot redeem it. It may offer temporary words of sympathy, but it has no lasting hope to give.

According to atheism, the flood in Texas is nothing more than nature running its course... no purpose, no justice, no ultimate comfort.

But the human soul knows better. Deep within, we search for meaning. We ask why. We long for restoration. We want more than survival... we want hope.

That hope cannot be found in a godless universe. It can only be found in the God who made us, sees us, and entered into our suffering through Christ.

Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 4:13,

And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.

Grief is real, and it is right to mourn. But for those who know Christ, sorrow does not have the final word.

We mourn, but not as the world mourns. We lose, but not without the promise of restoration. We suffer, but not without the presence of our Savior.

The world offers questions. Christ offers Himself.

Truth 3: God Is Not Absent in Disaster

The presence of suffering does not mean the absence of God. And it certainly does not mean that He does not care.

In his book Where Is God in a Coronavirus World?, Professor John Lennox writes,

"If God is incarnate, what is he doing on a cross. Well, it at the very least means that God has not remained distant from human pain and suffering but has himself experienced it."

God does not owe us all the reasons. But He has already given us something better than an explanation. He gave us Himself.

The Christian faith does not teach that God stays at a distance while we suffer. It teaches that God stepped into our suffering.

Jesus did not avoid pain. He experienced it fully. He wept at the tomb of a friend (John 11:35). He was rejected, mocked, beaten, and crucified. Isaiah 53 calls Him “a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.”

So when we cry, we do not cry to a stranger. We cry to a Savior who understands every tear.

Truth 4: To the Hurting, the Scared, and the Angry

To the families displaced by the flood: God sees you. Your pain is not invisible. He is near.

To those living in fear: God has not gone silent. Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart.”

And to those who are angry, bitter, or looking for someone to blame: God can handle your emotions. You can bring your frustration to Him. You can ask hard questions.

But do not stop there. Look past the questions, and look to the cross. Jesus bore the full weight of the world’s sin and sorrow so that one day He could remove it forever.

Revelation 21:4 says,

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Truth 5: Hope Is Not a Fantasy... It Is a Person

Hope is not wishful thinking. It is not pretending things are not bad. Real hope is grounded in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Lennox writes again:

"Therefore, a Christian is not so much a person who has solved the problem of pain, suffering, and the coronavirus, but one who has come to love and trust a God who has himself suffered.

This changes how we face hardship. It means we are never alone... not in disaster, not in grief, and not in confusion. God has entered into our suffering through Christ, and He remains near to those who call on Him.

Psalm 46:1 says,

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

God does not always remove the pain, but He never removes His presence. He is always near.

Conclusion: We Grieve, But Not Without Hope

Nothing we say can reverse the damage that has been done. But the truth can still bring comfort.

God has not abandoned Texas. He has not abandoned you. The cross proves His love. The resurrection proves His power. And His presence, even in tragedy, is real.

Until He comes to make all things new, we grieve... but not without hope. We help each other. We hold on to the truth. And we trust the One who cannot be moved, even when everything else is shaken.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.

Book Referenced:John C. Lennox, Where Is God in a Coronavirus World? (The Good Book Company, 2020), pp. 44