We’ve noted that our response to tragedy must be with compassion and concern, and we must exercise our faith, courage, and confidence in God, who’s promised to never leave us or forsake us. There’s also a third response. 

It’s natural for those faced with sudden calamity to ask, “God why did you allow this to happen?” This question shouldn’t be ignored but instead faced head on. For those of us who know God as our heavenly Father, we’re not afraid to ask Him hard questions. We know that the clear promises found in His Word and seeking to understand why He permits tragedy is an appropriate response.

There are those, however, who believe we should never ask questions of God. This isn’t biblical. Courageous King David often commented on his inability to understand the ways of God and, at times, was forthright in his probing questions of the Father. We can learn the ways of God by seeking to find His answers to the difficult problems and heartaches we experience. We must never leave God out of the equation.

Did God know about the difficulty, calamity, or tragedy before it happened to you? Yes, because He’s omniscient and all-knowing (Ps. 139). Did God initiate this calamity or tragedy? No—but He did permit it to happen. If He knew about these things, then why did He allow them to happen? Think carefully about these questions. Scripture teaches us that God’s throne is established in the heavens and His sovereignty rules over all (see Ps. 103:19). Clearly, we’re told that God is in charge, He’s in control. Period. Nothing happens apart from His knowledge, understanding, and power.

But let’s imagine for a moment that God’s not in control. If He’s not, then who is? If the difficulty or tragedy that occurred in your life couldn’t have been stopped by God, then somewhere out there exists something more powerful than God. And that’s simply not the case! Those of us who’re believers are convinced by experience and faith that there’s no power in this universe equal to our God—and we believe He’s in absolute and total control.

Some, however, will still question, “Why did God allow this to happen?” With all the earnestness in my heart, I respond to you by saying: Ask Him. Prayerfully engage Him with your questions and concerns. He’s committed to respond to the open and truthful heart. He’s not afraid of your questions. And He gives honest answers. As you earnestly seek Him, I guarantee He’ll begin to give you the answers to your questions and, at the same time, start to change and transform your life. You may even find yourself asking Him: “What do you want to teach me through this series of events, Lord?” In my experience, God works good out of even the most difficult of circumstances and promises to give comfort and strength to the most sorrowful heart.

Study Further:

“O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night— but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you. You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me! O God, if only you would destroy the wicked! Get out of my life, you murderers! They blaspheme you; your enemies misuse your name. O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you? Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you? Yes, I hate them with total hatred, for your enemies are my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139:1-24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“The Lord has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭103:19‬ ‭NLT‬‬