SEEKING GOD IN CHAOS

 WHERE CAN WE FIND GOD IN TIMES OF CHAOS?

A Biblical Perspective

The timeless inquiry has echoed throughout human history: “If God is benevolent, why does He permit so much evil, suffering, and devastation in the world?” Some even go as far as to reject the existence of God, suggesting that pain contradicts His reality or His love. However, the Scriptures present a sobering yet freeing truth: the suffering in the world stems not from a malicious God, but from humanity's rebellion, decisions, and estrangement from the One who brings tranquility. Below are seven scriptural arguments that directly challenge the mindset that questions, “Where is God?”

Argument 1: Death and suffering are not enjoyable to God

God has a clear heart. He does not take pleasure in suffering or devastation. According to Lamentations 3:33, "for he does not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men." Similarly, in Ezekiel 33:11, He declares that He does not rejoice in the demise of the wicked but exhorts everyone to turn from their sins and live. God would exult in disaster if He were malevolent, but the Bible shows otherwise. God wants to be merciful, not to destroy.

Argument 2: The effects of man's sin are felt by him

Nations experience instability not because God commands it, but because sin always finds its way back to the sinner. "Be certain that your transgression will be discovered" (Numbers 32:23). According to Obadiah 1:15, a man's actions will come back to haunt him. In terms of judgment, sin is a seed that constantly produces fruit. It is man's resistance, not God's harshness, that is causing the world to groan in disarray.

Argument 3: The works of the flesh bring destruction

The turmoil we see springs from hearts controlled by lust, hatred, and unbelief. Galatians 5 lists the works of the flesh—adultery, idolatry, wrath, envyings, murders—and warns that those who do such things cannot inherit the kingdom of God. James 2:26 ties it together: just as a body without spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead. When people live without God, fleshly passions steer them into ruin.

Argument 4: Conflict results from man's animosity against God

The carnal mentality is described as "enmity against God" in Romans 8:6–7, and a natural man is unable to receive the things of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14). Paul chastises the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 3:3 for being carnal, divided, and envious. James 4:1–3 goes one step further: inward lusts are the root cause of wars and conflicts. Such conflicts are the product of man, not God. To reject God is to choose conflict.

Argument 5: When a man trusts himself, he is sentenced to death.

In 2 Corinthians 1:9, Paul acknowledges that "we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead." When people place their faith in their own flesh, problems arise. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways, according to James 1:8. The results of chaos include pride, desire, envy, arrogance, and unbelief. Man, not God, is the cause of chaos.

Argument 6: God wants to restore, not destroy

God does not strike to destroy, but to heal. Isaiah 19:22 states that the LORD will both strike and heal Egypt. God urges His people to return (Jeremiah 3:22), loves freely (Hosea 14:4), and provides the kingdom with healing (Luke 10:9). Sin is a sign that we need to be healed, as Psalm 41:4 exclaims, "Heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee." God restores; the devil destroys, steals, and kills.

Argument 7: Only in the Spirit of God is there true life.

Everything falls into vanity in the absence of God. "They labor in vain to build the house, except the LORD" (Psalm 127:1). According to Psalm 62:9, "Man in his highest state is lighter than vanity." God, on the other hand, operates by His Spirit rather than human strength (Zechariah 4:6). While worldly grief ends in death, Godly sorrow leads to repentance and life (2 Corinthians 7:10). Man is recreated in the Spirit of God and bears fruit that lasts. There is only destruction outside of God.

Argument #8: Despite God's love for the world, it rejects and hates him

God's love seen in Christ is the strongest evidence that He has never abandoned humanity. The idea that chaos is an indication of God's absence is disproved by John 3:16, which states unequivocally: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Rather, it serves as a reminder that His love endures despite the chaos and wrath in the world.

However, humanity's response—rather than God's love—is the issue. "I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world," Jesus said in John 17:14, anticipating this rejection. Man's revolt has always been characterized by opposition to the light and hatred of the truth. In other words, God's presence is not absent—rather, it is resisted—as John 15:18 affirms: "If the world hates you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you." Though the world frequently favors the darkness, his word illuminates.

So, in a chaotic world, where is God? He has always been there, calling them back, bringing about peace, healing, and salvation. The chaos demonstrates man's rejection of God's presence rather than His absence. God never intended for His creation to die, suffer, or be conceited. Man created them. However, in His kindness, God continues to grant life by Christ. "Where is God?" is not the question, instead, "Will man come back to Him?"