How Can You Believe?

I believe in my God but I'm aware that there are many people that do not.

One of the most common questions that is posed to believers is "If God is really there why does he let bad things happen to us? Why doesn't he stop the world's suffering?"

This is something that I have pondered on for a long time.

Who can help but become emotional when watching the events in Libya and Japan? Seeing desperate people in impossible situations. I'm sure that I'm not the only one that sees this happening and thinks that I must do something to help, after all "Of whom much is given, much is required." Have we not been given plenty? Does not the Lord bless us with greater abundance every day of our lives? Who are we, then, to withhold from others in need?

But this is a diversion from the meaning of my post.

Non-believers may look at these events and ask "If God exists, why doesn't he help those people?" My response? "How do you know he isn't?"

The first presidency message in the Ensign this month discusses our attitude towards situations. Yes a lot of bad things have happened in Japan this last week and much of the focus has been on that but, what about the people that survived. What about those miraculous stories that show that God really has had a hand in these events? I just saw, on the news, a story about a girl that was certain that her father had been killed in the Tsunami. She climbed to higher ground but he didn't make it, he was swept away from her. She was certain that he was dead and grieved. However, three days later she found him in a hospital, alive and healing.

Heavenly Father allows us to be tested, he allows the world to go through things like this but he doesn't stay his hand. I'm convinced that, rather than sitting and watching these events unfolding, he has been there with his angels amongst the people of Japan. He has been saving and nurturing those in need.

We are his children. As children we are often left to cope with things on our own but how much worse would things be if he never interceded? The miracles of survival that we hear are not coincidence. He continually stretches his hands out in mercy and love. The loss of life is heartbreaking but how many live today because they were protected by Him this time last week?