Is God Punishing Us?

When I have a moment to myself, I wonder why God has allowed this pandemic to happen.

 Is God angry with us?

 Is God punishing us?

Some people say he is, and that we deserve this. That makes me feel guilty about what’s happening.

 Does God still love us, or has he turned his back on us?

The Bible tells us about a man named Job, who experienced one disaster after another. He lost every one of his beloved children, his financial security was wiped out, and he was miserably sick. Some of Job’s friends insisted he must have done something very bad to cause God to punish him.

Job’s friend Eliphaz even said:

Who, being innocent, has ever perished?
Where were the upright ever destroyed?
As I have observed, those who plow evil
and those who sow trouble reap it.
At the breath of God they perish;
at the blast of his anger they are no more.
Job 4:7–9

Imagine how Job felt after that bit of “encouragement”! But God said Job’s friend was wrong. God wasn’t sending tragedies Job’s way. Tragic events and difficult times that bring great suffering can happen to anyone. And when those times come, we can count on God’s continued love for us.

I remember my affliction and my wandering,

 the bitterness and the gall.

I well remember them,

and my soul is downcast within me.

 Yet this I call to mind

and therefore I have hope:

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,

For his compassions never fail.

 They are new every morning;

 great is your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:19–23

Fear that we have brought disaster upon ourselves is a heavy burden. Because of God’s unfailing love for us, we don’t have to carry that weight. We can find rest in the comfort of his love.

Share with God what his love for you means during this time.