Tragedies Make Good Headlines - Abigail Skelton

Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But God does not take away life. Instead, he devises ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him. 2 Samuel 14:14 NIV

Every time a newspaper runs a story of a murder or a fatal crash, I’m immediately sucked into the article. Tragedies make good headlines. 

Even when I read the Bible, the violent stories in the Old Testament capture my attention far quicker than the beautiful sections of prose and poetry. Maybe this says something about me. Or perhaps, this says something about humanity.

We are 100% mortal. And when life gets too comfortable, we can start to forget that. Ferocious crimes and tragic accidents shock us back into the terrible reality of living in a sinful world. A heartbreaking world. All too often, these grim reminders of human mortality leave me distressed. I ask, “Why God? Why so much death?” 

Joab, David’s military commander, reminded the king about God’s character, even in the bitter reality of political coups and vicious murders. 

We live in a fallen world, and death is an effect. But even thousands of years before Jesus came to rescue the banished and estranged, God was still at work, devising ways to bring people to him. He even sent prophets to unbelieving nations to warn them of destruction. (Think Jonah and the city of Nineveh). God worked miracles and appointed righteous leaders. 

And the good news is that God remains the same. He is still at work devising ways so that a banished person may not remain estranged from him.

Joab’s first statement is true: One day we must die. But God is not taking away life for fun. He wants us to know him and the life of freedom that only he brings. Additionally, God promises an antidote to the death and tragedies of the world: eternal life with Jesus. 

Be one of those devised ways that brings those around you closer to Jesus.

Abigail Skelton is from beautiful Southern Oregon, where she grew up with an avid love for Jesus, chocolate, and writing. She has lived in three countries while involved in missionary work and frequently travels and studies foreign languages. You can connect with Abigail on her website: https://abigailskelton.com.

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