When God Doesn't Fix It

by Laura Story

  What a miraculous event! It was too amazing to believe, but they had just seen it with their own eyes. John says that many of those who witnessed believed. But there were some who didn’t. The real question is, What is it that you believe after reading this story?

  Like Mary and Martha, we all have “why” questions that play in our minds when Jesus doesn’t show up like we think he should. When his timing doesn’t fit our own, we often conclude he doesn’t hear us, doesn’t care, or doesn’t love us. But this story shows us that nothing Martha and Mary said or did could have changed Jesus’ timing. And the only thing Jesus asked of Mary and Martha is what he asks of us. “Do you believe this?” (verse 26).

  Jesus doesn’t raise everyone from the dead, but he does raise believers from the dead to spend eternity in heaven with him and God the Father. We were dead in sin, but Jesus came into our lives and revived us, for he is the resurrection and the life. It is through our belief in him that we will see the glory of God, just as Martha and Mary did. And though he doesn’t promise to restore everything on this earth in our time, occasionally we get a glimpse of things being revived. And in that moment, we see the glory of God.

  1. Read John 11:41–46. What reason does Jesus give for performing this miracle?

  2. How did Jesus ultimately answer Mary and Martha’s “why” question? How would this miracle have moved their head knowledge of God to their hearts?

  3. What were the two different reactions among the crowd who had witnessed the miracle? How does this mirror the way people react to Jesus’ message today?

  SESSION FIVE

  A Better Broken

  While our broken circumstances may not change, we can. We do this by clinging to Scripture, discovering who God truly is, being willing to share our story even in the trials, and looking for blessings in our brokenness. We are all broken, but we can have a better story. And a better story begins with using our brokenness.

  LAURA STORY

  Introduction

  Some of the struggles and losses we face can get better. Sickness can go away. Financial instability can eventually stabilize. Relationships can be restored. Spiritually dark times can be followed by the bright presence of God’s grace. Thankfully, some broken times do get better. But not always!

  For Juan and Petra, the hope of “things getting better” was nowhere to be seen. While they were out of state visiting friends, a drunk driver ran down their daughter. They flew home not to watch their only child get better but to watch her pass away. No parent ever expects to outlive a child, to have to plan that child’s funeral. There is no way to prepare for the devastation of such a moment.

  This strong and Christ-loving couple was shattered by the loss of their girl. No prayer could bring her back; there was no simple declaration to make them feel better, no explanation for such random evil. Their hearts were broken, and the tears flowed.

  More than a decade later, Juan and Petra are still married. They still love Jesus, still volunteer joyfully in their local church. And, yes, they are still broken, but it is a better kind of broken. Through the storm they have clung to God, to each other, and to their church community. They have wept an ocean of tears, and God has upheld them every step of the journey.

  Even as you read these words, the testimony of their faith in the furnace can bring glory to God and hope to others walking through the losses and pain of this life.

  Even when our situation does not change for the better, we can change for the better.

  Talk About It

  To get things started for this final session, discuss one of the following questions:

  • Think about someone you know who has walked through deep pain and loss that has simply not gone away. How has God been present in their brokenness?

  or

  • In what ways can God make us better through times of suffering and sorrow, even when we don’t see an end to the pain we are traveling through?

  If there’s one thing I’ve learned walking through hardship, it’s that it’s futile to place our hope in the changing of circumstances.

  Video Teaching Notes

  As you watch the video teaching segment for session five, use the following outline to record anything that stands out to you.

  Things might get better, or they might not . . . but you can get better

  Place your hope in an unchanging God and not in changing circumstances

  Our hope must be found in something sturdier than God altering our circumstances in a way that’s pleasing to us.

  Three lessons you can learn from David’s prayer in Psalm 40:

  • An incorporation of your story

  • A declaration of God’s glory

  • An expectation of the extraordinary

  How your brokenness can find purpose in God’s redemptive plan

  The truth is that we all need Jesus

  What it means to embrace a “better broken”

  Embracing a better broken means that I’m not ashamed to be needy, to be broken, to be in whatever state showcases my desperate need for a Savior. Because the more I embrace my own inability to put myself back together, the more I can experience the healing grace of Jesus as he remakes me into the child of God he wants me to be.

  Bible Study and Video Discussion

  Take a few minutes with your group members to discuss what you just watched and explore these concepts in Scripture.

  1. In the video, Laura tells a story about talking with a woman who had walked with her husband through a life-altering accident. Strangely, their intimate conversation took place in front of a radio audience. Laura says, “We spent an hour sharing our stories of God’s faithfulness and provision.” How are times of struggle and loss a powerful opportunity for us to experience God’s faithfulness and provision?

  Since God is with us during our trials, it is possible to have joy even in our trials. Joy is in the Lord.

  2. Think about a time God showed up and provided for you in some surprising way as you walked through pain and loss. How did God reveal his glory through this experience?

  3. At the end of the interview, the radio host told the woman, “I just know things will get better.” However, Laura said, “I am not going to tell you things will get better. Honestly, it is possible that they might even get worse. But I believe you can get better!” How do these two statements reveal a different theology and understanding of what the Bible teaches about God and our suffering?

  4. How do you think this woman might have responded to Laura’s unique and honest declaration to her?

  To get better in our brokenness, we have to replace the lies with the truth.

  5. How do you respond to this statement: “Our lasting hope and joy must be founded on the unchanging person of Jesus”? What are ways we can make sure our lives are not built on the shaky foundation of changing circumstances but on the rock-solid person of Jesus?

  6. Read Acts 16:16–31. What were Paul and his companions doing that led to their being beaten up and locked in jail? How did Paul and Silas respond to the unjust suffering and abuse they faced? How is their journey a picture of a better brokenness?

  Joy does not come from our circumstances; it comes from our God.

  7. Read Psalm 40:1–3. How is David’s story and testimony woven into this simple song of trust and confidence? Given what you know of David’s story in the Bible, how was he broken? How did God lead him and grow him through the times of pain, loss, and sorrow that he faced?

  8. Share some of your story. How has God met you in times of brokenness? How has he made you better and more like Jesus through your struggles and pain?

  Our joy must be found in the person of Jesus; for that’s the only thing in life that is truly stable.

  9. Read Psalm 103:1–2 and
Psalm 34:1–3. While in jail, Paul and Silas sang out praise to God and gave witness to Jesus. In the midst of the pit and struggles, David still declared the glory of God. What are ways that we, with authentic hearts, can proclaim the glory of God in times of loss, sorrow, and pain?

  10. Why are worship and praise difficult during times of suffering and hurt? Why are those actions helpful and necessary during hard times?

  Things don’t have to get better; we can get better!

  11. David expected God to do extraordinary things. In Psalm 40:3 he proclaimed, “Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.” In Acts, Paul and Silas saw the amazing glory of God as a revival broke out in the home of the jailer, and the jailer’s family came to faith in the Savior. How can God do extraordinary things as we faithfully cling to him in our own hard times?

  12. Think about a time when you clung to God through a painful season and he did something in you that would not have happened if you had not walked through the furnace hand-in-hand with Jesus. What did you learn from that situation?

  13. The greatest example of a better broken is Jesus. How is his suffering for our sins and his sacrifice on the cross a perfect picture of undeserved brokenness that became an opportunity for God’s glory to be revealed?

  14. How can fixing our eyes on Jesus in the midst of our struggles help us keep the right perspective, attitude, and response to what we are facing?

  15. As you wrap up this small group study, how can your group members pray for you, support you, and encourage you as you seek to hold to Jesus during your times of pain and struggle?

  Isn’t it amazing that no matter how far we run, or how deep we sink in the pit of our own destruction, God’s strong arm of redemption always reaches farther? Praise God for this truth!

  Closing Prayer

  Use the prompts below to guide your group in a time of prayer together:

  • Thank God for the times you seek his face in prayer and cry out in your times of need and he shows up and delivers you.

  • Praise God for the times when the deliverance does not come, but the Deliverer does come and stands with you in your struggle.

  • Praise God that in the midst of changing circumstances, his love and faithfulness never change.

  • Declare prayers of praise and glory to God for his perfect love and sovereign wisdom.

  • Ask God to help you see his redemptive plan even when you are suffering and struggling.

  • Celebrate the amazing example of Jesus, the One who was broken and who makes you better, no matter how hard life can be.

  FINAL PERSONAL STUDY

  Reflect on the content covered in this fifth session by exploring the following material from the Bible and from When God Doesn’t Fix It.

  Day One: Unwavering Faith

  In the video this week, Laura discussed Psalm 40:1–3, written by King David—a man who was no stranger to pain. This simple song illustrates three ways we can live out a “better broken.” First, when David found himself in the “slimy pit” of misfortune and sin, rather than wallowing in it, he looked upward and allowed the Lord to lift him out. Second, rather than becoming embittered about the hard road he had walked, he chose to bless the name of the Lord. Third, he embraced his adversities with an expectation of the extraordinary. He looked forward to how God would display his power through his own broken story.

  There is another man in the Bible who faced his own share of struggles, tragedies, disappointments, and pain, and also ended with a “better broken” story. The story of Joseph is a fascinating read, and if you’ve never read it in its entirety, you should. It’s a narrative of a man who underwent significant trials yet remained faithful to God and was extraordinarily blessed in ways he never could have anticipated.

  The story begins in Genesis 37. Jacob lived in the land of Canaan where his father, Isaac, and his grandfather, Abraham, had lived. He had twelve sons (and at least one daughter) through his wives, of which Joseph was his favorite. This angered Joseph’s other brothers, who decided to sell him into slavery, fake his death, and tell their father that Joseph had died. Nice start to the story, huh?

  Joseph was taken to Egypt where he was sold to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials. Though he had gone from the comfort of being the beloved son to now being a slave, the Bible reminds us that God was with him. Soon, Joseph found favor in his master’s eyes and was put in charge of Potiphar’s household. That sounds great, until we learn that Potiphar’s wife took notice of the handsome lad. She tried to seduce Joseph, but he rejected her, and she turned on him. Her lies sent Joseph to prison.

  But once again, God was with him. Joseph found favor not only with his prison inmates but also with his prison guard. Though he was in prison for years, his faith didn’t waver. During his imprisonment, Joseph was noticed for his ability to interpret dreams. Eventually, he was called on to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams. His interpretation showed divine insight, and Joseph, despite his years of miserable circumstances, gave God all the credit.

  It was clear to Pharaoh that Joseph had divine insight into the future. So Pharaoh put him in charge of Egypt to ensure that the country would survive the upcoming famine. As a result, they both profited greatly.

  1. Read Genesis 37:18–28 and 39:1–20. What events led to Joseph being taken to Egypt and then thrown into prison?

  2. Joseph acted with integrity in his dealings with Potiphar’s wife, yet he nevertheless suffered the consequences of her wrath. Why do you think God allowed him to be thrown into prison even though he did the right thing?

  3. How did God reveal that he was with Joseph in spite of the trials he was facing? What does this tell us about how God operates in the trials we face?

  Day Two: Out of Control

  Stop and think about the trials Joseph endured and the circumstances that were beyond his control. He couldn’t stop his brothers from selling him into slavery. Even though he did the right thing with Potiphar’s wife, he couldn’t prevent her making accusations that led to his being thrown in prison. Nor could he get out of prison on his own. Even when Pharaoh asked him to interpret his dreams, it wasn’t because Joseph had orchestrated those circumstances.

  If you had no control over your circumstances, saw few of your prayers being answered, and witnessed your trials getting successively worse, would you have been as faithful as Joseph? Would you have still trusted in God? Yet we know God was with Joseph, and it was God who restored him. Do you believe God can do the same for you?

  The story could stop right there, and it would be enough. Bad stuff happened to Joseph, and God restored him with a better position and with wealth, power, and fame. But God saw the broken relationship between Joseph and his brothers, and he wanted to redeem that as well. Once again, only God could make it happen.

  During the famine, Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt groveling for food. Joseph wisely tested their intentions before revealing himself as their long-lost sibling. Once he did, a grand reunion ensued, and they brought Dad to Egypt where they all lived happily ever after. At the end of the story, Joseph had gone full circle from beloved son and hated brother, to slave, back to beloved son, and now to the forgiving brother. But again, it wasn’t Joseph who did any of this. God did.

  God went on to use Joseph’s trials to bring about redemption for his entire family and for the nation of Israel. God used Joseph to save the entire region from death by starvation. Joseph’s role in this story was to be faithful, even during the trials.

  But that’s not all.

  1. Read Genesis 41:41–46 and 41:53–57. How did God use the trials Joseph had suffered to prepare him to take command of Egypt? How did God use him to save many others?

  2. What do you think would have happened if Joseph had turned his back on God during his trials? Who would have suffere
d in addition to Joseph?

  3. In what ways was God working “behind the scenes” in Joseph’s life? How may he be doing the same in a trial you are currently facing?

  Day Three: All Worth It

  God used the restoration of Joseph’s family to bring salvation to all of us. For it is through Joseph’s lineage that Jesus was born. Imagine that! Joseph suffered, yet he was faithful and trusted that God was with him. As a result, he not only helped save his family and his nation, but ultimately his faithfulness resulted in our salvation as well.

  Were his trials worth it? His family would say so. The Israelites would say so. And we would say so. Though Joseph went through some pretty rough years, if we could ask him, he would say it was all worth it. How do we know this? Because even during his trials, he kept his faith in God despite the fact that he didn’t know the outcome.

  Would your trials be worth it if you knew the outcome? Are they worth it now while you’re still experiencing brokenness? What could God be doing in your life while you’re spending years in the prison of addiction, grief, or fear?

  When we go through trials, it’s easy for us to pray for such things as our protection, our health, and our own happiness. But God has more planned for us than those things we hold so close to our hearts. He’s asking us if we’ll still believe in him even if our life isn’t comfortable, our days are filled with trials, our prayers aren’t answered as we like, and our dreams die. He’s asking us to have faith, despite our trials, because he has more good planned for us than we could ever hope for or imagine. As the Lord said through the prophet Jeremiah: