Joel Beeke

One of the greatest joys in writing is that books reach people who the author never meets in person. Here are some men who are friends of one of our theological students from Paraguay. They just sent this picture to him from Nepal, telling him that they are studying “Reformed Systematic Theology” (by Paul Smalley and me), adding, “This book has helped us to see the beauty of Christ our Lord Jesus and to grow more deeply into Reformed theology.” SDG!

The Queen and I are leaving this afternoon for me to speak five times over the weekend at First Baptist Church, 125 S. Turnbaugh St., Puxico, MO, pastored by Justin Miller (“For His Glory Conference.”) Your prayers are again treasured.

This post was written with heartfelt prayers for those grieving after the school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee. May God strengthen your hearts with grace, and may His people wrap arms of love around you to hold you up in this very dark time.

How should Christians respond when tragedy strikes someone we love? There are many ways to answer that question. At first, we simply react to the pain. We may weep, sob, pray, lament, wail, or fall into the arms of friends. But as time passes, our minds emerge from the shock of traumatic loss and the fog of exhaustion, and we begin to search for answers—truths to which we can cling. We need solid ground on which to stand and rebuild our lives, the foundations provided in God’s Word. In this blog post, we will present some of those truths in the desire that they may help the mourning to find comfort, strength, and hope.

1. God did not create a world of tragedy and death.

After calamity strikes, our hearts may cry out, “Why?” It helps us to remember that God did not make the world to be this way. After God created the heavens and the earth and all they contain, including the human race, “God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good” (Gen. 1:31). The Lord God made man and woman for paradise. Death came because of sin, disobedience to God’s command (2:15–17; 3:19; Rom. 5:12). As we grieve over suffering and death, let that grief drive us to hate sin and turn to God. God is perfectly and entirely good. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17).

2. We now live in a dangerous world because mankind is evil.

Tragedy, when the cause is human, reminds us that we are fooling ourselves if we think that people are basically good. Paul describes our state after our fall into sin: “There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God” (Rom. 3:10–11). People may express their dark impulses in violence: “Their feet are swift to shed blood: destruction and misery are in their ways: and the way of peace have they not known: there is no fear of God before their eyes” (vv. 15–18). We should be thankful that sinners may still care about their friends and family (Matt. 5:46–47; 7:11). But we must realize that others are so hardened by sin as to be “without natural affection” (Rom. 1:31; 2 Tim. 3:3).

3. Faithful Christians can suffer heart-breaking losses.

We might want to believe, and some preachers will tell us, that if we just trust God and do what is right, tragedy will never strike our lives. But that is a lie. Job was an upright, God-fearing man who turned away from sin (Job 1:1). However, he suffered the death of his children, financial disaster, and painful medical problems. To make matters worse, his wife turned against him, and his friends told him he was to blame. We, too, can blame ourselves. We begin to wonder whether things would be different if only we had “done this better” or been “wiser about that.” We may think that God is punishing us for our sins. On the contrary, we need to remind ourselves that sorrow comes to the righteous and the wicked (Eccles. 9:2).

4. Christians need not live in fear, for God is still in control.

What people did to the righteous Son of God was horrific—the supreme atrocity in the long history of humanity’s atrocities. But the apostles declared that the wicked did only what God in His purpose and power had “determined before to be done” (Acts 4:28). Thus, the apostles prayed for “all boldness” to stand for Christ and His kingdom (v. 29). The Christian can develop the ability to see all events on two levels: man’s responsibility and God’s sovereignty. Sinners have their evil purposes. But God rules over all for His good and wise purposes. Therefore, Christians can say by faith to those who have wronged us, “Ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good” (Gen. 50:20). And we can face the future knowing that “all things work together for good to them that love God,” so that even if “we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. . . . we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Rom. 8:28, 36–37).

5. We cannot understand the depth of God’s purposes.

We may be tempted to try to figure out the reason why evil events take place. But that is a burden too great for a mere creature to bear. Only God can fully understand God. For a while, Job demanded a meeting with the Almighty so that he could lay out his complaints and demand answers. But when the Lord came in His majesty, Job put his hand over his mouth and acknowledged that he didn’t know what he was talking about (Job 40:1–5; 42:1–6). Though it is humbling, it is also liberating to recognize that we don’t need to know why things happen. It is better for us to embrace Christ’s profound words in John 13:7, “What I do now thou knowest not, but thou shalt know hereafter.” Then we can simply take the posture of a worshiper and exclaim with Paul, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” (Rom. 11:33).

6. In any trial, we can find in Jesus Christ the grace we need.

Consider Christ. He suffered the sinful rage of man and the holy justice of God, for He bore our sins (Isa. 53:3, 5–6). He has the power to give us the grace to bear our sufferings (Heb. 2:18). Child of God, Jesus is with you in your pain, and He never ceases to intercede for you (7:25). He understands how you feel, for He also suffered deeply (4:15). Even if you were to lose everything, the Lord will be your portion, and He is the best portion of all (Ps. 73:25–26). O believer, as much as your affliction may pierce and break you, would it not be worth it if it makes you more like Christ so that you may know and enjoy Him in a far greater way? Fix your eyes upon Jesus and follow Him. (For more on this subject, see my, “Consider Christ in Affliction” [2009], at the Reformation21 blog.)

7. Dear afflicted believer, wait on the Lord.

In the end, no answers given in this world are sufficient. But Christians are pilgrims on their way to meet Him who is the Answer. Trust Him, submit to His will, and hope that He will make all things right. “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord” (Ps. 27:14). Learn by grace to say with Job in your darkest hour, “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). Though the righteous suffer many afflictions, the Lord is near to the broken-hearted and He will save those who trust in Him (Ps. 34:18–19). And in due time, you will see His glory (John 17:24).

–Joel Beeke and Paul Smalley

Enjoy this free Ebook on grieving to God’s glory: https://www.heritagebooks.org/products/how-can-i-grieve-to-gods-glory-cultivating-biblical-godliness-mcgraw-ebook.html

Here’s a quote from my most recent sermon, “Gethsemane’s King-Lord-Priest-Lamb.”

You can listen to the whole sermon here:
https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=31023235838790

Ten days ago when I was speaking at a conference for Faith Free Presbyterian Church in Greenville, South Carolina, I was called to come up front to unveil an amazingly beautiful bust of William Perkins, often called “the father of Puritanism,” that a member of their church, Jodie Barnes, had sculptured as a gift for our William Perkins Library at Puritan Reformed Seminary. Pastor Jeff Johnson of Grand Rapids graciously brought the bust home with him from Greenville yesterday, and then over to us a few minutes ago at the end of our prayer time, where it was unveiled a second time and enjoyed by some of our faculty and staff (photo 1). Having worked for nearly ten years on editing and printing “The Works of William Perkins” (10 vols., Reformation Heritage Books), and having lectured on him often, I was delighted to receive Mr. Perkins together with my Queen (photo 2). We decided to place him in our Puritan Research Center (PRC), which houses one of the world’s largest collections of Puritan writings, just beside an early 17^th-century collection of his complete works that Charles Spurgeon owned (his personal seal is in each volume) and later A. W. Pink possessed (who sprinkled his pencil marks of approval throughout). In photo 3, I am pointing to this old, rare, nostalgic set of his writings under glass in the PRC. Many thanks to Jodie Barnes for her fine work!

Above all, may God bless the rich heritage of Perkins and the Puritans that, happily, is increasingly being treasured around the world today, and that He would turn many theological students into God-blessed ministers of the gospel who would carry on the biblical, Reformed, experiential, and practical tradition in our contemporary and needy day that Perkins so faithfully proclaimed by his life, voice, and pen until God took him home at the tender age of 44. SDG!

Please join Paul Washer, Scott Brown, me, and other speakers for the Church and Family Life Conference in Ridgecrest, NC, May 4-6, for a conference on the Chief End of Man—which is, of course, to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. I will be speaking on the evening of May 4 on “Glorifying and Enjoying God in Your Childhood Years.”

You can register here: https://churchandfamilylife.com/events/627c1b2263b576f39dc65266

The Lord willing, I hope to see you there!

Last night we attended the happy wedding of two believers: David Diemer (a member of our church) and Julia Boot (a member of a local URC that is pastored by one of our seminary graduates, Rev. Eric VanderMolen). My good friend and seminary colleague, Rev. Mark Kelderman, officiated the wedding, expounding the beautiful passage of Romans 8:28-39. Pray for David and Julia, please, that their marriage may richly exemplify the relationship between Jesus Christ and His living church.

P.S. Thanks to the five of you for offering to drive the sculpture of Perkins up to Grand Rapids from South Carolina—that was more than I expected. I gave the opportunity to ride with Perkins to a good friend who offered and who I’ve known for many years, but many thanks to each of you for offering to help us out.

***Giveaway*** Sign up here: https://kingsumo.com/g/rmnfsm/carr-church-history-bundle

I am excited to announce that Simonetta Carr’s “Church History,” an RHB publication, has won Best Children’s Non-fiction Book of the Year from WORLD Magazine!

To celebrate, RHB is giving away incredible prizes to five winners:

-1x First place winner will receive the Ultimate Simonetta Carr Bundle— Church History + the 20-volume set of Christian Biographies for Young Readers + the complete lineup of Bindery House x RHB coffee
-4x Second prize winners will receive one copy of Church History + the complete lineup of Bindery House x RHB coffee

And congratulations to you, Simonetta! Every continued blessing of God on your writing career for God’s glory and the good of young and old!

The Queen and I are back home safely from our two conferences in Greenville, S.C.  I am still amazed at the surprise gift I was privileged to unveil at Faith Free Presbyterian Church last Saturday—a stunning sculpture of William Perkins, known as “the father of the Puritans,” beautifully done by Jodi Barnes—many, many thanks to her!

I am wondering if some kind soul who might happen to be driving from Greenville, S.C. to Grand Rapids, MI in the next few months, might be willing to take Mr. Perkins with him/her and bring him to our William Perkins Library at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary where he will find a very good home in the Puritan Resource Center! The sculpture is not heavy; it is perhaps 2 feet high and just over 1 foot wide, but we don’t dare send him in the mail or by UPS. We will wrap up Mr. Perkins carefully and place him temporarily inside of a box for you. All you need to do is drive carefully and let him ride with you. He will not disturb you along the way; in fact, he won’t say a word to you. Be assured that we would be most grateful and also be happy to remunerate you a reasonable amount for letting Mr. Perkins ride with you! 

Yesterday was another long but very good day for Mary and me in Greenville, South Carolina. I was privileged to preach four times (3x for Faith Free Presbyterian Church [FFPC] and 1x for Greenville Presbyterian Church [GPC]), and we shared in fellowship meals with the GPC for lunch (photo 1 with their pastor, Rev. Rob McCurley) and with the FFPC for dinner, plus visiting with dozens of old and new friends, including Hal and Elaine and Joseph and Judith (photo 2). We left the lovely Thomassian family (photo 3) to fly home after a full and blessed weekend. Pray that God will continue to bless these dear pastors and their dear church families.   

RHB has two new books in stock by our seminary graduates that I would like to strongly commend to you. Both are published under an imprint of Crown and Covenant.
The first is by Rev. Kyle Borg, pastor of the Winchester Reformed Presbyterian Church in Winchester, Kansas, and is titled: “What is Love?”. It sheds good gospel light on 1 Corinthians 13.
https://www.heritagebooks.org/products/what-is-love-borg.html
The second is by Dr. Nathan Eshelman, pastor of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Orlando, “I Have a Confession: The What and Why of the Westminster Confession of Faith,” which dispels caricatures and shows how the confession promotes gospel clarity.
https://www.heritagebooks.org/products/i-have-a-confession-the-what-and-why-of-the-westminster-confession-of-faith-eshelman.html