Sunday Chima And God’s Answer

Sunday Chima buried his face in the family Bible in the comfort of his mothers bed. Sunday struggled to make out the words distorted by the tears which flowed from his eyes. The Bible still smelled like a mix of Old Spice and smoke from the fire. Sunday coughed and pressed his head against the pages. “I miss you Baaba. God, why did you take Baaba? What do you mean by…”

The door creaked open. “Sunday, What is going on?”

“I’m just reading Neene.”

“What are you reading Sunday?”

Sunday hung his head. “Well I’m more crying than reading. I started reading Psalm 22. I miss Baaba.”

“He was brave.”

“He was foolish. He didn’t have to stay behind. What about us?”

“If he didn’t stay behind, there would be a hundred families without baabiraaɓe and neeniraaɓe. And we wouldn’t have any Bibles to learn God’s Word.”

“But why didn’t God stop those Muslims from burning the church in the first place?”

“I don’t know Sunday. I miss him too.” She whipped her eyes. “But, I know God will make things right.”

Sunday slammed the Bible on the bed. “How?”

“Because he already has. Read to me that Psalm you were reading.”

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;  “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts  On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb you have been my God.  Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.”

“Stop. That was verses one though ten wasn’t it?”

“Yep?”

“Do you know what that means?”

“We’ll I feel like God has abandoned me.”

“The Psalms are prayers and songs to God. They were used in Israelite worship. This was written one thousand years before Jesus. Do you know what this has to do with Jesus?”

“Not really. I never really listened when Baaba preached.”

Sunday’s mother laughed. “That’s ok. I did. These were some of the last words of Jesus on the cross.”

“Really?”

“Yes, Jesus said these words when he was paying for your sin. Read verses twelve through eighteen.”

“Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me; they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet— I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.”

“That is exactly what happened to Jesus. He was mocked for claiming to be the Messiah and the Son of God. He was scourged and bleed profusely. His bones were all out of joint because the shock of the cross would have dislocated his bones and his arm would have been pulled out of socket when they hammered in the nail. The scourging would have removed flesh off of his bones and expose them. The nails would have pierced his hands and feet, he would have been dehydrated, hense the tounge sticking to the roof of his mouth …”

Sunday felt sick. “No more.”

“Sorry Sunday. He even had his cloths gambled over. All this took place to a T one thousand years after it was written.

“So how does that answer my question?”

“God had Jesus be the answer to all of our suffering by taking on all of our suffering.”

“What?”

“I can feel your pain because I also lost my husband in the fire. God can feel our pain because he lost His innocent, holy Son, to the hands of evil wicked men.”

“I’m glad that God understands me, but how does he fix it?”

Jesus didn’t just come to suffer with us. He came to fix our biggest problem.”

“What is that?”

“Sin. Our first parents Adam and Eve threw the whole world into sin. God had to curse the earth because of that. God must punish sin. The payment for sin is death and eternity in Hell.”

“So God would have to send sinners to Hell?”

“Yes, and the Bible says everyone is a sinner. No one is good.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“How many lies have you told in your life?”

“Well maybe a few.”

“What would you call me if I told you a few lies?”

“A liar.”

“So you are?”

Sunday sighed. “A liar.”

“Do you know the Bible says all liars will have their part in the Lake of Fire?”

Sunday’s eyes opened wide. “So I’m going to Hell?”

“Does that concern you?”

Sunday nodded.

“Well Psalm 22 tells you what Jesus did so you don’t have to go to Hell.”

“Jesus dying on the cross keeps me from going to Hell?”

“Yes. It is like a court case. We are guilty of sin. Jesus died on the cross to pay our fine. Though we are guilty, God can legally dismiss our case.”

“Really?”

“All we have to do is to turn from our sin and trust in Jesus’ sacrifice to save us. Then we call out to God to save us.”

“And that answers the question on how God is going to make all things right?”

“We can trust that God is going to make all things right in the end because He has already solved our greatest need; our salvation. He promised to save us from sin then He did. He promised to make all things right when Jesus comes back, and He will.”

“When your father stood up to those Muslims, got everybody out of the church, and saved the Bibles, he went to heaven when the church collapsed on him. He trusted in Jesus to forgive him of his sin and one day we will meet him in heaven, if you turn from your sin and trust in Jesus.”

Sunday sobbed and held his hands up. “God I’m a sinner. I should not lie. I’m sorry for being angry with you. Please forgive me of my sin. I trust in Jesus to save me. Please save me!”

Sunday’s mother caressed his head. Sunday felt calm and loved. “Dear God, thank you for my little boy. Thank you for softening his heart and bringing him to you. Please help him grow up like his father and keep trusting in Jesus. Help him to keep reading and studying his Bible. In Jesus name. Amen.”

Sunday wrapped his arms around his mother. “Thank you Neene.”

“Your welcome sweet heart. Here is what the rest of the passage says” She cleared her throat. “But you, O Lord, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid! Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog! Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen! I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him. From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him. The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord! May your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations. All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;  they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it (Psalm 22: 19- 31, ESV).”

“That is great Neene. What does it mean?”

“This shows that Jesus did not stay dead, but he rose from the dead three days later. Because of this we can know that one day he will raise all who believe in Jesus from the dead no matter what happens now.”

“So cool Neene! Thank you.”