Guidance through times of bad luck.

I've been having a great weekend. I came home from watching the Varsity Basketball game at school and did an hour and a half of homework! That's right, I did homework on Friday night. Call me a nerd, I don't care. Now I can laugh at all of you who have to stress about it this weekend.
But seriously, I've been doing great. The "hand of stress", as I call it, has moved away from me, and I'm having a good time. Unfortunately, it seems like it has moved on to someone else.
My good friend today lost his best friend. His dog ran out into the street and got struck by a car today. Dead. Just like that. All it takes is one moment, and things will never be the same again.
Why does this stuff have to happen? It's one of those things where you retrace your steps, thinking: "Maybe if I would have taken a little longer opening the door, maybe he would have just missed the car." But it's no use now. It already happened. Too late!
Has this ever happened to you? I know it's happened to me before. Times like these really stink, don't they? I remember when I was younger, about 8, in Cub Scouts. After the meeting we were all standing around outside playing with mulch. My mom always told me to never throw sticks, it could hurt someone, so I sat out and watched my friends have a mulch-war. They were all throwing mulch at each other as I watched on. I decided that just one throw couldn't hurt, right? I pick up a decent sized piece of mulch and throw it at a kid standing about 8 feet from me. BAD MOVE! The mulch hits him right in the eye! He gets a splinter in his eye and has to go to the hospital. I dropped out of Cub Scouts after that happened and I don't know whatever happened to him. He could have a glass eye for all I know!
Times like these I ran over and over in my head after the instance, thinking what I did wrong, (besides throwing the mulch). Have we ever made a mistake? Have we ever had just plain old bad luck? What should we think, as Christians?

Jeremiah 12:1, "Righteous are you, O Lord, when I complain to you; yet I would plead my case before you. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?"
Why does God allow evil to happen? One may even go as far as saying God causes evil to happen. Is this true?
Well, it's something called chance. It happens to everyone, so get used to it. Matthew 5:45, "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."
This verse says that good stuff AND bad stuff happens to good people AND bad people! If something bad happens to you, don't frett! God is still in control! Here's an analogy: it's like being a parent. Think about it: your parent can step in at any point and stop you from what you're doing, but they let you make decisions. Sometimes bad, but they still allow it to happen, even if they don't want to. Often times they do step in though.
Imagine all of the horrible things that would happen if God just removed His hand of protection from each and every one of us for only a second...
We need to take everything in stride, and seek God for guidance and comfort.

*Psalm 32:8-10, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you."

*Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."

*Isaiah 41:13, "For I the Lord your God will hold your right hand, saying to you, Fear not; I will help you."

*1 Corinthians 14:33, "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints."

*1 Peter 3:14, "Even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear ; do not be frightened. Take Courage."

God is always watching us, always giving us advice, and always helping us through our times of trials. Know that God is there, and God will never leave you or forsake you. Isaiah 41:10, "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
So tonight, let's thank God for His guidance.

Philippians 4:4-7, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

This blog post is dedicated to Spencer Locke. I pray he will recieve comfort in his time of loss.