It's imperative that we have a clear understanding of God's character before we are faced with situations that cause us to question his love and goodness. "When faith cannot find something tangible to grasp, we are compelled to fly back to the ark of God's unchanging, unfailing character. But faith will not find much of a foothold there if God is a stranger to us." (p. 73)
God's character is revealed on every page of the Bible, but the cross provides the most perspicuous demonstration of his love, sovereignty, goodness, and glory. God clearly defines himself to us through the events of Jesus' death and resurrection. As we read the account, we see a group of friends, appalled at the unfolding events and struggling to make sense of it all. But they weren't the only ones at the cross. "If we look honestly, we see the Father here too. He is in the rumble of thunder and in Jesus' desperate cry, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' (Matt. 27:46) Listen carefully to Jesus' words. He wasn't wrestling with the devil or Roman authorities. He was wrestling with his Father. Although the forces of evil were at work, ultimately Jesus was not crucified because of Satan's efforts, dark plots of Jewish religious leaders, wild passions of the mob, or the unscrupulous powers of Rome. He was here according to his Father's plan and by his own choice." (p. 75) This was God's plan to accomplish infinite good for us and ultimate glory for himself, through the unveiling of his character.
"When Jesus' body was nailed to the cross for our sakes, the Father's heart was nailed there too. The inconsolable cries and empty arms of a mother...give us a glimpse of what the Father felt when the cross severed him from his child. The cross defines the dimensions of God's love for us. 'He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?' (Rom. 8:32)"
Because of the cross, we better understand that God's plans, for Jesus and for us, include pain and tragedy. These times of suffering serve a two-fold purpose: they become vehicles for God's glory to be displayed, and they take us into deeper realms of his character as our vision of him is enlarged. "We will never have answers to all of our questions. Some aches will never go away. But there is comfort in this: God is on his throne and he is good. He has marked out our race, and his plan is perfectly consistent with his character." (p. 80)
~quotes taken from When Life and Beliefs Collide" by Carolyn Custis James
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