Since Charlie Kirk’s tragic death last week, perhaps you’ve heard people ask, “Why didn’t God stop Tyler Robinson?” Or, ”Why is so much violence occurring in our country? Why does God allow such suffering [1]?”
Perhaps you’ve been wondering yourself.
But even if we knew the answers to all of our why questions, we’d still want to ask God: Couldn’t you have accomplished your purpose some other way?
Better than seeking answers (that likely won’t satisfy), we’d settle our spirits more effectively if we sought perspective, built our hope and faith with God’s promises, and encouraged our hearts with praise.
See Job’s example, Job 1:20
Perspective
I appreciate this wisdom from Eugene Peterson:
“We underestimate God and overestimate evil. We don’t see what God is doing and conclude he’s doing nothing . . .
“We see evil everywhere, holding countless people hostage whether as perpetrators or victims. We must remember: ‘evil is not everything and it is not everywhere’ . . . [neither is it] wild and uncontrollable. It has an origin and a finish . . .
. . . “We cannot afford to be naïve about evil—it must be faced. But we cannot be intimidated by it either. It will be used by God to bring good [2].”
Evil must be faced, he says, raising the question, how? The Bible tells us: with prayer, with goodness, and with soft (not incensed or arrogant) responses to anger [3].
Peterson also asserts God uses evil for good. What possible good could God accomplish from Charlie Kirk’s assassination?
Just since last Wednesday, there are more than one million new subscribers to Charlie’s organization, Turning Point USA, and more than 54,000 new requests for Turning Point chapters at high schools, colleges, and universities across the country.
I pray that as participants hear about Charlie’s faith, his passion for the institutions of marriage and family, as well as his irrefutable logic in support of biblical values, they too will accept Christ into their lives, to experience the God-enhanced life he offers [4].
Promise
Charles Spurgeon would have us understand:
What might those stars of promise include?
- Psalm 9:9-10 “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.”
- Romans 8:31 “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
- Romans 16:20 “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.”
We can also be encouraged by such scripture-based affirmations as:
- “Underneath are the everlasting arms, full of sustaining comfort and strength” [5].
- “I know nothing which can so comfort the soul, so calm the swelling billows of grief and sorrow, so speak peace to the winds of trial, as a devout musing upon the subject of the Godhead” [6].
- “The devil may land a punch or two. He may even win a few rounds, but he never wins the fight” [7].
Praise
Even though it’s counterintuitive to praise God when we’re distressed, it’s a powerful way to lift our spirits [8].
Perhaps we could begin . . .
I praise you, Lord, for drawing especially near to those who are hurting. You DO make your presence known in palpable ways. And to sense your presence is to experience inexplicable peace and comfort. I pray this for Charlie Kirk’s family and friends.
I praise you also for your Word that ministers consolation and strength. May we all avail ourselves with renewed appetite for your truth.
Psalm 34:18; 139:7-10; John 16:33;
Lamentations 3:32-33; Psalm 119:49-50;
Proverbs 15:14
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[1] Two worthwhile books that consider such questions: The Problem of Pain by C. S. Lewis and Os Guinness’ book, Last Call for Liberty.
[2] Excerpts from pp. 55-57 of Run with the Horses.
[3] Luke 6:27-28; Proverbs 15:1
[4] John 10:10
[5] Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, 145; Deuteronomy 33:27
[6] Charles Spurgeon, from a sermon, “The Immutability of God”; Isaiah 26:3
[7] Max Lucado, Grace for the Moment, 91; 1 John 3:8
[8] Isaiah 61:1-3
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From the Inside Out 
Wise and timely words, Nancy.
Thank you, Mitch. I encouraged myself as I collected these wise and timely words of scripture, Spurgeon, Chambers, Peterson, etc. “The tongue of the wise brings healing” (Proverbs 12:18b).
There are so many things in this world that we do not understand. We do trust God and He hears our every prayer. At all times we pray regardless of the circumstances in our lives. God is faithful and He comforts His children without fail. We place our trust and Hope in Him, knowing that we are never alone, not ever. Thank you for sharing this inspiring post with us!
You are so right, Linda, that we should “pray regardless of the circumstances in our lives.” The writers of the psalms experienced the full gamut of emotions and poured out their hearts to God from the depths of depression to euphoric joy, and everything in between. We can be honest with God, then look to him for what to do regarding our circumstances.
And if God could of stopped the racist remarks that this man had said would also been helpful. It is horrible to know in the year of 2025 there is so much hatred in America because if someone being different, no one should be murder we need gun control here, and more people are upset with what happened to him but not upset with children in our schools being killed, because the same day there was also another school shooting after this news and it wasn’t mentioned on the news
You’ve raised several important issues, Eileen–issues that do need to be discussed among us all: 1) I’d be interested to know if there is a video of Charlie making racist remarks. The only one I’m aware of that MIGHT be construed as racist is when he was talking about blacks (probably gang members) targeting white people. This HAS been documented for some time, as evidenced by this fact sheet:
https://i.4pcdn.org/tg/1484457388099.pdf).
2) As for gun control, the answer is not outlawing them. This article explains the rationale for keeping the second amendment: https://www.heritage.org/secondamendment. In addition, we have to be aware: “85.9% of guns used for committing crimes are obtained from other than licensed dealers” (https://ammo.com/articles/stolen-gun-statistics). This article goes on to say that licensed gun owners rarely commit crimes. 3) You mention being upset when children in our schools are being killed. Surely 99.99% of people DO get upset by such news. At least one outlet did announce the shooting at Evergreen High School in CO, the same day: Fox News. Many other news outlets also withheld the report of the innocent young Ukranian woman stabbed to death by a black man on a commuter train in Charlotte, NC. We have to wonder why that would be. 4) As for God stopping ANY of the hatred and violence and division occurring in our world: He’s a gentleman, not forcing himself on anyone. He waits for each person to turn to him, to be transformed by the renewal of their minds (Romans 12:2). This is a very brief response to the complicated issues you’ve raised, Eileen. But I pray you find this information helpful as you consider all facets of these concerns.
First off I hear enough from this man, when anyone says it’s better too lose the life of others to keep the second amendment that is horrible. In other words people say that they are pro life and they don’t care once a child is born. His words if his daughter at the age of ten got rape he would force her carry the child. I am a survivor of rape frat at the age of seven and men especially white men blame the girl or woman. In the White House we have someone who is a felon and a man who was found guilty in abusing women. I am sorry that the man people think can do no wrong died a horrible death no one should but where are all you with your out cry for the children of America. The words that this man spoke of are not the words of Jesus Christ I have study, I have taught Bible study and I have preached. Read Matthew 25 when Jesus spoke of the sheep and the goats, whatever you have done to the least you done it to him. I am Pro Choice, I stand with my brothers and sisters of the LGBTQ community and so many more. Let us cry for the children who have died by guns and not just for this man. Let us do more to feed the hungry
I will end here and my answer is I will not listen to any else of the man who was gun down
Oh Eileen, I am so sorry you’ve had to carry the heavy burden of rape since age seven. I cannot imagine the anguish of such an experience. Thank you very much for addressing your concerns here. May we all seek God for truth in these and all matters.
Your reflections along with the quotes and scriptures you chose worked wonderfully to convey your message. Praise the Lord for blessing us with Charlie Kirk for 31 years.
Praise God, Nancy, for the encouragement of scripture and the wise saints who’ve gone before us. Charlie Kirk has been a blessing and inspriation; his legacy will no doubt continue.
So true Nancy. I know I over-estimate my wisdom in questioning God. I also know deep down that my wisdom in these things is probably way outside in the foolish hinterlands compared to what God has in mind
You’ve brought to mind Romans 11:33-36, Gary–a passage I turn to often when I don’t understand why certain events have unfolded the way they have. “Who has been God’s counselor?” Paul asks. Certainly not me! But I do know this: “from him and through him and to him are all things” (v. 36). There is great comfort in that. “To God be the glory forever” (also v. 36)!
Thank you Nancy for sharing these words. When we don’t understand, may we trust our God and press into Him more.
Amen, Manu. I’m SO thankful for God’s presence, comfort, strength, and more in times of strife. I can’t imagine doing life without him. I know you feel the same!
It may be counterintuitive to praise God in the midst of the life’s storms, but that’s exactly what He calls us to do every single day, Nancy. I rejoiced today that the board of Turning Point USA unanimously selected Erika Kirk to be the designated leader of this organization that is continuing to change hearts and minds for Christ and guiding young people to seek Jesus. That grain of fallen wheat will reap an untold harvest of plenty. Blessings, my friend, and thanks for this inspirational post.
You are so welcome, Martha. Praise God for bringing these scriptures and quotes to my attention. They encouraged me; I pray they do the same for others who visit here. / Erika demonstrated during her speech to the nation last week that she is strong, impassioned, and determined. Now we must pray for her! May God use her mightily.
Good post, Nancy. We will not completely understand tragedies while we are on this earth. That is one of the reasons I love Joseph’s story. What some mean for evil, God means for good. We need to hold strong in our commitment to Jesus. He has promised to never leave us or forsake us (even when we are going through dark times).
You are so right, Linda. We’ll never completely understand tragedies while here on earth. All we can do is cling to Jesus and the truths of scripture. I think of Martin Luther’s hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” especially the third verse. Little has changed since his day: “And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us. The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him–His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure: One little word shall fell him.” Hallelujah!
Nancy,
Look at what God did to bring people back to him through this. He always brings good from terrible times. On our way to Charlie Kirk memorial. Pray for everyone’s safety. In Christ, Gary
Gary Avants Forbear Productions * *garyavants66@gmail.com garyavants66@gmail.com
From what I’ve heard, there will be very tight security in Phoenix tomorrow. Just the same, we do pray for everyone’s safety. And may hearts be receptive to hear why Charlie Kirk was so passionate about Christ, and desire a relationship with Him themselves, if they don’t already know Him.
If people took time to listen we would not have these issues.
Gary Avants Forbear Productions * *garyavants66@gmail.com garyavants66@gmail.com
Perhaps some people would change their minds about Charlie if they did listen to one of his discussions with college students–not just sound bites taken out of context. He was an encyclopedia of facts on history, the Constitution, Christianity, the current issues of the day, and more. He shared calmly and respectfully, and he listened. Charlie set a positive example for all of us.
Yes. My boys need to do that. Sound bites add and take away.
Gary Avants Forbear Productions * *garyavants66@gmail.com garyavants66@gmail.com
May those guilty of publicizing misleading soundbites, bending the truth to suit their purposes, and speaking outright lies be exposed; may truth shine with clarity! This is my prayer.
Yes. The truth comes out. I really do feel it’s brainwashing.
Gary Avants Forbear Productions * *garyavants66@gmail.com garyavants66@gmail.com
Thank you for these helpful thoughts for sorting through the hair-raising news feed! TT
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You’re welcome, Michele. As I’ve said to others, collecting these scriptures and quotes of wise Christians, I’ve encouraged myself. I’m so glad you also found some of these thoughts helpful.
[…] In her recent blog post, Nancy over at “From the Inside Out” reminds us of the importance of holding onto God’s promises and holding onto praise. Even in the midst of the tragedies we see on the news. […]
Thank you, Bridget!
Powerful. Your posts are always inspiring, Nancy. ❤
Thank you, Anna. Praise God you find inspiration here!
We underestimate God and overestimate evil is the truth, Nancy! I keep reminding myself of this. of course, this is easier for me right now than for Charlie’s wife and kids. I just keep praying for them.
Yes, yes Stacey–I too am praying for them, and Turning Point USA. May God bless Erika with comfort and strength as she takes TPUSA into the future.
I have been thinking how uncomfortable I feel in this world. For example, how can anyone with a heart celebrate the death of Charlie Kirk? We are seeing the very worst of people who have twisted Charlies words into hateful rhetoric. I see such horrible comments online that it breaks my heart. These people need Jesus and I pray that somehow they become born-again Christians before it is too late for them. I am inspired to pray for them.
But we are also seeing the very best. Sunday’s service was like an old-time revival. To see Erika publicly forgive the man who took Charlie’s life was spirit-filled. And the many speakers who revealed their relationship with Jesus was very inspiring and provided hope for the future.
I feel so uncomfortable in this world; but that’s OK! We who know Christ as our Savior aren’t supposed to be at home here, for we know this is not where we will be spending eternity. We are passing through and are challenged to share the Good News Gospel to the lost, for indeed many are lost.
I struggle with feelings of frustration and depression, but I need to develop a tougher skin while keeping a soft heart.
I agree, Cheri, that it is terribly sad when people get carried away by their strong feelings and lose their civility and compassion, who think that by lying about Charlie they can diminish his legacy. The mushrooming participation in Turning Point USA and Sunday’s glorious memorial service, watched by millions, prove that his detractors are accomplishing little if anything. May we each do our part to boldly carry his torch of faith and freedom in Christ and PRAY–pray for a great ripple effect from Charlie’s life that reaches around the world, and pray for those who are misguided and lost, that they may seek to know the truth about Jesus and the gift of eternal life he offers.
Thank you for the wonderful quotes by Spurgeon and Peterson…and lovely scriptures!
You’re so welcome, Amy. They were meaningful to me; I prayed they’d be meaningful to my blog-friends also!
You have once again pointed us to truth, Nancy, and to the source of truth. We don’t understand what God is doing right now but watching Charlie Kirk’s memorial service gave me a clue. The gospel was presented by multiple people to the whole world and it was utterly amazing! I also have thought a lot about the Old Testament prophets. They were men who to the world were offensive and they were punished for it. Even Jesus Himself was very blunt when it was needed, especially toward the end of His earthly life when he confronted the money changers in the temple and the high priests in Jerusalem. The presentation of truth in this ungodly world is seen as hate and hate is to be punished, so says this world. It’s like a teenager stomping his foot when his dad lays down the law and screaming, “You hate me!!” Again, thank you for pointing us to scripture as our guide and to God Himself.
Thank you, Patty. Wasn’t that memorial service inspiring?! And how encouraging to learn that millions watched from around the world. Yes, many of God’s people over the centuries have suffered persecution, torture, and death for their faith in Christ. We’ve been very spoiled in this country, where, for the most part, we’ve been able to practice our faith without reprisal. But persecution against Christians is on the rise in the United States (http://www.harvest.org), which is to be expected as the return of Christ draws near (Matthew 24:9-10). At the same time, “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached n the whole world as a testimony to all nations and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14)! Last Sunday afternoon was certainly part of that testimony! Maranatha, Come, Lord Jesus (Revelation 22:20)!
I love the Charles Spurgeon quote about the stars shining more brightly in the dark, and then I love how you listed what some of those stars are. Really well done–blog–dealing with evil, and God, and gaining wisdom and hope in the midst of troubling times. Thank you so much!!
You’re welcome, Katie. I’m so glad the Spurgeon quote ministered to you. It did to me too!
Yes—I saved the picture to use one day –I will be sure to credit you! Thanking the Lord for making you and putting all the gifts He did inside you!
Aw–thank you for your kind words and encouragement, Katie.
Nancy, your reflections combined with Scripture and the pastoral voices of Spurgeon and James breathe with the presence and truth of God. May His love-filled grace turn hardened hearts away from the world’s darkness.
Thank you, Richard. And with you I pray for hearts of stone to be turned to hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 11:19-20)!
Amen!
Amen. 🙏🏽