My four-year-old son and I enjoy taking walks in our neighborhood. From stroller to handholding, toddling to running, we have passed the same houses and streets many times. We often engage in a familiar conversation while walking past a particular neighbor’s well-landscaped yard.

“Look at those beautiful flowers, Lincoln! Who made those?”

Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator. — 1 Peter 4:19

“Why do people suffer bad things that they don’t deserve?” It was the inquirer rather than the question that was surprising: a seven-year-old boy.

One of my favorite songs is “The Days of Elijah” written by Robin Mark in the early 1990s. It became widely known in the United States with the release of his 1999 album Revival in Belfast.¹ Not only is the music rousing and encouraging, but it hits a resonant chord in my heart as it contrasts the troubles of the battle with the promises of victory through Christ.