Rise from the rubble

Every city and people who have suffered death and destruction by way of war has faced the task of rebuilding and trying to prosper. In the Bible there are a few accounts, one of them being of Gideon. In these moments of destruction and great trial I have found myself asking “why this, god?” Even the prophet Joseph Smith asked Heavenly Father this question. We see Gideon ask the same question, the answer he receives is so great! The Lord responds to him. “And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?” I interpret this as God explaining that the extreme hardship that Israel was suffering after their defeat was meant as a humbling and inspiring experience to pave the way for Gideon to truly save Isreal. Similarly the answer to “Why this, God?” has always been, “for your good”. The point is, God sometimes allows for our lives to be seemingly destroyed, he knows, and expects us to rise from the rubble and fight to move on and prosper.