August 27, 2026 / by Pastor Scott Boerckel
The sad act of Adam and Eve’s rebellion in the Garden of Eden unleashed horror upon the world—all the death, all the sickness, all the disasters, all the relational brokenness, all the personal anxieties that have existed are because of this single act.
According to Genesis 3:7, several things happened immediately upon that awful act. Their eyes were opened. They could see things that they could not have seen before. They saw that they were naked and felt shame, guilt, and fear. Romans 5:12 tells us that as a result of this act, death spread to all people.
Whenever we encounter a horrific tragedy, we long for some clear explanation. While those explanations sometimes come, there are lots of times that we simply sit in the frustration of loss and pain, unable to explain the “why.”
It is just here that the Gospel of Jesus Christ brings hope. 1 John 3:8 says, “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” The devil brought the temptation to the first couple, and they disobeyed. As a result, really, really hard and rotten things happen in this sorry, sin sick world. Some of those things might be a direct result of our own bad choices, but in many, many cases, those things are simply the result of living in a world of brokenness where we encounter both the deaths of all kinds of hopes and dreams as well as the determined plotting of the devil to steal, kill, and destroy. Thanks be to God—we have a Captain of our salvation Who will undo this curse and will right every wrong. The works of the devil will be destroyed. Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection have secured the victory that will one day be ours in Christ Jesus.
We await that day when the victory will be complete. Meanwhile, we groan when we encounter hardships like our dear brothers and sisters in the Hoefer family are experiencing. I can offer no specific explanation for the whys of most specific tragedies. But I can offer this—Trust in the Lord with all your heart! There, you will find peace in the storm.
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:18-28
Scott Boerckel is the Senior Pastor of East White Oak Bible Church. He loves being a pastor and teaching God’s Word. Before he was a pastor, he worked as a ceramic engineer (and bonus points for anyone who actually knows what that is). He sometimes uses the training that he received at the University of Illinois (Go Illini!), Grace Theological Seminary, and Jerusalem University College. Scott’s wife, Carol, is an awesome watercolor artist who really knows how to think Christianly about the arts. Scott likes cycling with friends, enjoying his ever growing family, and learning from the community of God’s people at East White Oak.
