August 21 - “Why?” God

“Why?” God

“Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?”  Job 3:11

Have you ever asked the question, “Why?” Of course you have.  Of all the questions in life, why seems to be the one that leaves us most perplexed and fighting for answers. Steven Wright, the famous comedian, asked “Why?” Why do they call it a TV set when you only have one? Why does your nose run and your feet smell? Why do doctors call what they do "practice?" Why are there interstate highways in Hawaii? Why is it that when you transport something by car, it’s called a shipment, but when you transport something by ship, it’s called cargo? Why isn’t the word "phonetic" spelled the way it sounds? Why do tugboats push their barges? And, last but not least, why do they put Braille dots on the keypad of the drive-up ATM? Sometimes you just have to ask ... why?

That is the question that everyone asks at some time in their life. Often we ask, why is this happening to me?, or why am I here? Hard questions. Your definition of the meaning of life determines how you will then live your life. If you think life is something you endure until you die then that is how you will live. You will endure your existence until it’s finally over. If, on the other hand, you think life is a search for light and hope, then you will live, and find light and hope.

A man named Victor Frankl, a Jewish psychologist, discovered this great truth in the midst of a Jewish concentration camp during WW II. While seeking to survive the horror of this imprisonment, Frankl began observing his fellow prisoners in the hope of discovering what coping mechanism would help him endure this horrendous existence. What Frankl discovered was this:

Those individuals who could not accept what was happening to them, who could not make their present suffering fit with their faith, who could not find its meaning in their world view... they despaired, lost hope, and eventually gave up and died. But those individuals that could find a meaning from their faith, were then able to find hope for a future beyond their present suffering, and so could accept what they were enduring, as a part of their existence, and they survived.

Hurt often asks irrational questions. Job was not exempt from it.   He says, ““Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb?”  (Job 3:11) He asked lots of why questions. “Why didn’t I die at birth?...Why were there arms to rock me?...I could be resting in peace right now, asleep forever, feeling no pain, in the company of kings and statesmen in their royal ruins…Why wasn’t I stillborn and buried with all the babies who never saw light?...Why does God bother giving light to the miserable? Why bother keeping bitter people alive? Those who want in the worst way to die, and can’t, who can’t imagine anything better than death” (Job 3.11-14, 16, 20-21, Message).  His pain was real and His questions were just as real.  But in the midst of those times, there are some important things to keep in mind.

Here are 5 things to remember even when we don’t understand Him:

1. He wants you to know His will. (Acts 22:14)

"The God of our Fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know His will..."

If you are willing to obey it, He will reveal it. He doesn’t reveal it to the careless or to the curious, but to those Who are ready to do it.

2. He wants you to understand His will. (Eph. 5:17)

"Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is."

Here is where wisdom comes in. A child can know the will of his father, but he may not understand his will. God wants you to have both!

3. He wants you to prove His will. (Rom. 12:2)

"And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

The Greek means to "prove by experience." We learn to determine the will of God by working at it. The more we obey, the easier it is to know what God wants us to do.

(Like swimming, playing an instrument, etc. practice makes it second nature to us.)

4. He wants you to do His will from the heart. (Eph. 6:6)

The whole secret of a happy life is to delight in duty! When duty becomes delight, then burdens becomes blessings. You may serve the Lord grudgingly or out of obligation, but you are missing the blessing. What you are doing is toiling, not ministering!

5. He wants you to have eternal life. (2 Pet. 3:9)

"The Lord is not slack concerning His promises, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all men should come to repentance." Jesus died so that "Whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord shalt be saved." He died for you; and friend, God’s will for you is to have a place reserved in heaven with Him. Do you have that promise?

We all know people who’ve asked some tough “Why?” questions of God. Perhaps we’ve asked a few of them ourselves. You’re in good company. Jesus asked a penetrating why question on the cross: “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” (Matthew 27.46, NIV).  While even Jesus asked, “Why?” we can know that God following the Father’s will brought the answer.  It was true for Job, it was true for Jesus, and it’s true for you.

Terry Risser

Reflections:

1)   Name the biggest time where you truly asked “Why?”

2)   Did you finally see God working through your question?

Consider reading the Word today?

 

Copyright 2014- Terry Risser