Why?

"When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon,

he said,

'The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.'

'Pardon me, my lord,' Gideon replied,

'but if the LORD is with us,

why has all this happened to us?

Where are all his wonders that our ancestors

told us about when they said,

"Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?"

But now the LORD has abandoned us

and given us into the hand of Midian.'"

Judges 6:12-13

I hear it all the time, and you probably do too.  In fact, maybe you've wondered this as well.   "If God is such a good God, why did He let such evil happen?"  It's a fair question.  Gideon had similar doubts about the benefit of God's presence.  He wanted to know what good it does for God to be with them if oppression and suffering still occurred.  Maybe there's more to it than meets the eye.

Wake-Up Call

The harsh sound of the ringing phone assaulted our senses, waking up our entire family of six.  "Sheesh, that wake-up call could raise the dead!" I mumbled, grumpy from the early-morning racket.  

"Well, you did say you didn't want us to sleep through our alarm this morning,"  my husband graciously reminded me as he stepped into the bathroom of our hotel room.

"Yes, but neither did I want to pull a muscle in my neck!"  I grumbled, rubbing the throbbing area just above my pajama collar.

In the same way that it sometimes takes a loud alarm to wake me from a sound sleep, God often resorts to using difficult circumstances to draw me back to Him, waking me up from the kind of stupor that comes from mindlessly wandering away.  When things are going well, I often drift away from Him, thinking I've got it all covered on my own.  As soon as the temperature starts rising, so to speak, I can clearly see how much I need the Lord.

There are many ways I live my life as if I'm in a sound slumber.  I push along, reaching for personal and professional goals that have nothing to do with God's intended purpose for my life (Ephesians 2:10). In my own way of thinking, it seems like a good thing to shoot for, but I foolishly neglected to include God in my decision-making process (Proverbs 14:12, Proverbs 3:5-6).

Other times I go through the motions of accomplishing all the good deeds I think a good Christian should do.  I read my Bible, attend church, meet with other believers, and help others.  Still, my heart feels cold as a stone (Isaiah 29:13).

Many times I'm at risk of forgetting the grace by which I draw each breath.  As I walk further along the road, it's easy to slip onto the destructive path where rules become most important.  I mistakenly think I can please God by upholding a high standard for myself, using my own strength to try to become more patient, loving, kind and gentle with each passing day.  In reality, there is no fruit apart from Jesus (John 15:5, Galatians 5:22-23).

When I drift away from God, He will use whatever means possible to bring me back to Him.

Blinded

He healed the man born blind, but still the Jewish leaders would not believe.  Instead of taking such a miracle as a sign Jesus was of God, they questioned the newly-sighted man, seeking to find the answers that would agree with their own faulty premise.  Clearly, these Pharisees were blind (John 9).

I can be similarly blind, choosing to see only that which supports my own way of thinking.  Instead of opening my mind to the unlimited possibilities of God's sovereign nature, I limit Him. 

Despite all the miracles Moses witnessed God perform, he sometimes suffered from this same kind of spiritual blindness.  When the people he so faithfully led out of Egypt began to complain about their circumstances once again, craving meat to supplement the constant supply of manna, God told Moses He would supply an overabundance of meat for them to eat.  Apparently forgetting to whom He was talking, Moses said, "'Would they have enough if the flocks and herds were slaughtered for them?  Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?' The LORD answered Moses, 'Is the LORD's arm too short?  Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you'"(Numbers 11:22-23).

Sin tends to blind me to the truth.  My flesh trains me to see with earthly eyes so that I only notice that which lines up with my own way of thinking.  If I want to see God at work, then,  I'll need to take on His perspective.

This means I must look at the big picture, keeping in mind that God has a master plan which includes using everything for my good (Romans 8:28).  I might also find it necessary to focus only on the evidence of God's work in my life, surrendering all the potholes, obstacles and burdens to Him for safekeeping (Matthew 11:28, Exodus 33:14).  In order to see the good God is doing, I'll also need to let Him be God, realizing I won't always understand everything that is happening (Isaiah 55:8-9). Instead, I must trust Him as sovereign over all things (Daniel 4:35).  

When I am living in a state of spiritual blindness, I will no longer notice the benefits of God's presence in my life.

Fallen World

Cancer.

Divorce.

Accidents.

Chronic pain.

Sudden death.

People who love God with all of their heart, who have dedicated their lives to following Jesus, often suffer greatly.

Living in a fallen world is not what God intended for us.  When He made all things at the beginning of time, He saw that His creation was good (Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31).  Then, sin entered the world.  When Adam ate the fruit God forbade him to consume, death became a reality for all of mankind.  It is only through Christ that we are delivered from such condemnation (Romans 5:12-21, John 3:17-18).

As a result of the destructive nature of sin, death is all around me.  Weeds threaten to choke out the vegetables I so carefully cultivate.  Everything moves toward a state of chaos and ultimately falls apart and disintegrates over time.  By the age of forty, most people notice their eyesight failing in one way or another.

Relationships also fall victim to the effects of sin.  Married people tend to drift away from each other.  Children automatically rebel and challenge their parent's authority in one way or another.  Friends find themselves at odds as each goes their separate ways.

Followers of Christ are not immune to the consequences of living in a fallen world. 

It's easy to ask, "Why?" when things get difficult, wondering what good God is doing if He doesn't bother to protect me from the bad stuff.  Hard times, suffering and pain, however, are not evidence that God has abandoned me.  Instead, He could be using the very thing that brings me great heartache to draw me back to Him.  It could also be that I'm not noticing all the good because I'm only looking at the bad.  Other times, my difficulty could simply be the result of living in a fallen world.  Whatever the reason for my pain, of one thing I can be sure:  He is with me (Psalm 16:8-11)!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will replace "why?" with "Who?"  The answer will then always be, "God."

How am I blind to all the good God is bringing into my life?

When do I blame God for something that is as the result of sin?


Originally published on March 17, 2014

Did it Ever Occur to You?

"Judah's defenses have been stripped away.

You run to the armory for your weapons.

You inspect the breaks in the walls of Jerusalem.

You store up water in the lower pool.

You survey the houses and tear some down

for stone to strengthen the walls.

Between the city walls, you build a reservoir

for water from the old pool.

But you never ask for help from the One who did all this.

You never considered the One who planned this long ago."

Isaiah 22:8-11

Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong.  Engine trouble.  Health woes.  Income cuts.  Mounting debt.  Relationship struggles.  Homelessness threatens and I wonder, can't I ever catch a break?  Why is all this happening to me?  Where did I go wrong and what did I possibly do to deserve such suffering?  So I try harder.  I maintain my car according to my mechanic's recommendations.  I cut out all processed foods and regularly cleanse my body of impurities, adding exercise to my daily routine.  I take on a second job to start paying off my debt.  Still, things don't get better.  What's missing?

It's easy to try to fix what's broken in my life, working hard to turn my life around.  But no matter how hard I try, I can't reverse my misfortune.  How could I have such horrible luck?  Maybe I'm asking the wrong question.

What?  Despite popular perception, life is not what I make of it.  Yes, I do make choices which have consequences; I reap what I sow.  But I can no more direct my own path than a farmer can change the weather.  Mankind is at God's mercy, under His dominion, here for His purposes (John 9:3, Romans 9:16).

Therefore, when things start to go haywire despite my best efforts, instead of asking, "why me?" I'd be wise to turn to my Father through faith in Jesus and ask, "What are You trying to say to me?  What is the message I need to hear?"  And when I ask with a pure heart, truly wanting to know the answer, I will hear from the One who is behind my misfortune, who is using the difficulties to draw me back to Him.  I so easily stray that I often get off track before I realize what's happening.  Thankfully, God is not so easily deceived or misled.

Did it every occur to me to ask God what He's trying to tell me?

How?  My husband and I were struggling to lay the paving stones in a straight line.  We were building a patio area in the corner of our yard between two trees and were relying on our own perception to establish the perimeter.  No matter how we tried to line the bricks up, though, they never looked quite right.  We finally tied a string between two stakes to help us gauge our work.  Once we had a standard by which to judge our work, we were able to lay the stones in a straight line.

In the same way that it's difficult to lay patio pavers in a straight line without a some kind of straight edge to guide me, it's just as hard to tell if my thinking is off by relying on my own perception.  I need a "straight edge" by which to judge my perception.  In fact, I can't even trust my own ability to judge rightly.  Therefore, I'm wise to do as David did and ask God to search me and test me, showing me where I'm off, how my thinking or behavior is offensive to Him (Psalm 139:23-24).  It could just be that I'm reaping the destruction my hurtful habits or selfish ways have sown (Galatians 6:7-9).

Did it ever occur to me to ask God how I've strayed off track?

Help?  I'm a product of my culture, resistant to help, determined to make a go of it by myself.  No matter how much I struggle, I tend to want to try to make it on my own.  I feel bad asking for help, seeking support, or reaching out for assistance.  It's not surprising, then, that this independent streak would translate to my relationship with God.

The going gets tough and I think I need to get going, dig my heels in and apply more elbow grease.  A little determination and grit will get me where I need to go, I think.  That is until I'm overwhelmed, in over my head, and pushed beyond my means.  Then I realize the foolishness of my stubborn autonomy.  I need God and often He places me in positions beyond my ability to handle to get me to come to the end of myself (2 Corinthians 12:9).  When I do, I may realize my need for God because He is the only One who can change my situation, give me what I need, save me from myself.

Did it ever occur to me to ask God for help?

When life gets sticky and it seems like I can't catch a break, I find myself asking the wrong questions.  Instead of wondering why this has to happen to me, it's time I start asking God what and how, and be willing to ask Him for help.  These are the questions to ask in times like these:  Did this ever occur to me?

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can keep a godly perspective when encountering trouble.

When do I automatically blame myself or others when things go wrong?

How have I forgotten to place God in the center of any of life's equations?  

Then He Knew

"In his distress he sought the favor of the LORD his God

and humbled himself greatly 

before the God of his ancestors.

And when he prayed to him,

the LORD was moved by his entreaty

and listened to his plea;

so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom.

Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is God."

2 Chronicles 33:12-13

Sometimes it takes a crisis or tragedy to set thing right in my life.  I don't naturally choose to know that the LORD is God (Psalm 100:3).  It's easy to live my life apart from Him, forgetting who He is and denying His sovereign nature.  Forgetting, that is, until I'm up against a wall, or facing my own demise, or at the end of myself.  Then, I suddenly recognize how much I need Him.

Humbled.  For seven years he lived a solitary existence, out in the wilds of the land.  Instead of dining at the king's table where he wanted for nothing he ate grass like a cow.  There was no bedding to sleep upon nor blankets to cover him as he slept.  Consequently, he awoke each morning drenched in dew.  Year after year passed without grooming of any kind and his hair began to resemble the feathers of a bird, his nails growing to a hideous length.  Nebuchadnezzar, mighty king of Babylon, remained this way until he acknowledged that God is most powerful and the sole source of all good things.  God knew what it took to humble this man (Daniel 4:28-37).

Equally, He knows what it takes to wake me up from my slumber.  I naturally believe I can do whatever I put my mind to, that I will succeed if I simply try hard enough, or that everything I have is as a result of my own hard work.  I also foolishly deceive myself into thinking I can protect myself from harm as long as I take all the precautions that are necessary, covering myself with insurance policies and never putting myself in harm's way.  Suddenly, I find myself in a place where I believe I am the captain of my own destiny, the king of my own life and am able to provide for my own needs.  It's clear I need to recognize how dependent I am upon the sovereign Lord.

Sometimes it takes a wake-up call for me to remember that I am at God's mercy.

Heard.  Sometimes I feel unnoticed, unimportant or overlooked.  I can stand in a crowd of people and not one person will acknowledge me, as if I don't exist.  It's easy to go through life thinking no one cares.

Thankfully, the Lord is a God who cares (1 Peter 5:7).  He hears my plea and responds to the cry of my heart.  When I realize how much I need Him and His compassionate touch, I reach out to Him.  And the amazing part is that He hears me!  This God who made all things, oversees all of creation and keeps all the parts going also notices little ole' me.  

He is never too busy, preoccupied or consumed with more important things to attend to my needs, no matter how trivial they may seem.  He loves to listen to my petty complaints, or hear about my seemingly inconsequential grievances, or take note of whatever is plaguing my mind.  

When I cry out to the Lord with a humble heart, He hears me: I am understood.

New Understanding.  As I enter into this sweet union with my Father who loves me, I gain a fresh perspective on life.  Apart any effort of my own, I become less and He becomes more.  My scope of vision is dominated by the Lord as all the other stuff I used to pay attention to fades to the background.  All the goals and pursuits that drove me forward now seem so silly as I appreciate my relationship with Jesus as most valuable (Philippians 3:7-9).

Unfortunately, I cannot always attain this understanding on my own.  Many times it takes a difficult time to get me to the point where God can get through to me.  Then I will come away with the realization that the Lord is God;  He made me, I belong to Him and am the work of His hand: I am completely dependent upon Him.  It's always been true, it's just that I don't always see it.

When I am heard, God gives me a new understanding of His sovereign nature.

Only God is God.  I don't always acknowledge that I am not, however.  Many times it takes a wake-up call of some kind to humble me to the point where I can acknowledge His sovereignty.  When I do, He will hear my cries and get to work changing my perspective.  Then I will know that the Lord is God.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will humble myself before the Lord, recognizing my position at His mercy.

When do I forget about God as I go through my day, wrongly thinking I have control of my own destiny?

How am I guilty of being my own god, placing my wants and desires at the forefront of my vision?

Two-Fold Purpose

"Then the LORD said to Moses,

'Return to the Pharaoh and make your demands again.

I have made him and his officials stubborn

so I can display my miraculous signs among them.

I've also done it so you can tell your children

and grandchildren 

about how I made a mockery of the Egyptians 

and about the sings I displayed among them--

and so you will know that I am the LORD.'"

Exodus 10:1-2 NLT

It seemed like the cruelest of jokes.  God promised to deliver His people from the brutality of bondage under the merciless hand of the Pharaoh, king of Egypt.  Instead of ushering them out of slavery, however, God hardened the heart of this ruler so that plague after plague could be sent forth throughout the land.  The Lord intentionally prolonged the suffering of His people, delaying the day of their deliverance and salvation. (Exodus 4-12)

Why would God not usher His people out of oppression and directly into freedom?  Why is that God was willing to delay the promised relief of those who called Him by name?  Why did He deem as acceptable the continued suffering for those He claimed to love?

The people of Israel must have felt like they got the short end of the stick in this deal.  While God did send a deliverer to them, it must have been hard to understand the method and timetable He was using.

I can relate.  There are times in my life when I can think of a much less painful way for God to help me, or a more enjoyable process through which I can learn His ways.  During these times, when it seems things are hopeless and I can't understand what God is doing, I might consider that He is using this time to show His might.  

It is only by delivering me through hard times instead of rescuing me from the suffering that I learn something about God.  His purposes for using this method are two-fold.

Legacy

"Tell me the story about you and Grandpa during the Depression,"  the little girl demanded as she snuggled down in her grandmother's lap.

"Well, alright.  Your grandfather and I were on the verge of losing our home.  We didn't know what to do but we did know God.  So we asked Him for help and told Him that we trusted Him to take care of us."

"Say the words, Grandma!"

The old woman chuckled at her granddaughter's enthusiasm. "Lord, we're desperate but You are at peace.  We are at a loss but You are in the middle of a great plan.  We don't know what tomorrow may bring but You hold it in the palm of your hand.  So, because You are mighty and worthy to be praised, we place all our cares at your feet, trusting You to supply our needs."

"Then what happened?  What's next?"

"You know what happens next, child! You've heard this a million times!"

"Tell me, Grandma!"

"Okay, okay.  A man from the bank walked up our driveway the following day with a piece of paper in his hands.  He told us that he couldn't understand it, but somehow the bank had made a mistake and our house was paid in full.  Then he handed over the deed and shook each one of our hands."

"Then what did you do?"

"Grandpa and I danced for joy right there in the front yard.  We sang praises to our God who is mighty to save."

Legacy.  The testimonies of God's greatness that is passed down from generation to generation is important to the faith of those who follow behind us.  If God never brought me through anything difficult, there wouldn't be much for me to tell my children and grandchildren about the power of God.  

Instead of leaving me without a testimony, then, God sometimes chooses to take me through the valley of the shadow of death so I can learn more intimately of His comforting presence. Then, I can tell others about His compassion.

As a way of supplying me with a story to tell of the goodness of God, He might send me into a time of darkness where I am surrounded by evil.  As I rely on Him, I more fully realize His goodness as it contrasts with all the darkness I see around me.

So I won't have to go on without evidence of His sovereignty, He may allow me to suffer the loss of a loved one, giving me a wider scope of His mysterious greatness.  I then can pass on the lesson of His unfathomable supremacy that cannot be comprehended by the puny human mind.

When God takes me through suffering instead of delivering me from it, He is building for me a legacy of His greatness.

Wake-Up Call

He thought he had it all figured out:  He would finish college with a degree in architecture, sign on with a successful firm and work his way up to partner, one day owning his own company.  Then came the accident.  When he woke up in the hospital unable to move his hands, he soon learned he had been in a horrible car crash where he lost the use of his arms and hands.  His dreams were lost in the blink of an eye.

This young man eventually came around to accept the fact that his plan was not going to come true.  He also learned that he is not the one in control of his own life, but that God is the only One who holds the blueprint for all of his days.  While it is fine and dandy to make plans, the Lord is the One who orders our footsteps.  (Proverbs 16:9)

When God brings me through a tragedy, crisis or heartbreak, He may be giving me a similar kind of wake-up call, reminding me of His sovereignty.  It's easy to get to the point where I think I have everything under control.  I convince myself that I have a plan and as long as I follow it step-by-step, everything will be okay.  

Then God allows the unthinkable into my life:  The sickness, the financial crisis, the natural disaster.  Suddenly, I realize I'm at His mercy and there's nothing I can do to deliver myself from the situation.  I've been given a chance to recognize God's rightful place as Lord and acknowledge that my life is truly in His hands.

When God takes me through suffering instead of delivering me from it, He is reminding me of His sovereign power over all of His creation, and of my place as His precious child.

It is easy to get mad when I'm thrown a curve-ball.  I'm so quick to point out how it's not fair that I have to suffer or that it seems I can never get a break.  Instead of complaining about how horrible my life is, I can choose to see how God is using the suffering in my life to build a testimony of His greatness, and to remind me of Who is truly in control.  When I think of it this way instead of focusing on my pain, I may see the good that is coming out of His purpose for my life.

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I can trust God through the suffering I'm enduring.

When do I tend to feel sorry for myself instead of realizing God has a good plan that includes this suffering?

How do I forget that God is in control and instead think I can somehow orchestrate my own life?