Why?

"Why?" is a question we learn to ask from "the get go!" "Daddy, why is the sky blue?"  "Mommy, why do fish live in water?" "Grandma, why do birds eat worms?" And on and on and on it goes. When we reach adulthood, we are still asking our Heavenly Father the "Why?" question. But now it is a bit more sophisticated. "Father, why did uncle Joe die of cancer?"  "God, why did that drunk driver crash into my friends Kyle and Sue, killing them both?" "Why did my husband lose his job?" And on and on and on it goes.

Now unlike the "Why" questions of childhood, we often cannot answer the "Why" questions of adulthood. Of course, we can point at some contributing factors behind what happens (like the danger of driving while intoxicated or the need of a company to downsize in order to survive). But these don't totally answer our "Why's." As followers of Jesus, we need to learn to be OK with that. For even though we believe that God is at work behind the scenes of life ... and has a plan and is working that plan (the theological term for this is "providence" - see Ephesians 1:11 and Romans 8:28), there are times we must simply "embrace the mystery." Consider the following two verses (and if you were here at Grace this past Sunday - this will be review for you):

"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!" (Romans 11:33) 

"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law." (Deuteronomy 29:29)

So the next time you want to ask God the "Why?" question, instead pause and simply by faith embrace the mystery. God knows the answer and he's not telling. But he is most certainly worthy of our trust!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj