August 15, 2018
“Why?” is the most common question when people are faced with life challenges. More often than not, the question is directed at Creator God. This has caused me to wonder how God would answer if we could visit with Him face to face.
Typical questions include:
- Why do bad things happen to good people?
- If God is all-powerful, why is this world so broken?
- I asked God to heal my child. Why is she still not well?
- I want to be married. Why am I still single and lonely?
- Why did that accident happen that took the life of my loved ones?
Some of the questions come out of Bible events. Why did God harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he would not let the Israelites leave Egypt? Or, from Romans 9, where we read that “God has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.” From the human perspective, it does not seem fair.
Most of the story of Job falls into this discussion. Only at the end of the book does God remind Job of how little he understands when it comes to knowing the mind of the Creator.
When a child or teen questions their parent’s decision, there is a time to answer, “Because I am your father (or mother).” Authority comes with position and does not always require an explanation. In the routine of life, this is usually accepted.
I wonder if our questions for Creator God would be different if we gave Him the same respect. Rather than blaming or criticizing, we would learn to accept His authority and hear Him saying, “Because I am God.” If we could see life from His perspective, we would understand.
Pastor Bill Ehmann