Last week, a young successful author passed away. She left a husband , very young children and a kind, godly family. She has been the subject of many posts lately. Some have trouble understanding why God allowed this to happen. I was praying for her when I heard that she was very ill. She was successful at what she did. But “why?”, I ask. It seems odd that someone older who is more likely, is ready, does not die.
I hear people give canned answers often in difficult times. People hear what others say and believe these answers to be true at times instead of believing and seeking God.
I learned in college to filter what I believe , through a Biblical, Christian worldview. I learned to ask myself, “ Do I believe something only because this is what I was told or taught by people or do I study and learn why I believe what I do through the Bible? There is nothing wrong with listening to others but I should not depend only on what I’ve heard. I see in 2 Timothy 2:15, where Paul tells Timothy , “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”
I find that I ask the questions “ why?” When something bad or something I don’t understand happens. I also ask “what does this mean?” when I wonder about the meaning of something in particular, including when reading the Bible and figuring out how to apply it for myself . The other questions I ask are “who, when, where, and how,” These questions are typical when seeking for answers and writing.
The story of Habakkuk, a minor prophet in the Old Testament, describes him asking many questions in many verses in his book. He starts out with the question in chapter 1:2 “ How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save.
1:3 Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife and conflict abounds
The answer that Jehovah gives Habakkuk in 1:5 is “ Look at the nations and watch and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if I told you.”
If you find yourself in a situation that is difficult and you don’t understand, I highly recommend the book by Lysa TerKeurst called “It’s Not Supposed To Be This Way:Finding Unexpected Strength When Disappointments Leave You Shattered” Lysa uses personal experiences and the Bible to help us, not just one or the other.
If I can help guide you to answer some questions that you have, please respond in comments today or send me an email. My address is duncan.r.l@gmail.com. I would love to help!
Leave a Reply