Who Knows?

Why do bad things happen?  How can I believe in a good God when the world is so full of evil?  Why did my friend have to die?

Over the last three weeks, through three different venues, I've been challenged to come up with a response -  training at a crisis pregnancy center tasked participants with preparing an answer to the inevitable question, "how can I believe in God when all this bad stuff is happening to me";  a Bible study on the book of Daniel asked the "why" question when precious people die too soon; and . . . my brother was just diagnosed with cancer.

Well, since those questions have been dancing through my mind for the last 24 years, and considering that Scripture tells us we should always be ready to give an answer "to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you" (1Peter3:15), this seems like a good time and this seems like a good place.

First of all, the mystery of evil on this earth is just that - a mystery.  Christopher Wright (the God i don't understand) says, "God, with His infinite perspective, knows that we finite human beings cannot, indeed must not, 'make sense' of evil.  For the final truth is that evil does not make sense!"  Studying the book of Job reveals blessings for a  man who dares to be angry with God and rebukes for the self-righteous friends who presume to speak for God.  Lesson learned - God doesn't owe me any explanations, but He invites me to be 'real' with my pains, hurts, disappointments.  Or, in other words, "there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries" (Dan. 2:28), and it's not me!

However, secondly, God has chosen to reveal Himself.  Over and over again, scripture and history reveal our God as loving, compassionate, merciful, gracious, forgiving. . . .  "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning." (Lamentations 3:22-23)  "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" (1 John 3:1)  "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful." (Heb. 10:23)  Yes, sometimes life seems very dark and God seems very absent;  those are the days we're called to remember and trust the character of our God - "When I was in distress, I sought the Lord. . and I would not be comforted. I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago." (Ps. 2,11)

Thirdly, grieving, mourning, crying are all okay.  Listening to a sermon on the Psalms recently, I learned that there are actually more psalms of lament than of joy.  We go to the Psalms for words of praise to our God; words of grief and sadness fill the very same book.  Even Jesus, suffering indescribable pain on the cross, used words from the Psalms to express His anguish: "My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?" (Ps. 22:1). He gave us this language for a reason - 'in this world you will have tribulation.' (John 16:33)

 And, lastly, perspective. . .   "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory . . as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.  For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." (2 Cor. 4:17-18)   "In that day . . . He will swallow up death forever!" (Is. 25:7-8)  Yes, life is hard - we grieve and mourn, we laugh and dance, we pray and give thanks. . . and we trust our loving God who assures us that 'there is more to this life' than what we can see.

"Who knows?  The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live."  2 Sam. 12:22
"Return to the Lord your God . . . who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing." Joel 2:13-14
"Who knows? God may turn and relent . . . so that we will not perish." Jonah 3:9