A Question with a Question

“Why is this happening to me?” Gen 25:22. Rebekah

“Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.” Ruth 1:21 – Naomi

“LORD, the one you love is sick…Why didn’t you come? If you had come my brother wouldn’t have died.” John 11:32 – Mary and Martha

“Why, O LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” Psalm 10:1 – King David

“My God, my God why have you forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46. – Christ Jesus

Since sin entered the world the question of why? has been our battle cry.  For some reason we feel if we can get an explanation it would make us feel better.  Rebekah felt singled out as if no one else suffered (‘happening to me’).  Naomi’s cry basically stated that God could have…but chose not to (‘the Almighty’).  The sisters felt they had special privilege because of their relationship (‘the one you love’).  David had a heart for God but accused Him of breaking His promises of being near (‘far off…hide yourself’).  Even Christ, perfect and sinless, out of His darkest and deepest despair cried out His heart-wrenching battle cry of why? (‘forsaken’).

God understands that it is beyond our human capabilities to suffer and not question. We must remember that Christ was sinless and He, too, questioned the Father.  But Heaven was silent for a few more hours when Jesus cried out in anguish.  Even if God answered Jesus as He hung on the cross, the pain wouldn’t have stopped…the suffering would have still continued…life would have still drained from His body.  But God’s answer was not spoken because the cross was His answer. Our earth focused questions will always be met with God's eternity focused answers. Some of our questions may be answered while others will not.  We cannot see what is up ahead but the destination is the same for all of the sons and daughters of God - eternity.

“But to every why? that has ever ripped your heart in two, remember that God gave us Easter morning!  On that first Easter morning so long ago, God introduced a new why? into our journey.  It’s the most glorious why of all: ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here, he has risen!’ Luke 24:5-6.’” God Loves Broken People – Sheila Walsh