“For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:45
There have been times in my life when experiencing difficult circumstances, I’ve asked, “Why God?”. Even in the minor inconveniences of life- the car breaks down, the dog gets sick, I find myself mumbling, “Why God is this happening?”.
My friend and I were talking about this and she could relate, but then said: “Are you asking the right question?”. As I thought about my friend’s response, it occurred to me, that the productive question isn’t “Why” but “Who” and “What”. After all, asking God, “why”, rarely results in answers. Consider Job in his trial, God never gave him an answer to his “why”. Our sovereign God likely will not give us an answer either.
Because of our human nature, it’s easy to focus on the problem instead of the promise– which is “God Himself”. In every circumstance, the answer to “Who?” -is God, and His ability to bring the answer to our problem.
In the middle of our adverse circumstances, our focus should shift from our adversity to God’s promises and His Word. He knows when a sparrow falls from a tree, He knows the number of grains of sand on every beach and He knows His plans for you and me. Therefore, our focus must be on how He is actively working ALL THINGS together for our good and His Glory.
“God doesn’t promise our stories will make sense in and of themselves. But He does promise they will find their greater purpose in light of His greater story of redemption.” Laura Story
The other valuable question is “What”.God, what are you trying to reveal to me in these circumstances – about myself and this situation? We know that God disciplines those He loves and it is through His discipline that we become more like Christ. Discipline is derived from the word disciple. God wants to walk along with us on our journey and disciple us. Another “What” question is, “What now?”,because God wants us to come to Him and ask Him to lead us and guild us. He wants us to be depended on Him and not be self-reliant, even in difficult circumstances.
When we focus on God, His promises, and His redemptive purposes in our lives, our vision and thinking changes. Our focus changes from, “Why is this happening?”,to “I know WHO is with me even though this is happening”, and ultimately, “What you are trying to reveal to me, God, about myself and my situation”. Daniel 2:22 says “He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him”. Therefore, never hesitate to ask God, “What are you trying to reveal to me, about myself and/or my situation?”
God is not only willing to reveal to us the answers to these questions, He deeply desires for us to ask because it ultimately leads to a deeper, more intimate relationship with Him.
So, “Are you asking the right questions?”
