If I was a betting man (which I am not), I would be willing to wager that most, if not all of us, will at one time or another in 2022 ask or want to ask Why? Now, I’m not talking about the little one who has a thousand questions and they all seem to start with the word why?
No, this is much more serious. When a health event hits us our first question might be Why? When a catastrophic event hits us-a death, fire, destruction, car accident-we might be inclined to ask Why? When a financial hardship hits we may be tempted to ask Why?
We may never know the answer to that question while here on earth, but we can take comfort in the truth of One who does. Just this week (Monday) I finished writing a sermon from Daniel 2. In that chapter is a verse which speaks to this issue: Daniel 2:22- “It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, And the light dwells with Him.” (NASB2020)
We can take comfort in the fact that God is never surprised or afraid. He is never caught off guard. And while the event that happens has me rocking backwards on my heels and a tad bit flustered, God is not wringing His hand wondering, “What am I going to do?”
Take heart. Those moments of darkness are not dark to Him. He is the light on the head of the coal miner. He is the compass in the hands of the explorer. As the old hymn says, “There is no shadow or turning with Thee.” (Great is Thy Faithfulness)
“Father, what You do in the light, You do in the dark. When I have questions-especially Why?-help me to trust Your all-encompassing hand.”
I think we all struggle with the “Why?” at times. The only real way I have been able to reconcile some of the why in my mind is by attempting to view the larger picture. Not that God cares less about the individual (me), but that in the larger plan, perhaps, something I must go through in the moment may be an opportunity for God’s plan to be revealed further in the lives of those around me. As a child of God, I rest knowing that my earthly experience is just a blink, and the best is yet to come, especially in those moments where I ask why.
That is a great way of looking at it Ryan. In the grand scheme of things, God knows all and knows that is around the corner. I just told someone yesterday whose teen is struggling with health issue to tell her not to give up and that I believe God is using her and will use her for His glory.