questioning God?
Have you ever had God answer your prayers, but not in the way that you thought He should have answered? Have you ever just got a flat out, “NO” from God? Have you ever had something happen to you and you asked God, “WHY?” Well, you are not alone. We’ve all been in that boat where we just don’t understand sometimes why things happen the way they do. I personally am a BIG planner. I use to be really bad about planning everything, but certain things have happened in my life that have taught me that sometimes things don’t happen the way little ol’ me had planned and that is OK. I had to learn that Plan B, C, D, E, F and G are okay too, it doesn’t always have to be Plan A. The one person who had the right if anyone does to question God would have been Job. Bless his heart. But, we all know that when the Lord answered Job He was not very happy.
“Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind: Who is this that questions My wisdom with such ignorant words? Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much.”
Job 38: 1-4
The Lord continues to challenge Job with questions for several chapters after this. Then Job finally responds to the Lord.
“Job replied to the Lord: I know that You can do anything and no one can stop You. You asked, ‘Who is this that questions My wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I — and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me. You said, ‘Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.’ I had only heard about You before but now I have seen You with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”
Job 42:1-6
God works behind the scenes. The entire book of Job makes my toes curl at the things he had to endure. Job experienced hell on earth, he lost EVERYTHING. Despite losing it all Job never once cursed God. God doesn’t always act in ways that our little minds can comprehend. For Job, I think his greatest trial was not being able to understand why God allowed him to suffer, not necessarily the suffering itself. We sometimes think that all suffering is due to consequences of sin. However, that is not always the case. We may not be able to always understand why we are suffering, but the suffering can lead us to rediscover God in a whole new way. Although God is present everywhere, sometimes He may seem so far away. We may even feel that God doesn’t care about us anymore and that we are all alone. We should serve God for who He is, not what we feel. Confidence in Christ will produce unshakeable faith. Adversity strengthens real faith and destroys superficial faith. It causes real believers to do whatever it takes to endure the trial.
Our thoughts are not His thoughts. We can’t see what the future holds so we can’t possibly understand the reasoning for everything that happens. We must choose between doubt and trust. KNOW that God is for YOU. Trust God with your unanswered questions. If you are still having trouble believing that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, then tell God. Be honest and tell Him your struggle. True faith begins in such humility. God is still sovereign despite the storms. It may seem as though the waves keep knocking you down, they hit so hard it takes your breath away, sometimes you can barely even get your head up over to see light of day and then when you can finally stand, you get knocked down again. Let me tell you something, GOD IS STILL SOVEREIGN. He controls the winds and the waves and He will never give you more than you can endure.
Bad things happen because we live in a fallen world, where both believers and unbelievers face calamity, suffering, and strife. The next time you face trials see them as opportunities to turn to God for strength. We may not have the answers as to why God allows suffering, but we can be certain that He is all-powerful and knows what He is doing. Make God your foundation. “On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.”
“I look up to the mountains — does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!”
Psalm 121: 1-2
padalily says
Beautifully written! I so needed this today… Thank you!
Brittney says
Thank you! 🙂 And thanks for reading along!
Emily S. says
This was absolutely incredible, Brittney. A beautiful perspective on His power. <3
Brittney says
Thank you so much! 🙂
Kelly Overbay says
I found your blog after a friend of mine liked one of your pictures on Instagram. I'm glad I did. I was scrolling through and was lead to read this post. I've been struggling lately and seem to find myself asking why. WOW! This is exactly what I needed to read. Written beautifully. Thank you.