9-3-2014

Good Morning All,

          Isaiah 55:9; “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

        There was another tragedy in our area; a young man died in a pickup accident.  It is always tragic when someone young dies.  We always ask the question why?  Why does this happen?  He had a lot to live for.  His family is devastated.  Their pain is intense and they wonder why.  I hear the same question asked when someone is near death and suffering.  People ask, “Why does God let them suffer?”  I have had elderly folks in nursing homes ask me, “Why am I still alive?  Everyone else I know are dead and I want to be.”  It is the oldest question we can ask, “Why, God?”

    We look and see things that we perceive or think are bad, wicked, unfair or unacceptable and we think, “Why would God allow this to happen?”  This thought is almost always followed by, “If I was God, I wouldn’t do that.”  We are almost indignant.  It seems so obvious to us to decide who should live and how well they should live and we know who should die and when.  We can probably make a list of those who should die.  I would guess our list of who should live and how well they should live probably varies depending on how well they treat us.  If they are nice and friendly, we will wish them well but if they cross us, like the lady with 20 items in 8 items or less checkout lane; well they can live a little less and a little less well.

    Of course our shifting decisions are all valid, aren’t they?  Yet we do not have God’s power of all knowing and his eternal view of everything.  We see a few days as the most important ever; he sees in terms of ages.  Yet the devil keeps getting us to go back to questioning God and to keep asking why?  So if you want to ask God “why?’ go ahead but ask the real question “why did he save me?”  Why did God send his Son, his only Son, to die for me?  Why would God want to rescue me from the punishment that I deserve and give it to someone who did not deserve it?  Now there is a “why?” for you.

    We will never fully understand why God allows what he allows.  It is as beyond us as we are above the grasshopper.  We will never understand because we simply do not have the capacity.  God is the creator and we are the creatures.  So every event, good or bad, we have to take with faith.  We have to trust God and his mercy.  He has promised that all things work for good to those who love him.  We need to remember that in everything in this life there is a higher thing, a greater thing and that is our eternal salvation.  Nothing will take that away from us, not a death of a spouse or son or daughter, not an unexpected ending to your marriage; nothing can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  We need to trust God to continue that promise.

Father, we look around and we ask “why?” yet we never wonder about why you rescued us from sin.  Forgive us that we are slow to learn and to trust in you.  Lord we believe but help our unbelief.  Give us the wisdom to always trust in your goodness and to hold fast to your great love.  Be with those who are especially wounded at this time, send them your healing Spirit.  In the precious name of Jesus, our risen Savior, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret