Why?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. – Proverbs 3:5-6

I was preparing for next weeks Grief Share meeting and the topic is Why? No doubt you have asked that very question of God and wanted an answer. Perhaps you’ve wondered, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” That question is often asked in an attempt to understand why God would allow certain things to happen. But the truth remains that we don’t understand nor can we see the whole purpose and outcome from our limited point of view.

Some answers are going to have to wait until we meet Jesus face to face. I use to think that the first question I would ask Jesus when I meet Him would be, “Why?” But over the years I’ve come to understand that the answer to my why doesn’t really matter in the bigger plan God has for me.

Over time I have seen great purpose in the unexplainable and I truly believe that God doesn’t waste anything. There have been too many beautiful things come from the ashes to deny that God is still actively working out His good and perfect will.

Martha thought she had the answer to her loss when she told Jesus that if He had been there, her brother would not have died. But Jesus knew differently and in time Martha was a witness to a miracle that would bring many to the saving grace that Jesus offerred, all because her brother died.

There are going to be things that we cannot explain let alone understand. But that’s exactly when we need to hold tight to Christ and trust that His will and purpose are far greater than our own. That’s where our faith is grown. That’s where we experience the character of God in ways that we could never imagine. That’s where we find healing, peace and a deeper relationship with Christ.