WHY GOD? WHY?

It is a question that many have asked in the face of the worst tragedies: “What kind of God would allow this to happen and why?” The answer is simple in its complexity; a good, loving and merciful God that has given each of us a choice. We live in a sinful world that has succumbed to the temptation of the enemy. Satan is bent on destroying all of God’s creation; and we want to blame God for allowing it to happen. But we all have a choice and often our destinies are born out of the choices we make and the choices made by others around us.

Consider Adam, he had a choice to obey God’s command given directly to him and not eat from the tree, or give in to the temptation that was presented by Eve; he gave in (see Genesis 3:6). Perhaps had he known that his decision would be the initial fall of man and would usher sin into the world, he would have been more obedient to God. Man has suffered a similar fate every since that fateful day in the garden. We want to have all the comforts of living in the world but often we do not want to suffer the consequences of having these things. Not to say that we should not strive for betterment and enjoy our comforts, but we must count the cost that sometimes come with them.

Many of us are foolish enough to believe that if we live in a certain place, drive a particular car, send our children to the best schools, work at the premier company, or behave a certain way that we are safe and out of harm’s way. We have a tendency to equate status with safety and security, not realizing that these measures are imperfect and will remain as such because they are man-made. We fail to count the depravity of man; we are all born into sin and we live amongst people that choose not to be delivered from it. This is when we need to realize how merciful God really is to fallen man.

Though He did not promise us that we would not face difficulty and loss in life, God did promise us safety and comfort in HIM. God in His infinite wisdom knows how the enemy operates to destroy us, and He provided us with a safeguard against the sin in this world - CHRIST!  He embodies the goodness, grace and mercy of a loving God; and when we accept Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, we have victory over the evil in this world. So those of us that know how merciful and loving God is, we do not have to question and blame Him when atrocities occur. Instead we praise Him for His infinite power and knowledge that works on our behalf.  So instead of questioning, let us reflect:

•  Thank Him for the girl in training that kept getting the coffee order wrong on the morning the ten car pile-up occurred on the route to work.
• Praise Him for the sick child that kept you home the day that the gunman showed up and killed 12 co-workers.
• Honor Him because of the supervisor that switched your vacation making you miss the cruise that ended in disaster.
• Worship Him since He gave His only begotten Son that you may have eternal life and not a sure death.

The goodness of God will always prevail over the evil that is done in this world. Ask anyone that has had a near miss in their lives and they will testify to the righteousness of a merciful and loving God! If you don’t acknowledge God while things in your life are right and together, don’t try to blame Him when they begin to fall apart. So the next time you hear someone ask “Why God?” Just simply answer, “Why not God?” For He is the answer to all of our prayers.

Prayer: Father God thank you for being our source of comfort in the face of adversity. We honor you and praise your Holy Name that we are still here and able to worship you in spirit and in truth. You have delivered us from a multitude of mistakes, close calls and catastrophes, because you love us and your mercy endures forever. Lord, please forgive us when we question you, and give us the strength to hold on to our faith when we are faced with unbelievable obstacles. You are the Comforter, the Counselor, the Redeemer and the Savior that we all need in our lives on a daily basis, so thank you for all that you have done and all that you are. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Read Daniel 3 to see how God delivers His children from insurmountable situations.