Day 12: Why

Question: What are the issues you are dealing with that make you wonder why?

Bible Passage: Job 38:1-3 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man, I will question you, and you shall answer me.”

Reflection: Throughout our lives, we often ask ourselves, “Why?” Do we always need to know the reason, or do we fully trust God?

During our time on earth, we all have situations in life that we experience or know about that have us asking why. Why did the company I worked for close, and I lost my job? Why did the drunk who killed a family of four walk away from the crash? Why was our baby born with birth defects? Why did my kids fall away from the Lord? Why am I the only one in my family who has to deal with serious health issues? Why did my son have to die at such a young age? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do good things happen to bad people?

These are not new questions, but ones that people have asked forever. God gave us the Book of Job as a testament to how long people have been asking why, and some of the reasons people came up with.

Job was a Godly man who God allowed to be attacked by Satan to test his faith in God. Job was robbed of his possessions, his wealth, and his children all died in a tragic accident, but Job still remained faithful. Finally, his health deteriorated, and he had sores all over his body and sat on a pile of ashes. Even though his wife wanted him to curse God, Job maintained his trust in God.

Job had three friends: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They came to visit him during these trials. That is what friends do. After remaining silent for a long period, they finally wanted to share what they thought was the reason Job was suffering so.

These friends went on a litany of things they accused Job of doing that resulted in his terrible situation. They indicted him of various sins in his life that resulted in his punishment. Job responded to all of their accusations and defended himself. The friends persisted in sharing one charge after another, but Job remained fast to his faith.

Finally, a young man, Elihu, son of Barachel the Buzite, who had been observing his elders’ rationalizations and Job’s responses, could not hold back and proceeded to list his reasons for Job’s situation. He was not respectful of his elders. Still, Job would not denounce his faith in God.

For 37 chapters, God listened to man’s wisdom and their reasons for how Job put himself in his dire predicament. In Chapter 38, God finally responds; Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man, I will question you, and you shall answer me.”

God went on to show how little wisdom man has. The end result was, man can never know why God allows bad things to happen to good people, or why good things can happen to bad people. In the end, God is God, and we are not. Do we trust the creator of all things, or do we fruitlessly keep on seeking answers?

Prayer: Our Father, help me to stop wondering why or why not and to place my trust in you completely. I have wasted too much time trying to figure out the reasons things happen. I confess, many of the things that have befallen me are results of my own bad decisions, and I have no one else to blame. Open my eyes and heart to show me how and where I can best utilize the gifts you have given me and stop wasting time with questions where there are no answers. I ask all of this in Jesus name. Amen