WHY THINGS HAPPEN, AND WE DON'T GET THE ANSWER WE WANT

Recently I had a young couple tell me the heart breaking story about how they had finally had a baby after years trying, and there was a problem with his heart. The baby died three days after they took him home.

The couple seemed to have a great attitude, and later when I was talking to the father, he said, "You know, when I get to heaven, I am going to have to ask God why this happened." then he smiled and said, "You know, I'm probably going to have to wait in a long line. I'm sure there are a ton of other Christians, like us who have similar questions to ask."

It is hard to understand why things happen the way they do, to the people they do. I guess I would understand if all the bad stuff happened to bad people who did harm to others and hated God, but bad things happen to everyone. When I was two years old, my father and mother got a divorce. My dad and a friend took me, my brother, and sister and ran out of state. I was about six years old before I saw my mother again, after a long court battle, and when I did finally get reunited with her, she was married to a man who abused her and she was never the same after that.

The problems I've had to face in my own life because of all of this have been really tough. Believe me, I have a list of questions for the 'Big Man' as well. I always hear people talk about what Job had to go through, they'll say "I think about what Job had to go through and then I realize that my problems were not as bad as his were." I guess that is fine, but that's not good enough for me. I sat down and read the book of Job a few times and I discovered an answer. Not at all the answer that I wanted to hear, but an answer that God gave Job and, I believe, is the reason we have this book in the Bible.

After Job goes through the horror of losing all that he owned, including his family, he is sitting on the ground in sackcloth and ashes. He has three friends who come to his side and try to give him advice. Each of these guys seem to have a little different kind of wisdom, and each kind of advise is the kind that I hear people giving today. Some of the advise sounds very good, but then after all the advise is given, the Lord speaks.

Job 38:2-"Who is this who darkens my counsel with words without knowledge."

In the light of God, and creation, and all that God knows and understands, man's wisdom at best only darkens the truth. Why? Because we only speak about the things we know, or can formulate, but God speaks from his depth of knowledge, which encompasses all things.

Then God says to Job (v.3)-"Brace yourself like a man. I will ask you the questions and you will answer."

Then God asks Job 58 questions in a row. 58 questions that Job can not possibly answer, or understand, or have the logical depth to understand the illogical truth in some of the questions.

As I read the questions I thought some of these seems really illogical, like: (38:28) "Does the rain have a father?" or (35) "Do you send the lightening on its way? Do they report to you saying 'Here we are'?"

Other questions, with all of our advancements, we still do not fully know (vs 18) :"Have you comprehended the vast expanses of earth?" and (24) "What is the way to the place where the lightening is dispersed?"

Job, (40:5) says.,"I am unworthy - how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth."

We would all like to think that we have the answer for hard times, but the truth is: sometimes God is not going to give us an answer. Sometimes the only thing that God wants us to know is that He is God, and He is not so insecure about what He does, or does not do, that He feels he has to answer to us.

I could beat my head for the rest of my life, trying to figure out why I've gone through the things I have, or why others have suffered so much, but beating my head and pounding on heaven's doors asking for answers will only weigh me down with pain and stress for the rest of my life.

It is a decision of faith. Faith to believe that God is God, and I can trust Him even though I am not getting an answer. It is hard, but it is the essence of faith. Some won't like the answer, but God is not relative. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever: the absolute God.