Why?

Why do you make me see such trouble? How can you stand to look on such wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are all around me, and there is fighting and quarreling everywhere—Habakkuk 1: 3 GNT

Why?… It’s a question we love to ask but sometimes loath to hear, especially when the why comes as a challenge or it’s endless. Like when talking to a child who keeps asking why!

However, when things go wrong, we want to know why. When adverse situations occur in organisations, they want to know why by getting to the bottom of them and preventing them from happening again.

Likewise, in our lives, we want to know why some things happen so that we can prevent a repeat. But sometimes there are no answers to our “why” questions, and that is a hard pill to swallow.

Just like children, adults are curious and always want to be in control or at least think they are. The truth is, only God is in control.

Lately, I’ve experienced a few sad incidents, and they have made me ask God why He allowed them to happen. Surprisingly, I’m not the first to ask the “why” question. Just like Habakkuk, King David and Jesus also asked: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?” Psalm 22:1, Matthew 27:46 (ESV)

Even Job wanted answers to his questions: “Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat! I would lay my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments.” Job 23:3-4 (ESV)

Many in the Bible have asked God, why? But not all of them got answers, and those that did couldn’t really comprehend them because God is God – according to the Psalmist: “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.” Psalm 115:3 (ESV)

Remember, God Himself said, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV)

Asking questions is never a bad thing; many before us have asked them, and I believe God doesn’t mind us asking either.

However, the most important thing is, whether we get the answer we want or not, we need to continue to trust in God, as Job did: “Though he slay me, I will hope in him…” Job 13:15 (ESV)

Habakkuk might not have got the answer he wanted, but he still said: “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.” Habakkuk 3: 17-18 (ESV)

Even though you don’t get the answer you want, will you continue to trust God?

Stay blessed,

LaraLex