Why do bad things happen to good people? Why are innocent children abused? Our brains are left puzzled when trying to understand the “why” behind those types of questions. But we shouldn’t waste time trying to make sense of it all because that piece of the puzzle remains under the sovereignty of God. We must accept the fact that we are incapable of understanding everything. Therefore, our job is to grasp what the Holy Spirit wants us to know, and for everything else that we don’t know, we are to trust Him and walk by faith.
Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are his wisdom and knowledge and riches! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his methods! 34 For who among us can know the mind of the Lord? Who knows enough to be his counselor and guide? 35 And who could ever offer the Lord enough to induce him to act?36 For everything comes from God alone. Everything lives by his power, and everything is for his glory. To him be glory evermore (Romans 11:33-36, LAB).
The book of Job is a perfect example of human logic’s shortcomings when trying to understand God’s ways. Job’s wife and his friends couldn’t figure out why all the catastrophic events came upon him, an upright man of God. They each offered their opinions on why all the disasters. Job’s wife went so far as to tell him to curse God and die.
After all of their dead-end discussions, analyses, and interrogations, God asked Job: “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me if you know so much.” (Job 38:4, LAB)
We know less than we think we know.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.9 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).
Job had no idea about the dialogue that took place between God and Satan before his turmoil started. During that conversation, God allowed the enemy to attack Job and all his possessions. Even though Job couldn’t understand what caused his afflictions, he remained loyal to God. In the end, he was given double blessings; his family, along with his material possessions, were restored. This entire heart-rending story can be found in the book of Job.
When we’re faced with troubles beyond our justification, we don’t need more intelligence; we need faith in God. Just like Job didn’t know what had transpired behind the scenes between God and Satan, we know less than what we think we know in our particular circumstances. One reassuring thing about Job’s situation was that God remained in control; He restricted Satan’s range. That detail should comfort us when we’re going through trials.
When we surrender our inept, misinformed wills over to the Almighty, the One who knows everything about everything, we align ourselves to His absolute wisdom. One of the best prayers we could pray should go something like this:
Lord, help me accept Your will as mine; You know things that I don’t know. You are monitoring my path as I walk by faith. I put my trust in You to make all this work out for my well-being.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).
Do you really know—what you think you really know?
© 2021
See you next time on Paulette Talks Faith.
(LAB) Life Application Bible copyright © 1988 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189.