Living on Promises, Not Explanations

When calamity befell Job, he asked God why many times. There is nothing wrong with asking God why, as long as we don’t feel that He somehow owes us an answer. I think if God actually were to give us the answer, we wouldn’t be satisfied anyway.

What if you said, "Lord, why did this happen?" and God said, "I’m going to tell you right now. Are you ready? Sit down. Here’s why. . . ." Do you think that would really satisfy you? I don’t think it would. If the Lord told you why things happened the way they did, would it ease your pain or heal your broken heart? I don’t think so. I think it would raise more questions.

When her brother, Lazarus, died, Martha cried out to Jesus. Unfair. Foul. Not right. Instead of correcting her, Jesus tried to give her an eternal perspective: "Your brother will rise again" (John 11:23).

Martha said, in effect, "Yeah, I know—in the resurrection on the last day."
But Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (verses 25–26).

In other words, "No, Martha, you are missing the point. I am the resurrection and the life. . . ."

Here is what Martha didn’t know. Jesus was about to raise her brother from the dead. She wanted a healing; He wanted a resurrection. God was going to do abundantly above and beyond that which she could ask or think.

God says, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways" (Isaiah 55:8). We live on promises, not on explanations. We shouldn’t spend too much time asking why.