Why, God?

February 21, 2022

No doubt you have heard about the tragic car accident of the two students from Conotton Valley High School. One was killed and another critically injured. It has shaken all of Carroll and Tuscarawas County and beyond. Two great student athletes, beautiful young people dreaming of the future. We all have questions. How could this happen? Why did this happen? It raises questions about God: Where is He in all of this? Does He really care?

There are times when most of us find it hard to understand what God is up to. Even when we believe deeply that God would never send evil to us, and He is brokenhearted by our pain, we wonder why He allows such hard things to happen. Why doesn’t He intervene and do something?

The Old Testament prophet Habakkuk understood how we feel. He pulled no punches with God in the middle of his pain. He was not disrespectful, but he also wasn’t afraid to be honest. He said, "God, why have you let this happen? I can't understand what You're doing. What on earth are You up to? Why don't You answer my prayers?"

But while you are reading you need to hang in there with Habakkuk. He stays with God and in spite of his confusion and heartache, Habakkuk ends up courageously and confidently expressing some of the most helpful and moving words: "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be joyful in God my Savior" (Habakkuk 3:17).

Why did this accident happen? I have no idea. Anyone who tells you they know why God allowed this is blowing smoke. We don’t know. Time after time I have had to admit to myself that I don’t know, and I have had to say that to others in many varied tragic situations. But I’m with the prophet. Because of my faith in God, I can grieve deeply, but not without hope. That’s my prayer today for all those who are devastated by grief.

Life doesn’t always go the way you expect. You pray with faith, but God doesn’t do what you asked. But just because God is silent doesn’t mean He’s not there. When God doesn’t make sense might just be the time to trust Him the most. When life gets hard, many things will not make sense. In these times, it can be difficult to trust in the outcome God is setting up for you. We want to control it and make sure He does what we ask. We can forget that God is right there, listening to us, loving us, and addressing our needs. We may have trouble hearing His voice. We can drift away from God and not trust that His plan is right for us. But God knows and understands. He gets our hopes and fears. Our tears get His attention, and they are precious to Him. He’s the best listener. He hears even our silent prayers; the things we can’t say aloud.

It’s vital to trust Him when you feel lost and left alone in the dark. It’s not dark to Him, and He knows where you are. He still has a good plan for your life.

When we are hurting badly we have a decision to make. How will I respond? The best question is not “Why?” but “What now?” It’s not wrong to ask why, but it’s bound to be disappointing. You won’t get an answer that helps you. The best question is, “What will I do now? What is the next wise thing for me to do?” The answer is “focus on God and trust Him for the next step.” For sure, life is out of control and attempting to control it or even understand it will not help you. Just trust your faithful Father to walk you through this and lead you on.

Remember His great love for you. He doesn’t love you less because this pain is in your life. In fact, nothing we ever do or experience will make Him love us more or less, but we can choose to allow His love to be experienced all the more. He hasn’t left you. He is with you right now, and Scripture promises that the Lord will fight for us. We only need to be still. Trust that God is constantly present in your life because He loves you deeply. He will never leave you or forsake you.