Reverend G’s Favorite Phrase

The question may be ‘Why’ but the answer is ‘Who.’

From the time of Job and beyond, we have asked God, “Why?”  Why do good people suffer? Why did this happen to my family? Why must I deal with this horrible situation?

Even King David and King Jesus asked, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

We rarely discover the answer to our whys although we know the answer now to Job’s dilemma, because we have read the book. We know that God and Satan entered into a contest with Job as the pawn. Job prevailed, and God blessed him.

Yet Job didn’t read the book. God answered this faithful man with His own questions, “Have you ever in your life commanded the morning and caused the dawn to know its place?”  “Have you entered into the springs of the sea? Have you walked in the recesses of the deep?”

Here in the cracked earth of the heartland, we listen expectantly as God asks Job, “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds so that an abundance of water may cover you?”

God answers Job by pointing to the Who. Only God commands the morning and causes dawn to spread across the sky. Only God enters the sea and walks in the recesses of the deep without drowning. Only God can lift up his voice to the clouds and send an abundance of water to stop this drought.

Oh, God – we ask you to send rain.

Reverend G’s questions might include, “Why did you let me sink into the shadows of Alzheimer’s? Why is my ministry taken away from me? Why must I face the possibility of forgetting those I love?”

The only answer is Who. God is sovereign, and he alone knows the eternal perspective.

Reverend G knows that when we struggle with the whys of life, the only possible way to survive is to trust our questions to the One who designs the answers.

That is true faith: Not being afraid to ask why, even while knowing the answer is Who.

0 thoughts on “Reverend G’s Favorite Phrase”

  1. Ruthie Kendall

    Your story is captivating. I don’t want to put it down. Can’t wait until the book is ready! Bless you for the truth shared in an inspiring Blog. Well done! Ruthie Kendall

  2. The question is why, the answer is who, but the real question we should ask is “What?” What should we do in our lives, what should we try to accomplish? Two year olds ask why, because they do not understand. If we can get beyond two, we have to ask – “What is in front of me that I need to do?”

    1. I agree, Dan, that ultimately we need to ask “What.” What can I do with this struggle and even how can I make it mean something? But most of us, when we’re right in the middle of the pain, we ask “Why?” That’s when faith steps in and says “Who.” God is sovereign and He knows how to make our why’s meaningful. He also knows how to empower them into the next step – the “What” of life.

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