All Articles
Amidst the Unanswered Whys
I believe in the sun even when it is not shining.
I believe in love even when I can’t feel it.
I believe in God, even when He is silent.
Contentment begins with understanding why. We feel we must know what we cannot know. Frustration mounts as the answer eludes us. And we fail to understand that life contains many mysteries that are opaque, however curious or persistent we may be.
The journey of faith inevitably courses its way through rivers of doubt. Whether initially, as we grappled with the ramifications of the gospel’s call. Or later, as our seemingly mundane life causes some to fall prey to the subterfuges of the Adversary. Testing to the limits the obedience of our faith. Inescapably causing us to go awry of the prescribed course or instead, after having escaped the treacherous waves, buttress our belief in Him.
Faith at times does not know why in the immediate circumstances. But it does trust in a God who knows why in terms of the ultimate. True faith sees the infinite as well as the finite or it sees nothing. Maintaining the tension of faith in the face of pressure. Undeterred by whatever stands in the way. The reminder that every crisis is an opportunity to either stymie or stimulate faith.
“Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?"”
Genesis 18.25
Abraham’s question over the pending destruction of Sodom is a common one. And the answer is plain: The Lord of all the earth does right. Daniel certainly understood this as he reflected on the present Babylonian captivity and prayed thus:
“Therefore the Lord has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice.”
Daniel 9.14
God’s silence is not proof of His absence. Far from it! There are indeed times we are called to suspend judgment because we do not have all the answers. Realizing that there are facts of life in a fallen world that we will never be able to explain. And that is not irrational at all despite the pleas of the sages today. For in those moments we need not insist.
But trust.
And obey.
We must flee the temptation in trials to develop misrepresentations of God. Those thoughts that are pathetically inadequate and can lead to disbelief in Him. C.S. Lewis in the midst of personal grief wrote:
“Not that I am (I think) in much danger of ceasing to believe in God. The real danger is in coming to believe such dreadful things about Him. The conclusion I dread is not ‘so there is no God after all’ but ‘so this is what God is really like. Deceive yourself no longer.’”
Doubt can become a counterfeit answer to grief and suffering. It is demoralizing to lose a sense of direction. To feel we are drifting. Those haunting questions mock us and shake us to our very core. “Doesn’t God care?” Impenetrable darkness and silence envelop us and catastrophic doubt creeps in. Never comprehending that what God is doing may be mystery. But He is not. Recalling the covenant promises made throughout the ages to His children, we trust in His ability to do right. For even in the darkness, our Sovereign God is there. So we need not walk by the light of our own fire. For that is the path of torment.
“Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God. Behold, all you who kindle a fire, who equip yourselves with burning torches! Walk by the light of your fire, and by the torches that you have kindled! This you have from my hand: you shall lie down in torment.”
Isaiah 50.10-11
Wait yes even in the dark. It may very well be the most opportune time to listen. For our self-made sparks will never illuminate the path of righteousness. He is our light.
“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."”
John 8.12
Can our faith bear the pain and suffering we face in this life? Do we truly rest in the knowledge that He is there? That He cares for us? Are we standing firmly on the promises? The unbearable anguish of life threatens to choke our faith and poison our spirit. Personal crisis is inevitable. How we endure will determine if we pass the test. Or become like those who go down into the abyss.
“You were guiding me as a helmsman steers a ship, but the course you steered was beyond my understanding.”
In faith we withdraw our minds from difficulties vainly curious. From doubts impossible to solve. Withdrawing our minds from unprofitable and dangerous inquiries. Serving our King with humble confidence and active zeal. Undaunted by circumstances, our faith is reliance on God. Even amidst the unanswered “whys” that life throws our way. Our irreducible bedrock conviction is grounded in the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Comfort and assurance in the Savior.
