We are not equal partners with God but are equitable part-takers of His will, purpose, and judgments. Some say what about as stated; "we are His children and He is our Father" - 2 Cor. 6:18. What many of us fail to acknowledge is without His sovereignty as God; He cannot afford to be our Father. We cannot bring down God to our feeble and short-term views of parenthood because we are not the standard; He is! Here again, there is an insidious approach from satan to destroy what God has established. To understand this we have to go back to the Garden. Was Yahweh acting as God or as the Father or both? The answer is we cannot separate or distinguish but accept Yahweh acts as both whenever He has to pass judgment.
We can never truly understand or appreciate His seeming absence because many of us have not as stated; "(are) always learning but never come to the full Knowledge of Truth (God)" - 2 Tim. 3:7. God is Truth and is the main revelator of all things that we face, and not only the circumstances but why we are facing them. And usually, these circumstances are by and in our own hands. For even though we are a part of Christ; many of us are still immature to the revelation of Christ. For when we mature to His revelation then anything we face is already overcome and God is justified to allow the trials and tribulations that come our way as stated; “In the world, you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I (Jesus) have overcome the world”. So by inference; the Body of Christ has already overcome the world. God’s justification to allow distress in our lives in simple terms; is, you don’t let your child have things too easy without some effort on their part, or else they will never develop fortitude, tolerance, and discipline. All life skills for the world as well as the walk of Faith.
When you were a child did you color within the lines or out of it? If you kept within the lines, then maybe you will have a harder time trying to understand why God allows certain things to happen. If out of the lines then you are probably more accepting of these circumstances and roll with the punches. As a Christian, the perspective you practice is critical to the journey. And to be clear this has nothing to do with one's profession, personality, or brain hemisphere. It all has to do with the Truth of God. At my wedding, my older brother made a statement that galvanized my approach and journey as a Christian. He said; "I am a maverick that plows ahead hoping for the best results". At this point, I did not consider myself devout but was only trying my best. Well, as you mature by the Word; often your best doesn't cut it. But the coloring out of the lines helps formulate the Truth and your walk with God.
Maybe being naive, child-like, and just plain trusting helped me not to be so uptight with God's seemingly absence to the point I was free in my expectations of Him. Because often in a Christian group discussion whenever that “why” question popped up I would just casually state; "No matter how often I may fall off or deviate from His path for me, I know in my heart He will always find a way for me to get back on His Righteous path". Often, after saying this many would only give me a bewildered blank look. Is it so hard to take God at His Word and allow Him to do what He does best? Which is to take care of us. For as stated; “unless you are converted (transformed) and become as little children (trusting in God), you will by no means enter the Kingdom of Heaven”.
Consider, God establishes but the Father provides. God established the Garden for His purpose but as the Father, He provided for their needs. God established the two Trees but as the Father, He warns of the judgment for disobedience and as God, He passes judgment when they committed their crime of disobedience but as the Father, He sets up their redemption for forgiveness and restoration. In all these instances God the Father maintains His integrity; demonstrates His sovereignty; and reveals His Love for His creations and heirs of His Kingdom. This sets in motion not “why” but “when” He is to fulfill His and our purposes.
God is more concerned with "when" rather than "why" as demonstrated by His signs and wonders in the Heavens; the seasons; and critical events prophesied in the Bible especially in this last Age as stated; "as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming (return) of the Son of Man be." - Matt. 24:37. Often, with major critical events in the Bible, there is a déjà vu of time that emphasizes its importance and justification. We can see this with the Rapture; a reflection of the Flood to establish for God a remnant for His will. This is also seen with the birth of Jesus from a woman; a representation of the ground as stated; "from the dust of the ground you are formed" - Gen. 2:7. And Jesus, the Messiah; reflecting the second Adam with the same underlying purpose. All these moments in time are a reflection of “when” not “why” Salvation is at hand.
God is not insensitive to our plight but knows and encourages as any good parent wanting their children to be strong when they face a world full of deception, hate, and lust. For if He taught us to complain asking; “why” whenever something opposed our path; He would not be able to guide us out of our self-imposed wildernesses and more importantly teach us to walk in Faith for “when” as stated; “those who wait on the LORD; shall renew their strength; (and) they shall mount up with wings like eagles, (and) they shall run and not be weary, (and) they shall walk and not faint”. - Is. 40:31; for in the end all that matters is as stated; “To him who overcomes I (God) will give some of the hidden manna to eat; and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone, a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it”.
Flush it Out! - Looking at why never positions you for when the Blessing appears.
Nov. 10, 2021.
Why God?
God is from the beginning; to the end, and after. He is not linear but as stated; "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of them whose heart (and will) is perfect (obedient) toward Him." - 2 Chron. 16:9. That Knowledge is not fact-based on His presence from one disaster one at a time but the Truth is His constant presence makes facing personal and worldwide disasters much more palatable and manageable regardless of the hour and season. God is not complex in His purpose but is complex by His thinking, application, and our understanding as stated; “My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” - Is. 55:9. The reluctance to lean on this foundational Truth is often what interferes with our expectations from Him. And yet it is not impossible as demonstrated by the man Jesus, Paul, and others. When we are prompted to ask God, “why” usually becomes problematic for us. This human need to know is embedded in us but the reality is once saved by the Blood of Jesus we are to no longer operate by the characteristics of a human being but as stated; “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” - Gal. 5:25.
Yahweh is not in the business of explaining His sovereignty as He adamantly stated; "where were you" - Job 38:4. For to do so would lower His Throne to His creation. He has His "whys". But make no mistake He does not owe us an explanation. Consider when God visited Abraham and was about to initiate His destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as stated; "Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do" - Gen. 18:17. What transpires after Abraham is told is that God considers and uses the Truth and not the facts as stated; “I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know”. - Gen. 18:21. It was not that these people were sinning with the greatest debasement that caused their destruction. That was the facts on the ground. But do we really think other cities in that time were not of equal debasement? The Truth was that these people would never come to God for forgiveness but openly with defiance, arrogance, and pride mocked God to His face. Once God made up His mind to destroy the cities, Abraham doesn’t ask “why” but begins to state possibilities of saving the population based on the number of Righteous people. For which God indulges Abraham but knows the Truth of the facts already beforehand. God does not consider it necessary to explain other than state the obvious and Abraham knows enough not to use feeble justifications. God’s judgment is unquestionable and final. He doesn't seek justification for His reason, unlike a criminal who blames others and does not take responsibility for their crimes. God has a purpose in all He has established and whenever His creation opposes these foundations of His Throne there is an immediate judgment on any unrighteous act before His Throne.
Now some will point out God stated; "come let us reason" - Is. 1:8. An indication God is willing to explain His decisions to us. Yet, the Bible records no such conversations between God and another indicating a discourse over an issue that theologians often do with endless debates. What the Bible records by the Holy Spirit is as stated; "I am the beginning and the end." - Rev. 1:8. And to be clear Jesus His only begotten Son also did not have any debates as to the pros or cons of God’s decisions for His birth, suffering, and death. God has set His rules of engagement and it is our responsibility to comprehend and abide by them. We may have questions but in the grand scheme, this is of little consequence to His approach to us. God is a stickler for His will and as clearly stated; "And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will,...we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him" - 1 Jn. 5:14. It is His will that overrides ours and then His pleasure in us as stated; “Delight (observe, enjoy, bask) yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart”. - Ps. 37:4.
No other statement has been used by every person that has had a tragedy occur in their life. Why God? Why allow this to happen? Why didn't You help us? Why am I not worthy of Your Blessing? Questions like these are often uttered especially by those in the Body who in desperate times cry out to God just like David and others who faced a reality that only by the supernatural can they be saved just as God did for the fleeing chosen people by parting the Red Sea. Yet, God determines His level of intervention and more often than not, only indicates or states; "My Grace is sufficient for you" - 2 Cor. 12:9.
In the Garden, God gave a command and the result for disobedience. He did not state a reason; such as; “eating it will cause Me to be angry or it will be sour”; but as stated; “But of the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it; for in the day that you eat (it) you shall surely die” - Gen. 2:17. The phrase used is; “in the day (time)”. This is not an indication of immediate death as they did not die instantly but for a period to die, as in the process of decay as happened generations later. During that decaying period, neither Adam nor Eve was indicated as restored, forgiven, or redeemed; not until their son Seth is there a glimmer of God’s Blessing as stated by Eve; “For God, has appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew” - Gen. 4:25. God gave them; “another seed”. Both for their sorrow and happiness and by God’s Grace that seed in time would produce as stated; “(Seth’s son) Enosh; (and) then men began to call on the name of the LORD”. - Gen. 4:26. The process of reconciliation was reignited!
It was not they couldn’t eat of that Tree of Knowledge, but it was “when” they could eat of it. Otherwise why put in the Garden. And as stated; "God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone" - Jms. 1:13. They could have asked God; “when can we eat of the Tree of Knowledge”. How we know this is because after receiving Salvation it is as stated; “For the LORD gives Wisdom; (and) from His mouth come Knowledge and Understanding” - Prob. 2:6; and; “the Spirit of God will guide you into all Truth” - Jn. 16:13. The Tree of Knowledge for them and us is a gift from God and by Righteous obedience is becomes available. They were to eat from the Tree of Life (Salvation) first, before the Tree of Knowledge which is Jesus first and then God second, respectively, affirming as stated; “no man comes to (knows) the Father, but by (receiving) Me”. - Jn. 14:6. God demands freewill obedience!
The divisiveness of “why” is revealed when satan posed this question by his insidious innuendo to Eve as stated; "You shall not surely die (because) God knows that in the day you eat it, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil" - Gen. 3:4-5. He, satan is implying, God is hiding and holding back their rights, privileges, and entitlements. So just like them, we ask the question, "why not me"? And thus we have the corrupted seeds of selfishness, and egotistic pride for everything we desire, lust, and covet; even though we have not earned it. What is often lost, is the very thing needed to receive from God as stated; “A man's pride shall bring him low, but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit” - Prob. 29:23; and “Blessed are the meek” - Matt. 5:5. In reality, by the Spirit and God’s omnipotence; we are not entitled to anything! Because by entitlement we place ourselves at His level and become demi-gods as stated by satan; “I will be like the most High” - Is. 14:14. We are only heirs by His Throne!
The Truth is all things are gifts from God because He decides this. Which as stated; "Not of works, lest any man should boast" - Eph. 2:9. God does not need but wants us! And by forsaking entitlement, progressing in the Faith God represents, then we no longer gripe about why or woe is me! But as Faith demands and by the eternal promise of heirship through Jesus Christ we reverently ask God the question; "when"? "When will Your Blessing fulfill You Word"? "When will this time pass"? When; is the promise He gives as stated; "I will never forsake you" or "For the LORD God is a sun and shield (and) the LORD will give Grace and Glory (for) no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly (in His ways)"; Heb. 13:5, and Ps. 84:11, respectively. The attitude of "when" expresses expectation which is Faith complying to His mandate of; "only with Faith we please Him" - Heb. 11:6. And this is where we begin to mature in Christ and come to the Truth as stated; "My word does not return to me void" - Is. 55:11.
To ask God “why” is from the flesh. That remnant of sin that seeks to be guilty so as to indulge in punishment, pain, and shame, for sadistic pleasures just as historical monks did as self whipping themselves for the atonement of their sins. And as Paul states; “(having Salvation) if they fall away (back to sin), to renew (prolong) them again (continuous) to repentance, since they crucify again (constantly) for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open (public) shame (mockery)” - Heb. 6:5-7. We must come to the realization and Faith; that is not by self-punishment we attain Grace for the forgiveness of sins but by the heartfelt remorse of disappointing and disobeying God.
Spiritual Awakening
This is because our very humanized deposition retards us into a disadvantage because we are taught more to doubt as a child than to expect from the world’s teaching standards which are in opposition to the Word as stated; “Train up a child in the way they are to go” - Prob. 22:6. A Christian child’s training ought to be based on the Word and not the world. When our daughter was growing up in her formative years we made it a point to do two things. One; never use her mistakes as a reason for punishment but use it as a platform for her to grow in understanding, and appreciation of the issues she faced. Two; and probably more important we not only vocalized to her often; but also used a picture of her face with the words below it; “The Can Do Kid”. We were imprinting on her; Faith.
As children; when mistakes are made due to ignorance or inexperience they are told by the authoritative figure why their thinking and actions are not merited. Usually by a loud, imposing, and adamant adult. This results in hesitation in the child’s expectations because their innocent actions are deemed inappropriate and they become fearful of reprimands. We often hear from good meaning people the impression; “comply to receive”; with the focus on “why” it is not possible to receive when we don’t obey them. Often, with such phrases as; “you better do as I say, if you know what’s good for you”. Some may say this comes from the Garden when God told them the consequences of eating the apple. Why it was forbidden! And here lies the flesh’s interpretation as opposed to God's immutable sovereignty! The flesh only knows self-pity and fears punishment. Hence when we ask God “why”; we are sub-consciously admitting guilt for something we think we may have done like when parents would ask the child about the missing cookies, and in turn, they lie or avoid answering because they assume they did something wrong and don’t want to be punished. Maybe the parents were just curious about the missing cookies, to determine how much more or which type to buy.