Questioning God

Yesterday, visiting with a new patient, a familiar question came up, "Why God?"  The patient, experiencing a disease he never envisioned and facing on outcome he thought would be years down the road, openly wondered "Why me?" Or, in other words, "Why does God allow this to happen to me?  What is his justification?"  Do you see the real question here?  What right does God have to bring this on me or to allow it to happen to me?  Who does God think he is?

We don't say it quite in that way, but that is the implication of our asking, "Why me?"  Job found himself in the middle of a world class personal crisis.  He lost his children, his wealth and his health.  He openly challenged God's choice to  allow this to happen or his right to bring it upon him.  At one point he said, "If only there was someone to mediatte between us...someone to remove God's rod from me...then I would speak up without fear of him..." (Job 9:33-34).  Job thought that an umpire between him and God would rule in his favor against God.

Like so many today who are facing trials or calamities in their lives, Job wanted to know what God was thinking, what justification did he have, why me?  God gave Job an anwer but it wasn't the answer to why, it was the answer of Who: "Who is this that obscures my plans with words without  knowledge" (Job 38:2)?  God's answer was, "Who do you think you are and who do you imagine I am?"

God put's Job in his place as a man, asking, "Where were you when I laid out the  foundatin of the earth" (v. 4)?  Job, just how do you imagine you can begin to question me?  Do you really think you have a grasp of the cosmic level my decisions?  Do you believe that you even have a clue of the spiritual battles that are in play?  Do you, as a man, deign to sit in judgment of the Architect of the Universe, the One who exists before the universe was brought into being?  Really?

My answer to my patient was that I haven't had any answers to why since I was in my mid-twenties or so.  Back then, I had answers, or so I thought.  Today, I don't know why but I do know Who.  I know God and that God is good.  I also know that God is right and that his will is to be desired, even when we don't enjoy the process or understand how good could come from it.  I have learned to replace the question "Why God?" with the answer "God is!"  God is in control.  God is just.  God is good.  God is able.  God is love.  Jus' Sayn.