HomeWord - Jan. 3, 2008
It's Not about the Mystery
This devotional was written by Kelly McFadden
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9
The phone call came late at night, so I knew something was wrong even as I said “hello.” On the other end a friend delivered the news that a dear friend had died. I sat, shocked. Saddened by the news and confused by why the Lord would steal one of His mighty soldiers from this earth at such a young age.
I know I am not the only one to have an experience where I simply want to ask God why? Horrible stories are reported in the paper each and every day. We read of natural disasters, car accidents, kidnappings, murders, people losing their homes to wildfires, and the list goes on. In these moments my head wants answers. I know the promise of Romans 8:28 – that God works for the good of those called according to His purpose – but in those moments that is not what I want to hear, I want to scream and I want to know why.
Then I am gently reminded that in our walk with Jesus, it is not about explaining the mystery, it is about resting in the truth. The truth is this: We have a God who loves us so much he sent His Son to die for us. We live in a world that is plagued with problems and struggles from which none of us are immune nor can we completely explain. In those hard times, we can cry out to our heavenly Father for comfort. He is with us, walking with us, carrying us through all of life’s struggles.
So we have a choice. Do we dwell on struggling to find the answers to the Why? or do we look to our Maker and place our trust in Him? We cannot understand what God has prepared for us in this life or for eternity. Until then, He has given us His Holy Spirit to guide us and to be the great Comforter. So when we cry out Why? He alone can quiet our souls. In Him we can find comfort, peace and rest, even when we can’t find explanations.
The Lord does not want us to not get caught up in trying to explain the mystery, but to focus on Him. We are called to look towards Him and know that He is with us and we cannot even imagine His purposes or His plan. Trusting in God does not mean we abandon our emotions and feelings; focusing on Him, reminds us that He is with us and we will never go through our struggles alone.
To comment on today's devotional, click here.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Think about a time you have received some bad news. How did you handle the battle of the head and the heart – the desire to know why versus the heart’s rest in God’s truth?
2. What is a truth God has shown you in your life to help you manage some of the mystery?
FURTHER READING:
Matthew 13:10-14; John 8:31-37; Ephesians 3:1-13
Encouraging Parents…Building Families |
|
|
Other FREE resources from HomeWord and Jim Burns: |
 |
