Psalms 34:18 – The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

While we know that life is full of trouble, we sometimes going through it thinking some particular difficulty or pain will never come to us or near us. When we hear of certain tragedies or difficulties others face, we sometimes wonder why. What is God’s purpose in such a painful and difficult situation? Why would God allow such painful things to happen to His people or worse, an innocent child? We question the goodness and wisdom of God in these situations. We ask, why?

‘Is it a sin to ask God why? …. The psalmist asked why. Job, a blameless man, suffering horrible torments on an ash heap, asked why. It does not seem to me to be sinful to ask the question. What is sinful is resentment against God and His dealings with us

The reason we think this way and question the goodness and wisdom of God in certain situation is because we really don’t understand Him and His ways. We should remember however, that the Bible never calls us to understand all the reasons why, it calls us to trust God. It calls us to trust the one who loved us when we were still sinners and gave His Son to die in our place. It calls us to trust the one who has not dealt with us as our sins deserve. Because of His great love for us, all He allows in our lives is ultimately for our good and for His glory.

Jerry Bridges in his book “Trusting God” said: ‘God never pursues His glory at the expense of the good of His people, nor does He ever seek our good at the expense of His glory. He has designed His eternal purpose so that His glory and our good are inextricably bound together. What comfort and encouragement this should be to us.’

Does knowing that God does all He does for our good mean we can never ask why when we go through difficulties we don’t understand? Elisabeth Elliot answers that for us in her devotional “Keep a Quiet Heart” –

‘Is it a sin to ask God why? …. The psalmist asked why. Job, a blameless man, suffering horrible torments on an ash heap, asked why. It does not seem to me to be sinful to ask the question. What is sinful is resentment against God and His dealings with us….I have often asked why. Many things have happened which I didn’t plan on and which human rationality could not explain. In the darkness of my perplexity and sorrow I have heard Him say quietly, Trust Me.’

God is our loving, heavenly father and we must never be afraid to pour out our hearts to Him. He already knows what is in our hearts anyway. He even commands us to come and pour our heart to Him.  Psalms 62:8 – Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah

 God is wiser, kinder, more loving, more forgiving and infinitely better than anyone and anything in all of creation. We can trust Him with all our pain and all our hurt. He is and will always be the God who is near to the broken hearted and the savior of those crushed in spirit. 

 Some reasons God allows suffering in our lives : 1 Peter 4:12-13; Romans 5:3-4; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Romans 8:17.

Soli Deo Gloria!