When God Doesn’t Make Sense (Part 3)

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When God Doesn’t Make Sense (Part 3)

1. This study derives its name and a lot of its content from James Dobson’s excellent book, When God Doesn’t Make Sense.

I.        God doesn’t always answer the prayers of even the godly.

1. The Father didn’t answer some of the prayers of His sinless Son in His darkest hour (Luk 22:42; Mat 27:46).
2. The Lord didn’t grant the Apostle Paul’s request when he was suffering and seeking relief (2Co 12:7-9).
3. Imagine a world in which every prayer of Christians was answered.
4. “Consider for a moment the kind of world it would be if God did exactly what we demanded in every instance. First, believers would outlive nonbelievers by centuries. The rest of the human family would be trapped in decaying bodies, but Christians and their children would live in an idyllic world set apart. They would never have toothaches or kidney stones or myopic vision. All of their businesses would succeed and their homes would be beautiful, etc. The entire basis for the God-man relationship would be undermined. People would seek friendship with Him in order to gain the fringe benefits, rather than responding with a heart of repentance and love. Indeed, the most greedy among us would be the first to be drawn to the benefits of the Christian life. Most importantly, these evidences of God’s awesome power would eliminate the need for faith.” (Ibid, pp. 101-102)

II.     God’s love is shown to us by Christ dying for our sins, not by our circumstances.

1. We perceive the love of God by Him (Jesus Christ) laying down His life for us (1Jo 3:16).
2. The love of God was manifested toward us when God sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world to be a propitiation for our sins so that we might live through Him (1Jo 4:9-10).
3. Nothing, including tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword, or death, shall be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:35-39).
4. God loves us, even when we don’t feel like He does.

III.  Trust God’s promises, not your feelings.

1. Feelings are a very poor substitute for faith.
   1. The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked (Jer 17:9).
   2. Whoso trusts in his own heart is a fool (Pro 28:26).
   3. Guide your heart, don’t follow it (Pro 23:19).
2. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6).
3. We must trust in God’s promises, such as:
   1. He will provide for our needs (Php 4:19; Psa 34:9-10).
   2. He will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb 13:5).
   3. He will not give us more than we can handle (1Co 10:13).
4. “In my work with Christian families in crisis, I find them struggling in many of the same ways as the disciples. As they trudge along in deep thought, there is no evidence that Jesus is in their part of the universe. Because they don’t ‘feel’ His presence, they cannot believe He cares. Since the facts don’t add up, they are convinced no reasonable explanation exists. Their prayers bring no immediate relief, so they presume they are not heard. But they are wrong. It is my firm conviction in these instances that too much confidence is placed in what people feel, and too little on the promises of God, who said He would supply all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). “If you find yourself on that dusty road to Emmaus today, and the circumstances in your life have left you confused and depressed, I have a word of counsel for you. Never assume God’s silence or apparent inactivity is evidence of His disinterest. Let me say it again. Feelings about His inaccessibility mean nothing! Absolutely nothing! His Word is infinitely more reliable than our spooky emotions.” (Ibid, pp. 48-49)
5. “Establish your foundation not on ephemeral emotions but on the authority of the written Word.” (Ibid, p. 49)
6. Have the mindset that God can save you, but if not, be determined to serve Him anyway (Dan 3:17-18).
7. “That is the biblical prescription in its simplest terms. He can heal the disease that grips my body―but if not, my faith will survive. He can correct my child’s handicap, or save my bankrupt business, or bring my son home safely from the war. But if not, I will continue trusting in Him. That’s what Job meant when he said, ‘Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him’ (13:15).” (Ibid, pp. 113-114, changed quote to KJV)

IV.  Two choices: acceptance or despair

1. When faced with a great hardship, affliction, or loss, we can either accept that God knows what He’s doing and has done it for a purpose, or we can fall into despair and lose our faith.
2. James Dobson quoted Dr. Jim Conway who endured the terrible trial of seeing his teenage daughter have to have her leg amputated. Here is what he ultimately came to terms with.
   1. “Probably the most important thing I learned in this entire process is this: I became deeply aware that there were only two choices that I could make. One was to continue in my anger at God and follow the path of despair I was on. The other choice was to let God be God, and somehow say, ‘I don’t know how all this fits together. I don’t understand the reasons for it. I’m not even going to ask for the explanation. I’ve chosen to accept the fact that You are God and I’m the servant, instead of the other way around.’ And there I left it.  It was in that choice that I came to cope with my situation. I frankly admit that after all these years, I still struggle with some things. I still get sick to my stomach when I see my daughter hopping on one leg. But I have come to recognize that God has a higher purpose and I just don’t understand that purpose. I am prepared to wait until eternity to receive answers to my questions, if necessary. Like Job, I am now able to say, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him (Job 13:15, KJV). It’s either despair, or it’s the acceptance of His sovereignty. Those are the alternatives. Let me say it again. It’s either despair, or it’s God. There’s nothing in between. Our family has chosen to hold on to God.” (Ibid, quoting Dr. Jim Conway, pp. 88-89).
   2. “There is only one answer, and it is the conclusion drawn by Dr. Jim Conway in his hour of crisis: Don’t demand explanations. Don’t lean on your ability to understand. Don’t turn loose of your faith. But do choose to trust Him, by the exercise of the will he has placed within you. The only other alternative―is despair.” (Ibid, p. 89)
   3. “Either we continue to believe in God’s goodness and postpone our questions until we see Him face to face―or we will descend into bitterness and anger for the suffering around us. There are no other alternatives. Inevitably, you see, we circle back to the necessity of faith.” (Ibid, pp. 112-113)
   4. “One of the evidences of emotional maturity is the ability (and the willingness) to overrule ephemeral feelings and govern our behavior with the intellect and the will.” (Ibid, p. 47)

V.    Expect suffering, and accept it when it comes.

1. All that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution (2Ti 3:12).
2. We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God (Act 14:22).
3. In the world we shall have tribulation (Joh 16:33).
4. Think it not strange when you go through fiery trials (1Pe 4:12-13).
5. The apostle Paul, our example, was no stranger to suffering (2Co 7:4-5; 2Co 11:23-30).
6. Pastors in particular are called to endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ (2Ti 2:3-4).
   1. Hardness n. – a. The quality or condition of being hard; difficulty of penetration, solution, apprehension, performance, endurance; inflexibility, rigidity, stiffness, harshness; rigour, severity, cruelty; obduracy, obstinacy; hardiness, etc. see HARD a. b. With a and pl. An instance of this quality; a hardship.
   2. Hard adj. – II. Actively hard: pressing severely; severe. 11. a. Difficult to bear or endure; not easy to suffer, put up with, or consent to; pressing severely; severe, rigorous, oppressive, cruel.
   3. Endure v. – II. To last; to suffer continuously. intr. To last, continue in existence. Also, to persist, ‘hold out’ in any action, etc. 3. trans. To undergo, bear, sustain (continuous pain, opposition, hardship, or annoyance); properly, to undergo without succumbing or giving way.
   4. Sometimes all we can do is endure temptations (trials).
   5. The OT prophets, like NT apostles and preachers, were an example of suffering affliction patiently (Jam 5:10).
   6. Those who endure are happy (blessed) (Jam 5:11).
   7. They will receive a crown of righteousness in the next life (Jam 1:12).
7. “Heaven is not here, it’s There. If we were given all we wanted here, our hearts would settle for this world rather than the next. God is forever luring us up and away from this one, wooing us to Himself and His still invisible Kingdom where we will certainly find what we so keenly long for.” (Ibid, p. 106, quoting Elisabeth Elliot)
8. After quoting the words of the hymn, “Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken,” which tells of a Christian enduring great hardship and yet counting himself blessed, Dobson had this to say.
9. “This message is a little different from ‘Something goooood is going to happen today,’ and it may even be unpalatable to a modern world. But it is biblically accurate, and you can build a rock-solid foundation of faith on it. With it, you can cope with whatever life throws at you, even when God makes absolutely no sense. It will hold you when you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, because you need fear no evil. Life can never take you by surprise, again. Everything is committed to Him, whether you understand the circumstances or not. He becomes your possessor and your dispossessor. With this biblical understanding and a tough, well-fortified faith, the ‘awesome why’ loses its scary significance. A better question becomes ‘Why does it matter?’ It is not your responsibility to explain what God is doing with your life. He has not provided enough information to figure it out. Instead, you are asked to turn loose and let God be God. Therein lies the secret to the “peace that transcends understanding.” (Ibid, p. 172)

VI.  God views death differently than most of us do.

1. Death is terrifying to unconverted people, and to plenty of believers as well (Heb 2:15).
2. Many Christians view death as a terrible thing that is to be staved off at all costs.
3. God views it much differently (Isa 57:1-2; Psa 116:15; Rev 14:13).
4. If you are diagnosed with a terminal illness, remember 1Co 15:55 and Php 1:21.
5. Keep things in perspective.
   1. Remember that life is temporary (Psa 39:5; Psa 103:15-16; Jam 4:14).
   2. And then pray that God will help you to remember how frail and fleeting your life is so that you will make the most of the rest of it for Him (Psa 39:4; Psa 90:12).
   3. We will be in heaven with Jesus soon, and all our troubles and trials will be over (Rev 7:16-17; Rev 21:3-4).

VII.           Answering the “why?”

1. When a grieving person asks “why did God let this happen to me?”, fools often attempt to give reasons that God may have had for doing so.
2. The wrong answers
   1. “God might have spared your loved one from more suffering in the future.”
   2. “God might be trying your faith.”
   3. “God might have allowed this to happen to you so that you can help others in a similar situation.”
   4. These answers could be true, but they are not what a grieving, questioning person needs to hear.
   5. Jim Conway said the following concerning what not to say to someone who is suffering intense grief or depression.
      1. “When a person is going through this kind of terrible depression, some believers don’t know how to respond. They say, ‘I’ll pray for you,’ which may mean, ‘I’m no longer really listening to you.’ That can be a way of ending one’s responsibility to shoulder the load. In fact, when it comes to bearing one another’s burdens, the secular world sometimes does that job better than we do. They know the importance of letting resentment and anger spill out, whereas Christians may feel they have to hold it inside. The Scripture tells us, ‘The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.’ (Psalm 34:17).  It also bothered me later when people began offering simplistic explanations and flippant comments to ‘cheer me up.’ It was irritating when they quoted Romans 8:28, “all things work together for good,’ when they had not earned the right to brush off my pain. I wanted to say, ‘Tell me about it, Charlie. Tell me about it when your 16-year-old daughter’s leg is amputated. Come back when you’ve gone through something like this, and then we’ll talk again.’ Sometimes we get so used to the ‘cheer-up’ mode in Christianity that we become unreal.” (Ibid, pp 86-87 – Psa 34:17 quote changed to KJV)
   6. “Those who would give glib answers to the awesome question of human suffering have probably not spent much time thinking about it.” (Ibid, p. 111)

3. The right answer
   1. The fact is that neither you, nor I, nor any man on this earth, knows why God allowed a calamity into someone’s life.
      1. To speculate is stupid because the answer cannot be known, and furthermore, any speculation or possibility you give will not make the grieving person feel any better, and will likely make him feel worse.
      2. This is especially true when a person is still in the grieving process.
      3. “No, it is better to acknowledge that we have been given too few facts to explain all the heartache in an imperfect, fallen world. That understanding will have to await the coming of the sovereign Lord who promises to set straight all accounts and end all injustice.” (Ibid, p. 35)
   2. In my opinion, the best, and only true, answer is, “I don’t know why this happened to you, and neither does anyone else. But God does. He allowed it to happen, and He has a good reason for it, though He has not revealed it to you. You have two choices: you can accept that God has allowed this into your life and trust that He did so for a good reason, or you can despair and become angry and bitter toward God and possibly lose your faith.”

4. Final thoughts from James Dobson.
   1. “If you were sitting before me at this moment, you might be inclined to ask, ‘Then how do you explain the tragedies and hardships that have come into my life? Why did God do this to me?’ My reply, which you’ve read in previous pages, is not profound. But I know it is right! God usually does not choose to answer those questions in this life! That’s what I’ve been trying to say. He will not parade His plans and purposes for our approval. We must never forget that He is God. As such He wants us to believe and trust in him despite the things we don’t understand. It’s that straightforward. Jehovah never did answer Job’s intelligent inquiries, and He will not respond to all of yours. Every person who ever lived, I submit, has had to deal with seeming contradictions and enigmas. You will not be the exception. If that explanation is unsatisfactory and you can’t accept it, then you are destined to go through life with a weak, ineffectual faith―or no faith at all.” (Ibid, pp. 236-237)
   2. “My strongest advice is that each of us acknowledge before the crisis occurs, if possible, that our trust in Him must be independent of our understanding. There’s nothing wrong with trying to understand, but we must not lean on our ability to comprehend! Sooner or later our intellect will pose questions we cannot possibly answer. At that point, we would be wise to remember His words, ‘as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts’ (Isaiah 55:9). And our reply should be, ‘not my will, but thine, be done’ (Luke 22:42).  When you think about it, there is comfort in that approach to life’s trials and tribulations. We are relieved from the responsibility of trying to figure them out. We haven’t been given enough information to decipher the code. It is enough to acknowledge that God makes sense even when He doesn’t make sense.” (Ibid, pp. 237-238) (Luke 22:42 quote was changed to the KJV text)
5. “But the source of bitterness must be admitted before it can be cleansed. There is no better way to get rid of it than to absolve the Lord of whatever we have harbored, and then ask His forgiveness for our lack of faith. It’s called reconciliation, and it is the only way you will ever be entirely free.” (Ibid, p. 238)
6. “If we truly understood the majesty of this Lord and the depth of His love for us, we would certainly accept those times when He defies human logic and sensibilities. Indeed, that is what we must Expect confusing experiences to occur along the way. Welcome them as friends―as opportunities for your faith to grow. Hold fast to your faith, without which it is impossible to please Him. Never let yourself succumb to the “betrayal barrier,” which is Satan’s most effective tool against us. Instead, store away your questions for a lengthy conversation on the other side, and then press on toward the mark. Any other approach is foolhardy―because your arms are too short to box with God.” (Ibid, p. 69)