“Why?” Questions

Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”  Judges 6:13 NKJV

If you’re not familiar with the Old Testament story of the life of Gideon, or it’s been a while, grab a cup of coffee, relax and prepare for real-life, real-world questions. When you have the time, read all of Gideon’s story in Judges 6 and 7, it’s overflowing with deep truth and God stories. Right now, we’ll do a thumbnail version and pull just a few threads of his story and see how it applies to our lives today.

We first meet Gideon in the middle of his work day, as he’s “beating wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites.” Needless to say, a winepress is not where one usually threshes wheat! He’s had to alter his normal way of life and normal way of earning a living to accommodate the presence of his enemies. He’s also had to face the overwhelming fear that’s gripped him in the process. And then, smack in the middle of his routine and difficulty, the Angel of the Lord shows up and speaks to him. Telling him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of courage.”

After looking around to see who in the world the Angel of the Lord is talking to, Gideon’s first response to the heavenly interruption is stunningly authentic and real-world. Gideon asks the questions each of us have wrestled with at some point in life.  Questions that so permeated his thoughts that as an angel stood in his very presence, rather than fall to the ground in shock, he blurted out loud what was loudest in his thinking.  “Why?”

“If the Lord really is with us…with me… why then has all this difficulty happened to us? Where are all His miracles I have heard about?”  Can you hear the accusation or possibly anger dripping from his line of questioning? Can you hear the disappointment mingled with despair in his tone as he wrongly assumes that his current trials mean God has abandoned him? Or his assumption that lack of trials is a sign of God’s presence.

Maybe you haven’t lived long enough for life to smack you between the eyes, or maybe you consider yourself too spiritual to ask “why?” or just maybe, you can relate to Gideon’s question… “If God is with us then why?

 Why did my child die?

Why did my marriage end?

Why aren’t I married?

Why do I have cancer?

Why was I abused?

Why am I alone?

Why did He allow me to (or someone else to) screw up my life so badly??

Why ….. (fill in your own blank)

I don’t know why, I wish I did. I wish I could hand you the answer to the “why” of your circumstance – I can’t. But what I can assure you of is this – according to God’s word, trials do not indicate the abandonment of God. In fact, they might just indicate His nearness in a way we cannot imagine.

His Word promises, “He is near the brokenhearted.” We are assured of His presence with us, whether or not He miraculously delivers us from our trials or chooses to walk us through them – either way, He is with us.  He is with you.

Now grab your coffee, and open your Bible to Judges 6, and see what He will speak to you regarding your why questions.  

Trials do not indicate the abandonment of God. In fact, they might just indicate His nearness in a way we cannot imagine. – Becky White

Father, I am so thankful for Your abiding presence, Your great faithfulness and Your peace. As I walk through the inevitable challenges of life, enable me to be more aware of Your Presence and find my rest in You … not in the perfect outcome. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus.