Being Attacked by the Why's of Life?

Some things about kids never change. One of those eternal things is asking  “Why?”  You ask a child to come inside and they will ask why. Tell them to get ready for bed they will ask why. Tell them to put on their coat, and you get a why. Even explaining everyday things like the sun, the moon, the stars – you get a why. Kids just naturally want to know why. My own children asked it all the time and now I hear my grandchildren asking the same question.

We want to know why.  Irritations occur like being cut off in traffic and we hit our hands on the steering wheel and say why.  We have a flat on the way to work and wonder why. It rains and we forget our umbrella and wonder why. Most of our whys are a bit self-centered – just wishing we could have freedom from those little irritations of life that are inevitable.

Some of our why’s come when hard things enter our lives. Someone rejects us and we want to know why. We get passed over for a job and we ask why.  Young kids rebel and grown kids don’t live the way they were raised and again we wonder why.  A spouse walks away, a friend betrays you, someone passes way and again the why’s come up. These why’s are heartfelt – the pain is strong and we cry out to the heavens for some sort of explanation.

We blame ourselves with why’s as well.  Why did I do that? Why don’t they like me? Why have I gotten into this mess? If we only look to ourselves and our circumstances we’ll be done in. Eventually something irritating will happen to everyone. Eventually, something hard and extremely hurtful will enter into our world. If we just look to ourselves, to our own devices, we can become bitter, angry, frustrated, depressed, dejected and doomed.

Oh beloved, this morning you may be surrounded with the why’s of life. You may be blaming yourself, blaming others, blaming fate. You’ve grown tired of the struggle and you’re ready to pitch in the towel. You know you messed up. You know you deserve better. You know that you’re the only one in this hard, rough place with no sign of help.

But beloved! You can make it! Because God Himself is with you! For the believer, even in hard times, even in frustrating moments, even in rejection and fear and longings of the heart no one sees – God is with you! When you put your trust in the Name of Jesus Christ for your salvation, you can be sure that while you don’t see immediate reasons for life’s hardships, you can know that God is with you! Why? Because His Word is His Bond. His Cross is His reason. His empty grave is His proof. God loves you. He loves you when you mess up and wonder why. He loves you when friends quit you, spouses pass away, jobs play out and money gets tight. He loves you when your children disappoint you, when life gives you lemons, when no one else comes to your assistance. And because He loves you, beloved one, He is with you always – He will never leave you, He will never quit you, He will never turn away. He is with you on the side of the road when you have a flat, He is with you at the hospital bed when you have a loved one going home with Him. He is with you!

Rejoice this morning that you are loved and treasured and valued beyond any other creation. Rejoice that He knows your name and your days are written in His loving hand. Rejoice that all the why’s are not important because you know WHO is with you all the days of your life!

1 John 4:9 God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him.

Psalm 42:11 Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise Him again— my Savior and my God!

Psalm 62:5 Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in Him.