GOD HEARS, GOD KNOWS:
Answers to our “why’s” in life
(10-2024) by Carol Scheitlin
We’ve all been there. We’ve all had those moments of doubt, questioning, and wondering why. Why am I going through this? Why would God allow these obstacles and hardships? Why do we see injustice in the world?
Whether it’s dealing with the world’s chaos, or dealing with personal losses or trials, we often have questions. But we can be assured that God hears us, and He knows all that is happening. He compassionately works through it all – with us, and for us - in ways that we may not see or understand.
This is Carol Scheitlin of New Life Expressions. This month we will consider some of the tough questions that we might ask when going through difficult seasons of life.
We'll take a look at some Bible saints who have asked similar questions, and see how they handled tough times. Then we’ll make some personal applications.
Let’s see what the Scriptures have to say…
TRIALS FACED BY SOME GODLY SAINTS
JOB PERSEVERES IN FAITH: Job in the Bible was a man known as “blameless”, a good man, one who did right in the eyes of the Lord. Yet he experienced great suffering – the tragic death of his 7 sons and 3 daughters, loss of his wealth, loss of his health. He faced one overwhelming tragedy after another, all happening within a short period of time. In moments of deep despair, he had questions. So great was Job’s pain due to the terrible losses, that he questioned why he was even born. Job was trying to reason from his own limited human perspective.
“For my sighing comes before I eat,
And my groanings pour out like water.
25 For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me,
And what I dreaded has happened to me.
26 I am not at ease, nor am I quiet;
I have no rest, for trouble comes.” (Job 3:24-26)
2 “Oh, that I were as in months past,
As in the days when God watched over me;
3 When His lamp shone upon my head,
And when by His light I walked through darkness;
4 Just as I was in the days of my prime,
When the friendly counsel of God was over my tent;
5 When the Almighty was yet with me,
When my children were around me; (Job 29:2-5)
Friends came to try to comfort Job. They expressed opinions as to why Job was suffering. They incorrectly reasoned that Job’s calamities were due to sins that he had committed. It was thoughtful that they came alongside to sit with their friend to comfort him. However, their incorrect conclusions were of no real comfort to Job during his time of deep grief. Job’s friends, too, were reasoning from their own limited human assessment of the situation.
Even Job’s wife in her grief and pain suggested that Job should just curse God and die. Yet, in the midst of his despair and questioning, there was great faith within Job that persevered.
Job stated, “Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?”
God heard all the words spoken, all the questions asked. And He was with Job.
In chapters 38-41, God speaks to Job directly by asking him a series of thought-provoking questions – about his knowledge of creation, about science, about life, about the constellations, about the formation of the earth and about the intelligent design of its creatures.
While God never gave Job the exact reasons why he had experienced such suffering and calamity, God’s questions caused Job to realize his own human weakness and limited understanding. Job realized the awesome power of the Creator and Living God – and God’s sovereignty over all details of life.
GOD knows all things because He is GOD.
JEREMIAH FULFILLS A DIFFICULT CALLING: Jeremiah was a prophet sent to give a hard message of rebuke and warning to an idolatrous declining nation. He was known as the “weeping prophet”. His heart wept knowing that destruction was coming upon God’s people. God showed Jeremiah the judgments that were about to unfold for the nation – the nation that he loved.
Jeremiah’s warnings to God’s people were unheeded, causing Jeremiah great sorrow. He, too, despaired in many losses, troubles and trials, yet he faithfully followed God’s call. At one point, a weary Jeremiah questioned His righteous Lord about the wickedness he saw:
“Righteous are You, O Lord, when I plead with You;
Yet let me talk with You about Your judgments.
Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why are those happy who deal so treacherously?
2 You have planted them, yes, they have taken root;
They grow, yes, they bear fruit.
You are near in their mouth
But far from their mind.”
“How long will the land mourn,
And the herbs of every field wither?
The beasts and birds are consumed,
For the wickedness of those who dwell there,
Because they said, “He will not see our final end.” (Jeremiah 12:1-2, 4)
God heard Jeremiah’s questions, and He replied:
5 “If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you,
Then how can you contend with horses?
And if in the land of peace,
In which you trusted, they wearied you,
Then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan?” (Jeremiah 12:5)
God asked Jeremiah these questions, building Jeremiah’s dependence on God’s strength and God’s power for what was ahead. When we grow in our dependence on God, it’s a good thing, since only GOD is able to do the impossible. We can look to God for strength when we feel weak, and we can trust His plan.
God knows the plans He has. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
God was working things for good and ultimately for great blessing. God knew the future. He knows the end from the beginning. In His good plans, He knew the exact timing that He would send His Son to the world, to bring salvation, and to fulfill His promises regarding Jerusalem.
God reveals to Jeremiah:
14 “Behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘that I will perform that good thing which I have promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah:
15 ‘In those days and at that time
I will cause to grow up to David
A Branch of righteousness;
He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.
16 In those days Judah will be saved,
And Jerusalem will dwell safely.
And this is the name by which she will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.’ (Jeremiah 33:14-16)
Throughout the book of Jeremiah, we see that Jeremiah faithfully followed God’s difficult call on his life. He looked to God, kept his eyes on the Lord, followed God’s direction, and God gave him all that was needed to keep moving forward.
HABAKKUK TRUSTS GOD WITHOUT SEEING CHANGES: Habakkuk was a prophet in the Old Testament who also asked God why He seemingly wasn’t doing anything about all the injustice, violence and iniquity that was prevalent in his day. He questioned why God was allowing such strife and evil to continue.
2 ”O Lord, how long shall I cry,
And You will not hear?
Even cry out to You, “Violence!”
And You will not save.
3 Why do You show me iniquity,
And cause me to see trouble?
For plundering and violence are before me;
There is strife, and contention arises.
4 Therefore the law is powerless,
And justice never goes forth.
For the wicked surround the righteous;
Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.” (Habakkuk 1:2-4)
God heard. God reassures Habakkuk saying:
5 “Look among the nations and watch—
Be utterly astounded!
For I will work a work in your days
Which you would not believe, though it were told you.” (Habakkuk 1:5)
God was working. God was moving hearts of kings, and working out details using the various nations for His purposes. All according to His always PERFECT plan. It wasn’t yet visible to Habakkuk’s eyes, but indeed, God was working things out.
Habakkuk took God’s Words as facts. He knew that God’s Words are infallible. He believed and trusted that God’s ways are higher than ours, and that God would make things right. Habakkuk was able to praise God without seeing things change.
Even when we don’t see things change or corrected right away, God is working in ways we don’t even know. He’s making a way even when circumstances seem out of control.
Habakkuk was able to say confidently:
17 ”Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls—
18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
19 The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer’s feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills.” (Habakkuk 3:17-19)
DAVID PERSISTS IN FAITH: We can read in the Psalms, and 1st & 2nd Samuel of David’s many trials, failures, and times of questioning, but also of his great trust in God. David had great faith. He was committed to following his Lord and Shepherd no matter what. David was known as a “man after God’s own heart”. He would become king of Israel. From David’s line Messiah Jesus would come. God had His purposes.
MARY AND MARTHA SEE LAZARUS RAISED: Mary and Martha were at the tomb of Lazarus their brother, who had been dead for 4 days. They didn’t understand at first why Jesus delayed healing him, and why He had allowed Lazarus to die. But God had a resurrection planned. Though the sisters questioned, they looked to the Lord in their time of need. When the powerful words of Jesus went forth, and Jesus called Lazarus out of the tomb, Lazarus was raised miraculously from the dead.
LESSONS WE CAN LEARN & THE HOPE WE HAVE
Through all the tragedies that JOB faced, he clung to God and was able to say confidently, “For I know that my Redeemer lives..”. (Job 19:25a). God gave Job great faith to persevere through his pain. Job lived 140 more years after his great trials, and God blessed Job’s latter days more than the former.
JEREMIAH, though with tears, was faithful to God, and kept moving forward in obedience, courageously, with faith and perseverance. He fulfilled his difficult calling and trusted God’s sovereignty through the challenges.
God heard HABAKKUK’s prayer. And even though Habakkuk didn’t see difficult circumstances change immediately, God gave him strong faith to trust and even to rejoice in God’s salvation.
DAVID’s trials helped make David the great king of Israel that God meant for him to be – it was a process, but over time, God worked it all according to all that He had promised. History shows this. God was at work in the midst of it all - sovereignly moving kings, nations, armies and hearts in David’s life, and ultimately preparing the way for Messiah.
And MARTHA & MARY witnessed a resurrection. Their brother was raised from the dead by Jesus, Who is “the Resurrection & the Life” (ref: John 11:25).
There are many other Godly heroes of the Bible who faced suffering and great trials – were persecuted, falsely imprisoned, beaten, falsely accused and afflicted. Yet God gave them great faith to endure, and to persevere in proclaiming salvation and truth to those around them.
Whatever your situation, difficulty, heartbreak that you face, you can find hope, endurance and victory in God. We can learn from the saints in the Bible who have gone before us. We serve the same all-knowing and all-powerful God.
As the apostle James puts it, “My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord— that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.” (James 5:10-11)
MESSIAH JESUS also faced trials. He was/is perfect, yet He had suffered greatly, falsely accused and despised by men. He was beaten and crucified. He came to suffer and die FOR US as the perfect and final atonement for our sins, as prophesied in detail by Isaiah (Isaiah 53). And He is Risen. Because of His great love for us, through His sacrifice, He made the way for us to approach our Holy God, and have eternal life, forever with Him. We can rejoice in the God of our salvation.
Through whatever trials that come our way – whenever things appear out of control, let us fix our eyes on our LORD. We may not understand it all right now, but God knows. He has compassion and is merciful. He has ways, resources, and good plans that we just don’t see right now. He’s faithfully working through each detail of life.
- We can trust that GOD IS with us. He is omniscient and all-powerful. He has not abandoned us. We can take Him at His infallible Word.
- We can find comfort that GOD HEARS, He cares, and He’s at work in ways that go beyond our limited human understanding.
- We can trust that GOD KNOWS all things. We can trust His love, and His sovereign power to bring about good and blessings that we could never imagine on our own.
- We can ask GOD our questions and pour out our heart to Him. God is a God of relationship. He wants us to come to Him with our needs, as children look to a loving father. We can trust Him.
I want to close with these powerful Scriptures. Allow God to touch your heart, encourage you, comfort you, and bring you through this season of your life - as you keep your focus on who HE IS.
SOME SCRIPTURES TO PONDER
Selected verses about the sovereignty and love of our awesome God:
“The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
31 But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:28b-31)
"Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15-16)
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37-39)
“But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, 13 so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; 14 and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” (ref: Apostle Paul in prison, Philippians 1:12-14)
“Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10)
“Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.” (Hebrews 10:35)
May we, like these saints who have gone before us, put our confidence IN WHO GOD IS.
May we commit our lives to God and trust our victorious Risen Savior. May God provide perseverance, faithfulness, endurance, and all that we need - even when we don't see all that He is doing. God is working - in our lives, and in the nations. May our trials help us to love more, and share the Gospel of salvation more, without fear.
May our lives give Him glory. For HE IS the Righteous, Merciful & Living God. He saves, He hears, He knows - and HE IS worthy of all our praise.
“You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist and were created.”
(Revelation 4:11)
Thanks for visiting. Visit this website next time for more posts. Keep reading your Bible, and keep looking to our wonderful Savior.
Want to know more about a relationship with God?
If your identity is not found in Jesus - If you don’t know Jesus, you can know Him! A few quick things to help you get started:
- Pick up the Holy Bible and start reading! (The Gospel of John in the New Testament is a great place to start!).
- Click HERE to find out about God’s FREE Gift of Salvation.
- Get connected to a solid church where the Bible is taught. Book by book, verse by verse teaching, is a great way to gain rich understanding!
- Turn from darkness and the bondage of sin, and trust Messiah Jesus to give you life and make you NEW in Him!
Need help breaking through the barriers and obstacles preventing spiritual victory? This can help – care and share - quick click here for: ”BREAKING THROUGH BARRIERS: 7 Keys to Freedom”.
Carol Scheitlin is director of New Life Expressions, writer, author, and blogger. She has served short term on various missions around the world, long term in engineering and manufacturing businesses, and for many years directed a worldwide outreach. She loves encouraging people to see Messiah Jesus throughout the Scriptures – and to know God’s awesome, perfect and sacrificial love. Only through HIM can we know this deep love, and have real hope, victory - and New Life!
Carol has written 12 books, being published over time. The first two books, "Let the House of Aaron Say", and "I Will Bless Those Who Bless You" are currently available on Amazon. Book #3 will, Lord-willing, be available this year.
For more info, quick links to order books, check news, the latest resources and updates, click HERE for News & Updates.
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