13 Nov The “Why” Question: Learning from the God Conversations of Paul and David

Why?

It’s the question we all ask when praying for some sort of healing or release from our pain. 

Philosophers and psychologists tell us that humanity is wired to ask the “why” question. We seem to have a natural penchant to pursue meaning in life – especially in the midst of suffering.

God’s Higher Ways

Some suggest that you shouldn’t ask God ‘why’. After all, God’s thoughts are higher than ours and we can’t understand them. Instead we should be content with the mysteries of life and replace our propensity to ask questions with a higher form of submission and trust. A verse from Isaiah is often quoted:

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my thoughts higher than yours and my ways higher than your ways.” (Isaiah 55:9)

It is true that God’s ways are higher than ours. There is so much in this world that we will never understand. We cannot see behind the scenes of our circumstances and the million different reasons why things happen. 

But if we only see this idea in Isaiah’s prophetic oracle, we’re misreading it completely! In fact, God was saying the opposite. In Isaiah’s prophecy, God was reprimanding the Israelites because they hadn’t understood his higher ways. He had tried to show them that his heart was for all nations, not just theirs – his ways were “higher”, but God wanted to show them what they were! He wanted them to know his ways. That’s why God called them to listen to what said:

Listen, listen to me… Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. (Isaiah 55:2,3)

The beauty of our God is that he invites us know his ways through hearing his voice. Jesus himself described the God-human relationship as a “friendship” – a friendship distinguished by the things God tells us (John 15:15).​

Turn to God in our Questions

Often when we experience the painful mysteries of life, our first tendency is to withdraw from God. But God calls us to draw near, bring our questions to him and boldly ask for answers. We follow the lead of David who turned to God with honesty and vulnerability in the midst of his pain: 

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?

My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. (Psalm 22:1,2)

This is a god who wants us to know him intimately and discover his perspective on our lives. Turning to God in the painful circumstances of life grants us the opportunity to know him more deeply. 

Like David, the Apostle Paul provides another example. In the early years of his ministry, Paul endured a time of suffering that was as painful as a “thorn in his flesh.” We’re not told what his pain was (perhaps a bodily ailment such as an eye problem, a recurring temptation, the resistance to the gospel from his own people or a sense of guilt of his former terrorist ways), but we do know it was agonising and Paul pleaded with God to take it away (2 Cor. 12:8). 

Sadly for Paul, God’s answer was an emphatic “no.” But along with the no came a surprisingly clear answer as to why.

Trust God in the Answers

God invites us to come with our questions, but it doesn’t mean we will always get the answer we’re seeking. In bringing our questions, we need to trust God in the answers. This was certainly the case for Paul. Instead of removing the thorn, God spoke to give him a higher perspective. 

The truth was that Paul was in danger of falling into pride because of all his spectacular revelations of the “seventh heaven.” In order to keep Paul from pride’s toxic effects, God allowed the thorn to remain so that Paul could learn to rely on God’s grace (2 Corinthians 12:7b-9). In other words, God showed him that the higher call of sanctification – the call to die to sin and selfishness – was more important than his immediate comfort. He learnt that God’s grace was sufficient in every situation. As a result, Paul began to know God’s higher ways.

Sometimes when we listen for God’s voice, we try to dictate what God will say. We only want to experience the exciting or spectacular revelations, but God wants to take us deeper. We need to be prepared to hear God say whatever he wants to.

Trust God in the Lack of Answers

Sometimes God may not speak at all. God’s wisdom means not only knowing what to say, but when to say it. Perhaps we’re not ready to hear God’s higher thoughts. This seems to be the case with David. He was a man who knew how to hear God’s voice. As a youth, he’d heard God declare that one day he’d be king of Israel and establish a powerful kingdom. David was a “man after God’s heart” (1 Sam. 13:14), yet he also experienced God’s silence. 

God’s silence does not mean rejection. It’s not a sign that God is absent from our lives or that he has withdrawn his love. When God isn’t speaking, we look to God’s character and faithfulness. This is what David did:

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted you and you delivered them…

“He trusts in the Lord,” they say, “let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.” Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast. From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God. (Psalm 22:3-4, 8-10)

In the midst of the unanswered questions, David reminds himself to trust God. He calls on his faith in God’s promises and the history he has shared with God. We are called to do the same.

Our “why” questions are legitimate and important. When suffering comes, wisdom and understanding will help us through. Whatever we’re going through, God calls us to draw near to him with our questions, to learn from his higher ways and trust in his grace to bring us through.

A Prayer

“Lord, help us to turn to you in our pain. Help us to listen to whatever you’re saying so that we can learn your perspective on our situation and get to know you more deeply.”