Why?

Mankind faces perennial questions. Why do the innocent suffer? Why do the wicked prosper? How could a good God allow all this? I’m reading Job.

Job had suffered terribly. After days of silence, his three friends explain to him the causes of his suffering; his unconfessed sins. In nine responses Job protests their conclusions. Finally, in chapter 26 he turns to look at creation and ponders the ways of God and finally concludes:

“Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways, And how small a whisper we hear of Him! But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26:14)

I think this is the main message of Job. We can never understand God’s ways. What we see are the mere edges of His ways, a small whisper of His unfolding plan.

We are foolish to make reasoned and categorical statements about what God is doing in Ukraine or Palestine or Ethiopia or anywhere. We just don’t know. What we do know is that the God who created the universe is at work in unseen ways that will further his will to bring all things together in Christ to the glory of his goodness and justice. We so want to understand, to explain, but we are not God.

In the meantime, we are called to trust him and live in awe of his person and purposes.