When we are younger we are taught to consider 5 questions 'who, what, why, when, where'. Yet when we face troubling times or when we suffer our minds often turn to the wrong question 'why'; 'why did this happen?', 'why did God allow this?'.
We are not the first to ask this question. Over 1000 yeas BC another man called Gideon asked; 'if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us' (Judges 6:13). Gideon was alive at a time when Israel lived in fear of the Midianites who surrounded them and stole their crops at harvest time. Surrounded by trouble, Gideon lived in fear, hiding his activities from the Midianites. He was aware of the stories of 'salvation', that God had acted on their behalf in the past and brought them safely out from slavery to the Egyptians, the mightiest empire of that time. He was aware that God has spoken; 'I am the Lord your God; you shall not fear' and 'The Lord is with you'. And yet he was unable to reconcile God's goodness in the past with the situation that he and Israel were currently living under, he had allowed the noise of his troubles to drown out the the promises of God and to ask 'why'?
How often we also let the grace and faithfulness of God in our lives to be swamped by our fears, and allow the current circumstances to dominate and shape our thinking, driving us to try to hide from trouble. We have an incredible ability to ignore all God's goodness to us in the past and live in the present moment, asking the question 'why'; 'why does God allow this to happen?'. We must learn to view our current troubles in the context of 'who' God is, to remember His precious promises and act out of faith not fear.
Will you ask 'why' or who'?
Will you focus on the current situation and allow it to dominate your thinking and shape how you live? Or will you deliberately remind yourself of 'who' God is? Will you consciously remember the way God has demonstrated His Faithfulness to you? Will you ask yourself 'who' not 'why'?
Choose to spend time reading God's word; allowing it to illuminate your way, teach you about God and determine how you respond to your circumstances.
Lord help me not to focus on my circumstances but to remind myself of who you are; your goodness and your faithfulness
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