Things don’t always turn out as we would expect. And we’re left with many unsettled questions when this defies logic and results in situations that seem tragically unfair.
For instance, why are some full of life and potential taken suddenly in death, while others suffer for years with a disease begging for death?
Why do some couples who faithfully pray for a child struggle to conceive, while others who are just casually hooking up get pregnant time and again?
Why do those who don’t even acknowledge God seem to live the good life, while those who’ve committed their life to God seem to face one hardship after the next?
To be sure, these questions can go on and on. And rarely do we get answers that truly satisfy.
Over and over we’re reminded the fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, nor does the strongest warrior always win the fight. The wise sometimes go without and being particularly skilled doesn’t always mean we will earn a good income.
We often struggle to accept these realities because they violate our basic common sense and how we would direct the stories if we could.
But like Job, we can only see things from our perspective and we’re often not aware of the larger story God is telling.
Certainly, it still good to lament when things don’t turn out as we had expected. But we also remember God is God and we are not. There are many aspects of the Story we only get a dim view of presently.
All the same, we’re to live faithfully in the story God has given us – and not let questions without answers keep us from trusting his goodness and anchoring our hope firmly in him.
In the end, wrestle with the many questions that don’t yet make sense. And continue to live by faith with a confident hope in God’s goodness.
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