Job 3:25 (NKJV) For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, And what I dreaded has happened to me.

Job wanted to know why. He wanted to know "why" so bad, that he complained to God about ever being born in the first place. When something tragic happens like when I wrote of the death of our friend's baby (http://www.seriousfaith.com/teaching_detail.asp?teachingnumber=102), the inevitable and natural question follows: why? I believe the answer is knowable, but in parts; and over time; and in varying degrees of clarity:

• What we would like to know
  • We would like to know the full answer to every single when, where, why and how will things turn out.
  • This natural desire has not been fulfilled by a loving God. He knows that we were able to know every answer to the tragedies of life it would overwhelm us and the grief would be too much to bear.
  • In His perfect will and wisdom, God reveals to us what we need to know to grow closer to Him; what we have to know to fulfill His will; and only what we should know that is not so much it would overwhelm our hearts.

• What we don't know

• We don't know the full answer to every single when, where, why and how will things turn out.
• We don't know it and in the future when the pains have lessened, we will thank God that there are some things we don't know because only He is able to bear the full burden and should we have known, the burden would have been more than we could withstand.

• What we may never know

• We may never know the full answer to every single when, where, why and how will things turn out.
• But we trust that the perfect and all-knowing God who has proven Himself so faithful will let us know exactly what, how much, and when, the reasons and purposes of suffering are... and the He knows the perfect amount and time to reveal these things.

• What we can't and shouldn't want to know

• We can NOT know the full answer to every single when, where, why and how will things turn out.
• Only God can know all there is to know about any given thing. This is what makes God, God. There are purposes, reasons and results that are too wonderful, too wise, too extensive, too complex and too deep for us to ever grasp, even in eternity. We do not become God in heaven and He will still have secrets too wonderful and fearful for us to understand. Far from being unfair to us, it is just one more reason why we have faith in our wonderful Savior and God who always does what is in our best interest as His children..

What we do know

What we do know is those things our Sovereign and Loving God has chosen in his perfect mercy, and absolute wisdom, to reveal to us. Alot of our answers to "why?" depend on:

• Are we looking for answers with spiritual eyes?
• Are we looking in the right place for answers?
• How good is our spiritual vision?
• How intimately and truly do we know the One who is giving the answer?

Barely hours after delivering the
former dwelling of their baby son,
the couple was already talking of the
marvelous purposes God had begun to
reveal through these events, and in the
lives of those present.

Before the sun had set on the first day of their trial, this blessed couple, whose spiritual eyes ARE open, had already begun to see reason, blessing and yes, good... come from the tragedy so fresh to them. They had already discovered the beginning of peace and purpose; and gratitude that God had found them faithful and worthy to bring others closer to God through their response to suffering.

• Their faith had been proven in the fires of suffering. Their choice to follow God is now more real, more satisfying and more confirmed as correct than ever before.
• God had been revealed and glorified through the comparison of how much more awful and tragic this event would have been without the comfort of a loving Heavenly Father and Savior; and the support and love of their Christian family along with their natural family.
• God had been tested and found faithful to give comfort, peace, grace and strength at exactly the moment it was needed and in full measure.
• Those who were present witnessed the magnificent transforming power of how quickly and surely God can change the lives of those who have faith in him through watching the courage, strength and trust of this young couple who in the not too distant past had yet to trust in the Lord.
• They had already begun to see and anticipate how they would be able to minister with great love, compassion and understanding to those who would go through similar trials in the future (which is a distinctly Christian characteristic: the ability to see how you will serve others even in the midst of your own intense suffering).
• Many family members and friends who either don't know the Lord, or who had not given their lives over fully yet were no doubt deeply convicted and moved by the faith displayed in these parents, and the tangible response from God to care and comfort them in their hour of need.
• The devotional account of their suffering that went out to many thousands all over resulted in response:
  • Encouragement and prayers for fellow suffering Christians
  • Conviction in hearts over spiritual dullness and apathy moved by the results of true faith in God displayed yesterday
  • People whose faith and hope had been increased through the events

It is not my intent to sugar-coat or gloss over the terrible pain and sorrow that is included in such a tragedy. There was, and will continue to be, very great sorrow, sadness and tears over the loss of this child. But it is not sorrow without hope; or sadness without comfort; or tears without purpose.

"Hope" is the difference between those
who suffer without God,
and those who suffer embraced by God.

Our Great God and Father, you know the answers to when we ask why. And in Your perfect love You will let us know the "why's" that are proper, useful and bearable for us to fulfill Your will and give You glory. Thank you that we can rest in the security of your Perfectness, not needing to know the answer to every question and able to rest, satisfied that You bear the burden for us. Amen.