On Questions without Answers

On Questions without Answers

By Meredith Mills

@DazzledByTheSon

Why, God? Why?

Has that question ever haunted you? Does your faith flounder when life deals a low blow, like our punching bag shuddering before my kids’ Kung Fu fists?

question-mark-2641097_1280Mine does sometimes, especially when logic goes unsatisfied and cliché answers just won’t do. It’s been one of those seasons for me lately as we’ve grieved with several friends over the loss of beloved family members.

If you, too, wonder why, I invite you into the wrestling match within my soul.

Here are some of the questions I’ve been asking God lately:

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If You are sovereign, as Your Word says You are, why do You sometimes allow horrible things to happen? I get the whole “free will” thing –  some people chose to hurt others. And if I’m honest, I hurt others at times, too.

But why accidents? If You are good, as I’ve tasted and seen You are, why don’t You stop them before they occur?

I can’t make sense of this. And my heart is afraid to trust You with my future.

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Oh, the comfort of bringing my restless heart to Jesus and listening as He speaks through His Spirit and His Word. bench-1868070_1280

God led me to the story of Jesus at Lazarus’ tomb (John 11). Remember that time when He could have stopped His friend from dying, but He didn’t? He didn’t get there in time – on purpose.

I’ve never before noticed the connection between verses five and six. “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was two more days.”

What?

Because He loved them, He stayed away long enough to let Lazarus die.

That seems utterly illogical. Lazarus’ sisters thought so, too. They both essentially accused Jesus of not loving them because He let their brother die through His tardiness. Divine love often baffles human reason.

Yet Jesus didn’t get angry with their questions or rebuke their boldness. On the contrary, He did something quite the opposite.

Jesus wept (John 11:35).

He knew the miracle He was about to perform – He would command death to release it’s grip on His friend. Within minutes, He would restore Lazarus to life and give him back into his sisters’ arms.

Yet His heart was so deeply moved by His loved ones’ suffering that He, too, wept with them. He felt their pain, and He feels ours, too.

He could have prevented Lazarus’ death, but He saw a bigger picture. Instead, He drew near to the sisters and wept with them.

This is Emmanuel, God with us. Near to the brokenhearted. A very present help in our need (Psalm 34:18, 46:1). The God of comfort restores shattered lives, trades beauty for ashes and replaces heaviness with praise.

He knows the end of our story, too – that for believers in Jesus, death is not the end. One day our suffering will be over. Like Lazarus and his sisters, we will be reunited with those gone before us into heaven.

But Jesus’ knowledge of the future doesn’t prevent Him from feeling our pain in the present or pouring out His comfort in abundant measure. Hefeelsourpain

After weeping with Mary and Martha, He proved that He Himself is the resurrection and the life. Death has no hold on Him. And one day, it will have no hold on us either.

Until that day, there will be many unanswered questions. Many times we won’t understand or feel the love of God. We’ll have many opportunities to wrestle with Him and choose faith when nothing makes sense, because we’ve found that Jesus alone holds life, hope, healing and peace.

nearnessofGodHe will set all things right someday.

In the meantime, He is so close, and His nearness is our good.

How has God walked you through wrestling matches of the soul? I’d love to hear – please leave a comment below.

Related posts:

When Life Hurts

When Life Eclipses God

Shields are not Just for Superheroes

A Good Good Father

 

When Life Hurts

When Life Hurts

by Meredith Mills

@DazzledByTheSon

Sometimes life is really hard.

As a nation, we’ve experienced some tragic events lately – from the Las Vegas massacre to hurricanes and wild fires leaving destruction in their wake.

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Closer to home, several dear friends lost loved ones in the last few weeks. We attended one funeral on Saturday – a dearly loved husband and father. Unexpected. Much too soon. Today, my husband played piano for yet another funeral – a beloved wife of nearly 59 years. Still too soon.

So much pain and heartache. Such enormous needs.

Many of us carry “smaller” burdens, concerns we voice to no one. Fears that plague us when we’re all alone. Important to us, nonetheless.

Whether your needs are immense or you carry less-big burdens today, my prayer for you is this:

May you find hope in the presence of God who promises it won’t always be this way.

May His love be a balm to your soul.

May you know the healing power of the One who is also acquainted with grief.

May His nearness be your ever-present comfort.

May He enter your loneliness and whisper words of tender affection.

May He give beauty for your ashes and be the stability of your soul.

May His grace be your lifeline,

His wisdom your next step,

His love the very breath that you breathe.

In Jesus may you find rest and healing for your soul.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” Ps 46:1.

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What burdens do you carry today? I’d be honored to pray for you – please leave a comment below.

How has God been a refuge and very present help for you in the past?

Related Posts:

When You Need Refuge

It Wasn’t Supposed to be This Way

Raising the White Flag

Raising the White Flag

secret-2725302_1280Lean in close, I have a secret to tell…I am a recovering control freak.”

Seriously.

Life is good when things go according to plan, when nothing too crazy happens, and when people behave themselves. But if things start to veer too far off course, I get anxious.

God has grown me a lot in this area over the last few years, though. I’m learning to raise the white flag, to trust Him and listen to His voice when things seem out of control.

I had an opportunity to practice this recently – with my own sweet child in my very own home.

Read the rest of this story at Just18Summers, where I’m sharing today about parenting and when to raise the white flag of surrender.

 

Redeemed and Set Free

Redeemed and Set Free

by Meredith Mills

@DazzledByTheSon

I’ll never forget what I saw that day.

fence-2163951_1280I had heard of slavery, but to me it was a remote problem – a shameful period in our nation’s history and a distant atrocity in far-away lands.

And then I saw them. Flesh and blood people trapped in the insidious web of human trafficking. Sex slaves and beggars lining busy streets. Drugged children and lepers waiting for alms. Victims of human cruelty and depravity.

I saw real-life slaves that day. I looked in their eyes and felt as though I gazed into their souls.

And my heart broke into a million pieces.

So this is what slavery looks like.

The powerless trampled by the powerful. The weak exploited by the strong.

No mercy. No hope. No means of escape. Only the monotony of a slave’s daily existence.

The event I describe took place during a mission trip to Bangkok, Thailand several years ago. It is burned in my memory, tucked away in the deepest corner of my heart.

black-and-white-1619522_1280Yet in reality, it’s a picture of my life. I’ve experienced sin’s heavy chains, enslaving me to destructive habits I despise but keep on doing.

And I’ve felt the crushing condemnation of a Law I can’t keep, no matter how hard I try.

I know the tyranny of a master who cares nothing for his slaves.

But thank God, Someone came to my rescue. Someone stronger than my old master. Someone rich enough to pay my ransom. Someone so relentlessly loving He’d exchange His own life for mine – and yours.

This is God our Redeemer. Lavish in love. Extravagant in grace. freedom

“He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins. He showered His kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding” (Ephesians 1:7-8 NLT).

Let that sink in for a minute. Our God is rich, abundantly wealthy…in kindness and grace.

He looked on us in our wretched slavery, when we had nothing to offer Him, and He loved us.

He wanted us.

He knew we’d broken His law. He realized we’d not always love Him in return. Yet He loved us and was delighted to make us His own.

Do you feel it? The overwhelming realization that, no matter what, you are wanted.

I’ve spent the past several days reading through Ephesians one. Our Redeemer’s abundant generosity is striking. For those united with Christ:

  • He has given us every spiritual blessing.
  • He loved us, chose us and decided to make us holy – all before He uttered creation’s first life-giving words.
  • He made plans for our adoption so we could be close to Him, though we were once His enemies because of our sins.
  • His richness of kindness and grace compelled Him to pay our ransom and purchase our freedom.
  • He poured out abundant favor on us, showering us with kindness.
  • His incredibly great power works on our behalf – the same power that brought Jesus back from the dead.

Abundance. Riches. Greatness. This is the lavish love of our Redeemer.

Have you experienced it? Do you know His redemption? If not, I invite you to check out In Case You’re Wondering.

If you know Him, I rejoice with you in the freedom He gives.

How have you seen Him as Redeemer in your life? How does His redemption affect your daily life? Please comment below. Let’s get to know Him better together!

Related Posts:

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Don’t You care that she’s not helping me?”

Martha’s words reflected the turmoil in her soul. With so much to do, how could Mary just sit there? Did she forget about their large dinner party tonight? The food wouldn’t cook itself!

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Martha wanted so much for everything to be perfect – the meal, the accommodations, the service. It wasn’t everyday that Jesus came to visit! She had to make sure He was comfortable during His stay. He needed to feel honored, to know how much she loved Him. But…how could she do it all alone?

Don’t You care that she’s left me to do all the work? Tell her to get up and get busy!”*

Do you ever feel like Martha? I know I do. All the time. Hubby jokes about my impossible “to do” lists. But it’s true. I seem incapable of creating a “to do” list that’s actually doable.

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Oh, I totally get Martha. I know what it’s like to feel resentful when my priorities are not a priority to others.

So when I came across this passage in my Bible reading last week, I spent a while reflecting on it. Where did Martha go wrong? What is life’s one true necessity that Mary chose? And seriously, did Jesus not care about dinner? I mean, just practically speaking, how was dinner going to get on the table if both Mary and Martha sat at His feet?

What strikes me most in this account is the tenderness that exudes from Jesus’ gentle rebuke.

Martha, Martha…My dearly loved Martha! I do see your hard work! I know you want to honor me and prove your devotion. But, Martha, that’s not what I want from you! You’re so distracted, so anxious, so uptight. You’re trying so hard all the time. Trying to take care of everyone. Trying to stay on top of things. Trying to do the right thing.

“I want you to quit trying and just come rest.

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“Just be near Me. Listen to My heart. That’s what Mary has chosen. I won’t send her away to get busy.”*

The key difference, it seems, between the two sisters is this – Martha was driven to serve, while Mary drew near in love. Her adoration compelled her to just be close. To hang on His every word. To listen to His heart. To know Him deeply.

And Jesus said nothing in the world matters more.

His call to know Him and be near Him is woven through all the pages of Scripture.

“Cease striving and know that I am God…” (Ps 46:10a).
“Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…” (Phil 3:8).
“Oh, that we might now the Lord! Let us press on to know Him…” (Hos 6:3a).
“But as for me, the nearness of God is my good…” (Ps 73:28a).
“Let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace…” (Heb 4:16a).
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…” (Jas 4:8).

Boil it all down, and we find this at the heart of Christianity – being near God. It’s expressed in many different ways…Abiding in Him. Drawing near to Him. Learning from Him. Loving Him. Fixing our eyes on Him. But it all comes back to intimate nearness with God. Everything else in life flows out of that.

This nearness is certainly cultivated in quiet alone times with Him. But thankfully, for this mama with littles (who finds “quiet time” a bit elusive), I’m learning it can also be cultivated in the noise and activity of life. In my busy “Martha moments,” when dinner truly must get on the table, I can still have the heart of Mary as I rest in my relationship with Him. Serving my family (and anything else I do) can be an overflow of my walk with Him. As I receive and rest in His love, I can freely give it to those around me.

So whatever our season, however busy our days, let us press on to know Him!

How do you cultivate the nearness of God in your daily life?

*This is my paraphrase. 🙂 You can read the whole story in Luke 10:38-42.