“Why God, why?”
For the first time in a long time, God is blessing us with a significant amount of rain, which is good. However, we don’t always see rain as the beautiful blessing it is for us. Friday, our first day with some rain, my family and I headed out for a stroll to a park. It had already been drizzling, so we brought a towel for the slides, excited to run and play after being couped up. As we started for the park, it began to sprinkle, not much, but enough to make Amanda and I wonder if heading to the park was a good idea. The more we walked, the larger and more frequent the drops fell… we decided to turn around and try the park another time. Surprisingly our boys handled the news well and headed toward our home. A couple of minutes later, Theo paused, stopping in his tracks, looked up to the sky, and in a questing voice, had a brief conversation with the Creator of the Universe. “Why God, why?” Amanda and I chuckled because of the purity and honesty of the moment; our little four-year-old recognized who controls the world and asked a question I must have asked a million times before, “Why God, why?” We have all been there at one time or another, confused about how our lives have turned out or why some misfortune has befallen us. And to be honest, I don’t have the time or wisdom to answer every situation we have encountered. However, I have one question to add to our quandaries, “Why do we feel like rain is a bad thing?”
I don’t mean from a physical world representation because I think we all know how beneficial and necessary rain is for our survival and the survival world. Although we might not like rain ruining our parade, we know that rain is essential and indispensable, so we tolerate it, and we might even love it if we haven’t had it in a while. My real question is, why don’t we like spiritual or emotional storms in our lives? The apostle Peter puts it this way:
1 Peter 1:6-8 — “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,”
The rain (various trials) is merely an opportunity to put our faith into action. Standing firm during the storms of life demonstrates our faithfulness, not the sunshine and roses. It is during difficulties that our faith is verified. Therefore, when tested, we rejoice and praise because it is an opportunity to love and believe in Christ even more.
There is one more thought regarding rain being a blessing. In Genesis, we read of a cataclysmic deluge; water engulfed the world during a massive storm that tested the faithfulness of one family. This flood was a terrible event for the ungodly; however, it was a blessing for Noah. The flood was, in one act, both a judgment and a deliverance.
2 Peter 2:5, 9 – “and [God] did not spare the ancient world, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; … 9 [then] the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from a trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment”
For Noah, the events leading up to the flood were exhausting and disturbing; however, God commends him for his ability to endure this challenging time. The storm for Noah, and the rest of the world for that matter, was a good and purifying event. The cataclysmic flood of Genesis was a good thing. That should comfort us during the storms of life. These events aren’t meant to drive us farther away from God but to draw us closer to Him. This concept is held throughout scripture, from the Flood to Revelation; trials are meant to help us reflect not only on the judgment of God but on His deliverance and provision during challenging times. Our faithfulness does not mean that in the middle of a “Why God?” moment, we can clearly see the outcome of our faithfulness; we must still cling to God, knowing that he will always rescue us from our various trials. It also doesn’t mean that these trials will be easy; if they were easy, they wouldn’t be trials. Let the trials be what strengthens you, not what weakens you, and that is all about perspective when we ask God, “Why?”