And Moses said to the Lord, “Why are you treating me, your servant, so
harshly? Have mercy on me! What did I do to deserve the burden of all these
people? Numbers 11:11 NLT
Wondering why
often leaves us wondering why we wonder why.
I sat in the car
with two of my grandsons, waiting for my wife to complete a physical test. One
of them—three at the time—sat in the front seat with me, biding his time and
asking three-year-old questions.
“Pop, what is
this?” he asked, pointing to one knob on the radio.
“It turns the
radio on and makes it louder,” I said, trying to focus on what I was doing.
“Why,” was the
next question.
“I don’t know.
It just does.”
“What about this
button?” he continued, pointing to a button beside the first knob.
I finally told
him that all the buttons in that general area worked the radio. My answer still
didn’t satisfy him.
“Why?” he asked.
After playing
this why game for every piece associated with the dashboard and exterior
mirrors, I finally said, “Pop’s tired of answering questions. I need to work.”
I was glad he
had entered the inquisitive stage and eager to learn. But he would soon discover
that I didn’t have an answer to everything he asked. And I often eventually
tire of answering “why” inquiries.
Moses wondered
why in the world God had saddled him with the task of caring for more than a
million people. People who complained most of the time, couldn’t get along, tended
to rebel against God, and on occasion threatened to kill him. God answered his
why question by giving him some help. God wanted those people in the Promised
Land, and Moses was the person he chose to lead them there. He didn’t need to
know why; he just needed to obey. As when God didn’t tell Job why he allowed him
to suffer all his misfortune.
God’s ways and
will are often a mystery he chooses not to solve in our presence. Perhaps in
heaven, he’ll answer some of our “why” questions; perhaps he won’t, and it won’t
matter. There is nothing wrong with asking God why, but we must be prepared to
experience silence. While God never tires of our asking why, he doesn’t want our
whys to come from disbelief or discouragement but from a desire for more
understanding—like Moses.
Don’t be afraid
to ask God why, but be prepared to be kept in suspense. Following his will is a
faith journey with many unanswered whys.
Father, when you
choose not to answer my why questions, give me the faith and courage to keep
following you.
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