Is God both wise and good? William Law, who lived a long time ago—back in the 1600s, to be exact–wrote something about that question that is worth considering. Here’s what he wrote: “Whenever…you find yourselves … murmuring at any thing that is the effect of God’s providence over you, you must look upon yourself as denying either the wisdom or goodness of God.”
Ouch! That hurts! Yet, sometimes we think, “God can’t be wise and still make me go through this situation!” Or, “God isn’t good, or He wouldn’t let this happen to me!” That’s human logic, all right.
I’m so glad that God never gets on our case for asking why hard things happen in our lives. At least 19 times Job asked “Why.” Here are some examples: Job asked God–
- “Why then did you bring me out of the womb? I wish I had died before any eye saw me.”
- “Why do you [God] hide your face?”
- “Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?”
No, God doesn’t care if we ask, “Why,” for Job did it, and the Bible says of him, “In all this, Job did not sin in what he said” (Job 2:10).
God just doesn’t always tell us why He allows what He allows in our lives! We don’t like that, but that’s how it is. That does not mean that He is not wise or good. It means, simply, that we don’t understand because God doesn’t tell us.
Think of it this way. God may have reasons for allowing what you are facing right now that are beyond the limits of your understanding. And it is also possible that those reasons are both wise and good.
It all comes down to one issue: Can I trust God when I don’t understand? Sometimes it takes that kind of faith.
Looking for more from Darlene Sala? Check out her recent article Always Giving Thanks.
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