Revelation 11 Lesson

WHY DID GOD DO THAT?

It is human nature to wonder why God does the things that He does. 

But in the end, that is not what we are supposed to be doing as Christians.  Instead of worrying ourselves about why things are the way that they are, God wants us to accept His plan and do two things:

1. Glorify God,
2. Serve others.

He is God and we serve Him – not the other way around.  As Christians, our role is to trust in His plan for us and to remember the words from the prophet Jeremiah:

• “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11.

TRUSTING GOD’S PLAN

It is important that we trustin God’s plan for us and then allow it to unfold.  Consider the following three scriptures:

1. “Trust in the Lord with all yourheart, and do not lean on your own understanding.   In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” - Proverbs 3:5-6,
2. “The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart triumphs, and with my song I shall thank Him.” - Psalm 28:7,
3. "Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.” – Psalm 37:4-6.

Trying to figure out “why” God allows certain things to happen, or why God does things the way that He does is futile, and simply put, not our place.  Who are we to question why God does the things that He does?

GOD’S WAYS ARE HIGHER THAN OUR WAYS

The Prophet Isaiah wrote the following words about God:

• "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:8-9.

This scripture tells us that we do not need to try and figure everything out.  As Christians, we do not need to know why God is doing the things that He is doing.  We simply need to trust Him and obey His commands.  This may contrast with our fleshly desire to feel like we are the ones that are in control. But as we see from the scriptures, God is always the one that is in control.

CONCLUSION

Our obedience to God should not be contingent upon us understanding, "Why?"  God is superior to everything and everyone, and we are to serve Him; even if we do not always understand why things happen the way they do.  

God loves us so much that He sent His Son to save us from our sins:

• “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” – John 3:16.

We can never repay God for the love that He has shown us, but we can love Him back! 

Jesus said:

• “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” –  John 14:15. 

As we grow in our faith through the reading of God’s inspired Word, our focus needs to shift from doing things our way to doing things God’s way.  Sometimes that is easy to do.  Other times it is more difficult. 

Regardless of how well we understand “why” God does the things that we do, our role is to obey Him.  That is how we show Him that we love Him. 

Jesus said:

• “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” – Mathew 16:24-26. 

We will end today’s lesson with the following scripture from the Book of Colossians. 

• “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” – Colossians 3:1-4.