“Hey, What is Going On?”
Good Morning Friends,
Today we are going to delve into why so many days end in “why” and what should we do when “why” fills our days and our minds. We enter this life questioning, “why?” Why did I have to leave the comfortable place I was living? Why are they shining bright lights in my eyes? Why am I being poked and prodded, rubbed and wrapped up? Why do people talk to me with unintelligible language? And that was just in the first few hours after being born so, we really did not even have language to process the questions. But now we are older and born again, so let’s take the why question to the cross. So, why do we feel what emotions we feel when we contemplate the cross? Is it shame or guilt or pride that we feel? Is it a big “Why?” What is the problem here? Are we consumed with the wrong emotion? Are we failing to press on to a solution? Do we want to control things we cannot control? Still bad things happen to good people. Maybe that is why, even as God is working His miracles, we blindly ask, “Hey, What is Going On?”
Scripture: Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
Matthew 27:46 (NIV)
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried, and were saved; in you they trusted, and were not put to shame. But I am a worm, and not human; scorned by others, and despised by the people. All who see me mock at me; they make mouths at me, they shake their heads; “Commit your cause to the Lord; let him deliver— let him rescue the one in whom he delights!” Yet it was you who took me from the womb; you kept me safe on my mother’s breast. On you I was cast from my birth, and since my mother bore me you have been my God. Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. Many bulls encircle me, strong bulls of Bashan surround me; they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; my mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. For dogs are all around me; a company of evildoers encircles me. My hands and feet have shriveled; I can count all my bones. They stare and gloat over me; they divide my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots. But you, O Lord, do not be far away! O my help, come quickly to my aid! Deliver my soul from the sword, my life from the power of the dog! Save me from the mouth of the lion! From the horns of the wild oxen you have rescued me. I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him; stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him. From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him. The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord. May your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him. For dominion belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations. To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for him. Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord, and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it.
Psalms 22 (NRSV)
When you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you, [says the Lord].
Jeremiah 29:12 (NRSV)
Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person–though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.
Romans 5:1-10 (NRSV)
Message: Have you ever thought about quitting, tossing in the towel, throwing up your hands and saying, “I can’t do this anymore, I’m done, I quit…I give up?” Do you ever feel like Jesus on the cross saying… “My God , my God why have you forsaken me?” …forgetting that Psalm 22, (which Jesus is quoting and embodying) only begins that way but ends in a circle of praise and hope? If you have you are not alone. In today’s scripture we will eventually get to Paul’s letter to the Romans. But first let’s look at a passage from Jeremiah the prophet and seek to glean a little wisdom on this issue of doubt and endurance from the crying prophet. You see Jeremiah had plenty of reason to quit. Jesus had plenty of reason to quit. Paul had plenty of reason to quit. The people around them were jerks. The message they were giving was often unpopular. The people rejected all of them. If there were ever men that needed a sympathetic spouse it was Jeremiah, Paul and Jesus. Yet they had to do much of it alone. Okay, you get the picture. Here are men who were plotted against, they were all put on trial for their life, flogged, attacked, arrested and punished. They all had plenty of reason to quit, the bad guys were winning and they all knew it is going to get worse and yet Jeremiah, Paul and Jesus keep on going. Somehow they knew that all the questions of the world lead nowhere. So they did not give up and neither should we. We must persevere. Now let’s bring this message of the cross and endurance home. Let’s bring our questions to Jesus. Friends, you too have a purpose to live for…and if you have even a glimmer of hope and trust in God you need to keep on going even when you feel like quitting. Friends, because the debt of sin has been paid we can say confidently that the Lord is our friend and helper forever even if and when the world lets us down. Friends, know that God will never abandon you. The Psalm prophecies a different ending that reminds me of how faithful Jeremiah, Paul and Jesus really were. Friends, God is not required to answer our “why” questions. But if we endure the questions seem to disappear. Love and hope triumphs.
Pray we not stop short before the work is done. Pray we not miss a step along the way. Pray we remember where we have been, where we are now and where we want to be. Pray that God makes us strong. Pray we grow in the trials. Pray we turn tests into triumphs. Pray we allow God to make us into what He wants us to be. Pray we are not caught off guard when crisis comes. Pray our focus is already on God. Pray He will guide you and me through our difficult times. Pray we rejoice because Jesus has gone through this before and made it through to the other side.
Pray we realize that God is always willing to listen to us in spite of our doubt if we seek Him. Pray we find God in our challenges in life. Pray we have a purpose to live for. Pray we have a relationship with God to help us endure our crosses. Pray we not deny Christ. Pray we get beyond the questions to the one answer that matters. Pray we let perseverance do its intended work.
Pray our patient endurance produces fruit and character and an action of love.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 