Why Not?
Hello friends and happy Friday! Welcome back to the blog! It has been a while since I have posted but i’m back today with a new post centered around one question: “why not?”. If you’re anything like me, i’m sure you have asked God this a few thousand times. I know I have. When God very cleary closes a door, or does not even let it open very far in the first place, our hearts naturally wonder, why not? Especially when it was something that we so desperately wanted. Maybe it’s a job that you knew you wanted, or you wanted an opportunity to open up that just wouldn’t budge. Or maybe it’s that relationship. That person that you so badly wanted to be the one…but God says no. Why not that job? Why not that opportunity? Why not him? It’s hard to understand when we are in the midst of our desires and passions for the things that we want. Because, in our minds, we have lifted these things up on a pedestal. We have declared in our own hearts and minds that these things are just right for us and that we want them above all else. And then God just doesn’t allow it to prosper. Why not? Well, i’m here to tell you that God has Good reasons. And honestly, I don’t know exactly what they are. I don’t know what door you are banging on tonight that God won’t open, or why He won’t open it. But I do know that one day you will. One day it will all make sense to you. When you are standing in the Promised Land reaping your harvest of blessing, God promises that you will be able to look back and understand why what you desired before was not what God wanted for you. God clearly states this promise in John 13:7 when He says, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” It’s all going to make sense. And I know, I know that right now the disappointment of what you desire not working out and the pain of the unanswered “why not?” can be so hard to bear. And I know that it’s even harder to walk around and see others being blessed in the same area that you feel like you are lacking in right now. And I cannot promise that God is going to give you the answer to your “why not?” today, but I can promise that He will one day. One day you’ll get it. One day you’ll be able to look back and say, “oh, that’s why”. One of my first blog posts was called “Acknowledge the Lord” and it was all about Proverbs 3:6 that says if we acknowledge the Lord, He will make our paths straight. You know what the good news is? Not only does God promise that if we acknowledge Him He will straighten out our current and future paths, but also the paths that we see when we look back. The paths that once looked crooked when you were standing in the middle of them will all be made straight and clear when you look back and see God’s hand. It’s not easy to keep going when your “why not?” is left unanswered, but I challenge you to press on because you know that one day, you will understand. I also challenge you to look back on the years of your life prior to where you are right now. Can you see the Hand of God in the big things or the little details? Do you have any answers now to some of the “why not?” questions you had a few years ago? Let that be your motivation. Let that be your encouragement that God is a faithful and consistent God, and He surely will do it again. I want to leave you with the words of a song by Elevation Worship called “For A Moment”. The chorus says:
“And I know
It’s only for a moment
And everything is working
For your glory”
I pray that those simple words would be an encouragement to you today. The unanswered questions you have are only for a moment. One day you will understand. And all of this is working for God’s glory and your Good.
Lord, thank you for this day that you have given us. Thank you that you are a God of opportunity and possibility, but also a God that does not allow things to prosper that are not inside Your Perfect Will. Thank you that you close the doors in our lives that you do not want us to walk through. Even if we don’t see the reasons why right now, I pray that you would give us encouragement that one day, it will all make sense. Thank you that this is only for a moment until you open the right door and we are able to see why nothing else would work out. Grant us your peace as we navigate what it looks like to walk in the “why not?” of this season and thank you for your promise of answers one day soon.
