When God Does Not Make Sense

Recently, in our training class, questions were raised from the Holy Bible about why God did certain things which seems unreasonable to our finite minds. No doubt we all find some incidents in the Scripture, leading us to question – Why God did that thing? How did He let that happen? How can He do that?

When people do not make sense, that is endurable, but when God does not make sense, it is quite troubling to our mind. Don’t we expect God to be the most reasonable being, I mean, according to our perception? What then shall we do when God does not make sense to us?

Here is one important lesson I have learned in life—when it comes to man, we look at his actions and understand who he is. But when it comes to God, we need to look at who He is and understand His actions. The Scripture makes it clear that we do not always comprehend His ways and cannot at all times trace His paths, for He is infinite and sovereign.

• As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:9).

• Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out! (Rom. 11:33).

• He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecc. 3:11)

Although His works and ways are incomprehensible to our finite mind, the Scripture makes it flatly obvious about who God is and how just He is in everything He does.

• He is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He. (Deut. 32:4)

• As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. (2 Sam. 22:31)

• The LORD is upright; He is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in Him. (Ps. 92:15)

• Everything He does is right and all His ways are just. (Dan. 4:37)

• Great and marvelous are Your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are Your ways, King of the ages. (Rev. 15:3)

Now this is what I have seen the devil working on many minds—when what God does do not make sense, he tempts us to doubt the goodness of God. When we try to understand God’s ways in the absence of His holy nature and good attributes, the devil grabs such endeavor to ruin our faith. O, how many have abandoned their faith as they yielded to the temptation of the Enemy whose sole aim is to use what people do not understand about God's actions and infuse doubts in them so that they would misunderstand God and turn their back against Him.

So, this is what I have learned—when what God does do not make sense, I simply have to trust who He is. This, I believe, is absolutely sensible. I do not have to understand the reasons behind everything He does. Am I not a mere man, whose understanding is limited and even flawed? But I know from the Holy Scripture—God is faithful and upright. His works are perfect and all His ways are just. He is a faithful God who does no wrong. Upright and just is He.

Come, therefore, let us trust the Lord, “for the LORD our God is righteous in everything He does” (Dan. 9:14).

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More Faith

“Where is your faith?" He asked His disciples (Luke 8:25).

Imagine a person in crisis who kept on praying the whole night, worried and troubled about what may happen. The other person, stuck in the same situation, didn’t even say a word but just kept silent, trusting the Sovereign One and knowing that his Redeemer lives.

We who are often carried away by the outward appearances may appreciate the one who prayed the whole night and despise the seemingly prayerless person who didn’t even utter a word. But whom do you think God really commends? The one who prayed with fear, worry and unbelief or the one who sat quietly trusting in the Lord? What did Jesus reply when the disciples fervently prayed to Him amidst furious storm? He asked, “Where is your faith?" (Luke 8:25)

Now I am going to make a thoughtful statement. I haven’t found anywhere in the Holy Bible where God appreciated just prayer. But I do know surplus evidences where God commended faith in Him. To share a few, about the centurion, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith” (Matt. 8:10). To the Canaanite woman, Jesus responded, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted" (Matt. 15:28). Finally, the whole chapter of Hebrews 11 marvelously describes the importance of faith. God takes great delight in those who have great faith in Him!

Of course, there were men and women of prayer in the Holy Bible who persisted in prayer and no doubt were responded by God. However, please make a note—their prayers were effective not because of the words they offered; it is because of their great faith in God (Heb. 11). Moreover, Jesus rebuked people who pray and yet put no faith in Him (Matt. 8:26). The parable of Jesus on persistent prayer recorded in Luke 18:1-8 actually speaks about faith in God. At the conclusion of the parable, did not Jesus regret, “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" (v. 8)

It is our faith in God which is of utmost importance than mere prayer. God is far more concerned about our wordless faith than worded prayers. Jesus Himself said, “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (Mk. 11:24). Agreed, there are times God does answer our prayer out of His grace in spite of our weak faith but that is not the way He usually works. He wants us to grow in faith for He does not take delight in faithless prayers.

Many times, I suppose, prayer is far easier than trusting God. I know what it is to pray and later follow my own inclinations. I know what it is to pray and then keep on worrying. I know what it is to pray and yet remain in disappointment and depression. I know what it is to pray and still live in great fear. I know what it is to pray and renounce to trust in God alone.

I may appear a little blunt in saying—I would rather be a man of faith than a man of prayer. The Holy Bible doesn’t say that it is impossible to please God without prayer; it is written, “It is impossible to please God without faith” (Heb. 11:6). The Holy Bible doesn’t say that through prayer we can do great things; it is written, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” (Jn. 4:12).

Furthermore, the Holy Bible doesn’t say that by prayer you are healed; it is written, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well" (Lu. 17:19). The Holy Bible doesn’t say that through prayer we are saved; it is written, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith” (Eph. 2:8). The Holy Bible doesn’t say that it is just by prayer we move the mountain; it is written that we move the mountain by faith (Mk. 11:22-23). The Holy Bible doesn’t say that by prayer everything is possible; it is written, "Everything is possible for him who believes" (Mk. 9:23). Finally, the Holy Bible doesn’t say that the righteous will live by prayer; it is written, “The righteous will live by faith” (Rom. 1:17).

Kindly don’t misunderstand me. I am not at all nullifying the significance of prayer. My concern is that we are encircled by so much emphasis on prayer (though not with its practice) that we have missed the greater importance of a life of faith. Yes, we need more prayer, but more needful than that—we need more faith, not to get every personal whim, but amidst storms and thorns to live a mighty life for Him who taught us, “Thy kingdom come and thy will be done.”

“ “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" (Lu. 18:8)."

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