We live in a world where answers to our
questions are always on hand. But when it comes to God, there is so much we just
don't have the answers to. Many times God will call us to do something without
any real explanation. Have you ever found yourself asking, "But why God?” It’s
actually a good question. Why should we obey God when we have no clue what he's
doing or how things will turn out?
I am reminded of a story from 2 Kings 5
about a man named Naaman. I won’t tell the whole story so I encourage you to go
read it. Namman had leprosy and Elisha, a Prophet of God, told him that to get
rid of his leprosy, he needed to dip in the Jordan River seven times. But Namman
didn’t want to do it. He thought it was silly and didn’t make sense. He expected
to have to do so much more to cure himself of this awful disease. But
eventually his servants were able to convince him to do what the prophet had
told him to do. And after dipping into the river seven times the scripture says
he came up the seventh time and his skin had become as healthy as the skin of a
child, but more than that, his heart changed as well. That day in the river God
revealed himself to Naaman and from that day foreword he served God with all his heart.
Naaman almost missed having his whole life transformed because what God had told him to do didn’t make sense and didn’t fit his plan and
expectation of how God was going to heal him. I believe that so often we
completely miss out on what God is wanting to do in our lives because we don’t
have the answer to our “Why God?” questions or because it doesn’t go according
to our plans. The truth is the only way we are going to truly experience God
for who He is, is to obey Him even when there is no explanation. Is there something today (big or small) that God is leading and prompting you to do but you have yet to act
because it just doesn’t make sense? What is God telling you to do that you have
yet to do? The reason we obey God is not because of the answer or outcome, but
because He is God. And until that is
your reason for obedience then you’re never going to truly experience Him for
who He is. Would you be willing to obey
when the only answer you’re given is “Because I am God”?
-Brad Snipes
Middle School Pastor
