Tag: faith

Wrestling With Why’s

Kendra Pope2 Comments

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Matthew 27:46, Psalm 22:1

We’ve all asked, “Why?” The “why’s” begin at an early age, don’t they? You don’t have to spend too much time with a 4 or 5 year old to notice. Our brains long to make sense of things that are unknown. We like strategies, answers and control. If we can know the why, we can walk it back and find a solution, right? Usually.

I have asked God why, especially in hardship; when things are not “right” as we define it. This is mainly because I know He is in control. If He is in control, all wise and working His will, then He can give me an answer. “Why would you do this? Why me? Why us? Why him/her, whyyyyyyyy?!?!” The question in itself is not wrong and I believe God gave us the innate desire to explore, examine and figure things out. (Proverbs 25:2) “Why” has driven so much research and science and when we get answers, we celebrate it. It truly is a wonderful thing.

Then there are those times we all loathe, when we don’t find answers. We cry out from the depths of our souls, “why!” The lack of answers feels like failure, but wisdom asserts what is true. When we do not get the answer to our why we are driven to the foundation of our Christian faith. Faith requires belief without seeing, trust without touching, and a step forward without knowing the outcome. Sometimes when we don’t get answers, it’s a good thing.

I’m embarrassed to admit I often need the reminder that God knows better than me, especially when I don’t understand what’s going on around me or inside of me. Not only does He know better, but His view is extensive. His infinite knowledge is perfectly right and His vision is without barrier. God sees the whole picture.

Do you know who else saw the whole picture? Jesus. He knew why He hung on the cross yet in pain He cried out, “Why have you forsaken me?” He was fulfilling the prophecy of Psalm 22 as He suffered. He quoted it as He lived it. God did not answer Him. Think about that for a moment. He did not answer Jesus, the Messiah. Why not? An answer was not necessary. We see Jesus in the garden praying that God might let this cup pass from him. (Matthew 26:39) No answer. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15 

Girlfriend, we are in good company asking “why” without a response from God. But let me whisper a truth in your ear that I often need whispered in mine. We can trust God with the answers we may never get.

Jesus didn’t get an answer, but the answer was good.

We can trust His infinite knowledge and His perfect love to give us “peace that passes understanding.” (Philippians 6:4-9) I experience so much freedom in this. Freedom that our Jesus suffered, died and rose for.

I have learned that if I don’t have answers, I can still have peace. If I don’t have understanding I can still have trust and if I don’t have certainty, I can still have faith.(Proverbs 3:5-6, Isaiah 26:3, Phil. 6:4-7, Hebrews 11:1) You are braver than you know.

When hope is real…

“God sees the whole picture. I can trust Him with my why.”

Cheering you on always,

Hope Anchors

Kendra Pope

Can I have your permission to throw it back even though it’s not Thursday? I didn’t think you’d mind. “Hope Floats” was a popular movie starring Sandra Bullock that was out when I was young (er).:-) In it, a woman finds herself struggling to recover after a devastating and embarrassing divorce.

She reflects on her life a lot when she heads to mamas house to find herself again. Hard times and unpredictable circumstances can cause us to lose ourselves a bit, can’t they? They certainly cause us to wish we didn’t have to live through them.

Reflection is a normal part of our search.

How did I get here? Did I take a wrong turn? Why me? Why Him? How could this happen? You get the search.

Sometimes we find answers and sometimes we don’t. We would be completely destitute if our hope was in answers.

In painful circumstances we have a unique opportunity to trust God more deeply. Unique because we see Him showing Himself in unique ways to those suffering throughout the scriptures. Our enemy would have us stay “beefed” with our Savior because of the “unfairness” of it all. He would love us to turn away and run, as if God will not meet us wherever we run. Our Savior calls us to trust.

He longs for our trust. He longs for our single mindedness. Our single heartedness. (Matthew 22:37) He never promised understanding, He promised grace (2 Corinthians 12:9) and wisdom (James 1:5)

Many times, we have to trust God with the answers we may never get. When I stop chasing understanding, there is space for transformation. Believing, not understanding is our Father’s heart for us. Who can understand the super natural? When I believe Him, I’m able to breath again.

I’m able to get up again.

I’m able to take one step forward again.

Believing what God says in the darkest hour marks a life of REAL HOPE. True hope is found in in Him ALONE.

I know deeply that all of this does not always feel true.

In fact, when I watch my son’s seizures begin while I am praying over him for healing or suffer through an uncontrolled coughing spell on an almost daily basis, I want to quit. Nothing on this side of heaven infuriates this mama more. My faith has never been so challenged as it is in my pain; in my son’s pain. Can you relate?

Fighting-and it is truly a feud for the centuries-to believe the truth when our circumstances seem to contradict it is a wrestling match well worth having. In these battles, truth always wins and anchors our hope.

Here are a couple of helpful definitions for us as we wade through all this “hope” talk.

First, faith. Faith is resting confidence in a promise. Kind of like sitting and resting completely on the object you are now. (your chair, couch, etc) Your full weight is in it. You believe it will hold you up. That’s why you sat in it. Although you have not yet seen the complete promise fulfilled, (you haven’t gotten up from the place of rest yet, so you won’t know until you do) you are resting in it.

Hope is confident expectation of the fulfillment of a promise.

Faith believes the promise.

Hope confidently expects the fulfillment of the promise.

Our hope is only as good as the promise to which it is tied.

What is the promise to which our hope is tied?

The promise of eternal salvation through Jesus Christ (and TONS of other amazing promises God lays out for His children in His word-the Bible). (John 3:16)

From the mouth of God, we have a promise (eh-hem, many promises) that we can confidently expect.

No. Matter. What. Sucker. Punches. Knock. The. Breath. Out. Of. Us. (see how I tried to get you to slow down there…:-))

Hope breaths. Hope moves. Hope lives. Hope anchors.

Not based on some ever changing, unpredictable circumstance, but Based on the promise of God.

Our hope does not float. THANK GOD. There is a lot more in store for us at the end of our movie than a slow dance with a cowboy!

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” Hebrews 6:19

When hope is REAL…

I live a life full of it.

Cheering you on,

#whenhopeisreal #neverwithouthope

Reflect with me for a few minutes. Are there things in this life, other than Jesus that I have put my hope in? Good things? Bad things? Is my hope in my comfortable circumstances? (great journal writing to do here or you can share in the comments if you’re brave! ;-))