Introduction

a. God is Smart...And We're Dumb In Comparison

But all too often, we're like a meddlesome half wit in a master auto mechanic's shop, who keeps demanding that the mechanic explain his every move: "Why are you replacing that gasket? Now listen, you're going to remember where to put that part when it comes time to put it back together, aren't you?" No wonder they post a sign: "No customers beyond this point."

• First, God highly values trust and faith

  "We live by faith, not by sight."(2 Cor. 5:7; cr. Heb. 11:1).
  
  If we could fully understand everything God allowed us to go through, then there would be no need for faith, would there? Only during the dark times can we learn to walk by faith, not by sight.
  
  

• Second, certain knowledge might be too heavy for us.

  "So when they met together, they asked him, 'Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?' He said to them: 'It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.'"(Acts 1:6-7; cr. Gen. 2:17; Gen 3:11).
  
  We don't need to know some things. Remember, the world's first nudist colony had no shame. Adam and Eve walked around in paradise, with everything they needed. What ruined this original paradise? They disobeyed by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God knew that there were some things they were better off not understanding. Why can't we see that discovering other forbidden knowledge might wreak similar havoc in our lives?
  
  

  As a child, Corrie ten Boom over heard a discussion about sexual immorality, while travelling with her father in Europe. Confused, she asked her father to explain what they were talking about. But her father realized that she was too young to understand. In Corrie's words, this is how he responded,
  
  "To my surprise he said nothing. At last he stood up, lifted his traveling case from the rack over our heads, and set it on the floor.
  "Will you carry it off the train, Corrie?" he said.
  I stood up and tugged at it. It was crammed with watches and spare parts he had purchased that morning.
  "It's too heavy," I said.
  "Yes," he said. "And it would be a pretty poor father who would ask his little girl to carry such a load. It's the same way, Corrie, with knowledge. Some knowledge is too heavy for children. When you are older and stronger you can bear it. For now you must trust me to carry it for you."
  "And I was satisfied. More than satisfied wonderfully at peace. There were answers to this and all my hard questions for now I was content to leave them in my father's keeping." (Corrie ten Boom with John and Elizabeth Sherrill, The Hiding Place, Fleming H. Revell Co., 1971, pp. 26,27.)

  Think about it. If God were to explain why he allows certain things to happen, He might have to give you the big picture by laying out a series of events that will happen to you over the next fifty years. But although this might make you feel better about your present situation, if you knew all those future events, you might begin to worry constantly about preparing for them today.
  
  So, sometimes God doesn't let us in on the answers because He wants us to learn to trust. Other times, the knowledge might be too much for us to bear. But here's another reason:
  
  

• Third, Can We Fathom the Depths of God?

  Since God is so much greater than us, wouldn't it be unreasonable to expect to understand all His ways?
  
  

  Scientists often run into mysteries using the scientific method. For instance, some experiments show us that light is waves. But other experiments show us that light must be particles. It can't be both. And we can't fully explain it. But you don't see scientists giving up on the scientific method because of this apparent contradiction. They seem perfectly willing to accept some mystery in their field, especially in dealing with subatomic particles. So why should we expect to understand everything about the ways of an infinite God?

  
  
  

  C.S. Lewis once said that he thought our first words, upon making it to heaven, would be "Of course." For then I will "know fully, even as I am fully known". (1 Cor. 13:12) We will look back and say, "Now it all makes since. I see exactly why God allowed me to grow up without a father, why so many people rejected me in high school, why I had such a hard time with Math. And if I hadn't had zits, I would have never met and married that fantastic Dermatologist! Thank you God that things were not different!"

  
  
  It should be enough that He told us that He loves us and gave us an incredible demonstration of that love through His Son. I don't understand why He lets certain things happen to His children. But I can live with it until I see Him face to face in heaven. And when I see Him as He is, I doubt I'll need to ask Him for any explanations. For now, we need not expect clear answers to things we may not even be capable of understanding. For now, I can simply trust in one Who has proven Himself trustworthy.
  
  

b. God is just

Annie responds, "Okay, so I can trust in His wisdom, but I still can't see His justice. My mom served Christ and His church faithfully, then died of this horrible disease. And all this while some criminal is getting away with murder, and may live to a ripe old age. What gives?"

Imagine that you are watching a trial in a court of law. After a couple of witnesses testify for the prosecution, the judge tires of the case and calls for a verdict from the jury. "That's unfair!" cries the attorney for the defense, "You haven't heard our witnesses! All the evidence is not in!" It's like the old hanging juries, that send cold shivers up our backs. But isn't that exactly what we do when we make a judgment on God's character before all the evidence is in?

c. God is in control

Imagine that you are Joseph, sitting in an Egyptian prison, reflecting on your life. You were taken from your family and sold into slavery by your cruel brothers, falsely accused and jailed in foreign country, then having the guy who was supposed to plea for your release forget all about you. Your brothers are scoundrels, but they're home with dad. Mrs. Potifer is free to find a new boyfriend. And you're sitting in a jail cell for things you never did. If all this happened to you, would you have become bitter in that cell, concluding that God had abandoned you? But don't forget. The glorious end of Joseph's story comes later. Only in retrospect can we see God's hand in it all.

We've all seen paintings that were created to be viewed from a distance; not up close. It's amazing how I can observe one of these paintings up close all day and see what's apparently only random blotches of color. But when I step back, I see a beautiful landscape.

Annie objects: "But if God's in control, then are we saying that God gave my mom cancer, and His hand is squeezing every suffering child? It seems so cruel."

• Not everything that happens reflects God's perfect will.

  In Mt. 23:37, Jesus spoke of wanting to have a relationship with many 1st century Jews, but they wouldn't have it. So don't blame Jesus for these people's condition. God doesn't want anyone to turn from Him (2 Pet. 3:9), but many do. He doesn't want people to sin, but they do. So if a drunk driver runs over a dear friend, don't blame God for making that guy drunk. God aches with us over the results of sin in our world.
  
  

  Annie: But why then is there any suffering at all? I mean, if He's all powerful and all wise, couldn't He have made a world that suffering would have never infested?

  
  
  

• God must allow suffering for higher purposes.

  I believe that God has a perfect will, in which everyone follows Him, loves their neighbor, and ends up in heaven (2 Pet. 3:9). But He's also got a permissive will, in which He allows all kinds of tragedy and suffering.
  
  

  "So," Annie asks, "It helps to know that God might not have directly placed the cancer in my mom's body. But it still bothers me that God even allowed it. Why didn't he stop it, when He could have?"

  
  
  Pain and suffering are only evil if they don't result in a higher good. So the only bad suffering is senseless suffering.
  
  

  Often doctors must hurt us in order to help us. Small children wonder, "Mom, why are you allowing this man to stick me with a needle? It hurts!" And the child will never understand, until he is old enough to understand. Then it will all make sense. The hurt was worth all the benefits. Until he understands, he must trust that his parents have some good reason for the pain. Now the difference between the understanding of a child and that of an adult doesn't even compare to the difference between the understanding of God and that of an adult. Doesn't it seem reasonable that the answers lie somewhere in God's infinite understanding?

  
  
  

  "But," Annie asks, "if God is all-powerful and all-wise, couldn't he figure out a way to bring about the same good end He is working toward without doing it through suffering?"

  
  
  Apparently not. You see, there are things God cannot do. He can't make a rock that's too heavy for Him to lift, create a married bachelor, a round square, or a brilliant air head. They are logical absurdities. Neither can He lie (Heb. 6:18; cr. 2 Tim. 2:13, Jn. 15:19; Tit. 1:2). Not just won't. Can't. Apparently He can't act against His nature.
  
  Could God have stopped Annie's mom from getting cancer? Undoubtedly. Could He have stopped her cancer without at the same time taking something away from either Annie's, or her mom's, or the creation's ultimate glorious end? Apparently not.
  
  So if God is good, infinitely smart, and in control, we can rest in the fact that whatever He allows into our life is for our ultimate good. No matter how out of control things seem to us, He's in control. And one day, probably not now, we'll look back and see that it all makes sense.
  
  

Conclusion