Devotionals for the Heart: Questions

Trusting God with the Hard Questions
A devotional by Carrie Del Pizzo

Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” –John 9:3 (NASB)

When life gets hard, we ask questions. 

Who is to blame? Where did I go wrong? Why is this happening?

Sometimes that’s pretty easy to figure out. You text and drive; you get in an accident. You argue with the boss; you get fired. You cheat on your spouse; you get divorce papers.

Other times, things aren’t so clear-cut. Why does a good employee get laid off? Why do hurricanes and earthquakes kill people? Why does a child suffer through cancer?

When our teenage daughter spent two years dating a non-Christian, my husband and I had a heap of questions. What does she see in this guy? How long will she drag this out? Why doesn’t she see that he’s so wrong for her? Where did we go wrong?

In John 9, the disciples asked Jesus this kind of question about a blind man. They supposed either God had given the man’s parents a blind child because they had sinned, or God knew the man would sin and so made him blind at birth.

Jesus’s answer shocked them. The blindness wasn’t caused by anyone’s sin. This man had been born blind so that Jesus could miraculously restore his sight and point to the Father.

Joseph knew something about this idea. His brothers threw him in a pit and sold him into slavery. Some four decades later, the brothers wisely asked forgiveness of the second most powerful man in Egypt. His answer was astounding. According to Genesis 50:20 (NIV), he said, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.” 

Of course, Jesus faced the granddaddy of all bad days. He was falsely accused, beaten, mocked, and crucified. And he did it while carrying the weight of our sin. He could have snapped his fingers and ended it, but he chose to suffer and die.

He knew the Father had a great plan, one that wasn’t obvious to the weeping, hiding, shaking-in-their-sandals disciples who only saw the bad situation before them.

We’ve also discovered that God has brought some good from our daughter’s poor choice of boyfriend. She’s learned what a bad relationship looks like, what she doesn’t want in a boyfriend, and what kind of good relationship she does want. 

We’re very pleased that her new boyfriend loves the Lord and they want to attend church together. They’ve even made a commitment to purity and have set up boundaries for themselves.

Best of all, she is now very open about her faith. Praise God!

What tough situation are you facing today? What hard fact of life are you trying to explain, reason out, or blame on someone? 

Ask God to walk with you through this trial and then reveal His glory at the end.

His plan may not be clear to you now, but that doesn’t mean He doesn’t have one. Look for ways to glorify Him.

~*~
Author Bio:

In this world of texts, memes, and emojis, slowing down to truly communicate can feel like straining a muscle you haven’t exercised in far too long.

Seventeen years of business experience across a variety of industries has taught Carrie Del Pizzo the fine art of professional communications. 

Partnering with corporate executives and entry-level employees alike, she has written and edited major project proposals, direct marketing pieces, sensitive client communications, employee handbooks, and user manuals.

Carrie’s love of literature and story has led her to develop and exercise her fiction writing skills as well. Aside from her personal creative efforts, she also edits for self- and traditionally-published authors and enjoys writing short dramas for church presentation.

Carrie is a wife, mom of three Americans and host-mom to numerous exchange students. Italian-by-marriage means she loves to cook and eat. She lives in Spokane, Wash., with her hilarious family, who keeps her in stitches and provides piles of material for great stories.