Understanding God When He Doesn't Make Sense

Introduction

Lately I do a lot of my thinking while I'm cooking or cleaning. And last night while I was cleaning the remnants of my street taco feast, I was thinking about Lizzie and my life together. Like you, we've faced many challenges both individually and as a couple. They weren't always the funnest to go through, but God has always been faithful. For so long I have viewed each one of these challenges as individual proofs of God's goodness and faithfulness to us, but as I was standing there scrubbing the dishes I saw something that I'd never seen before. These series of challenges were all part of a much bigger plan. One that I couldn't, on the surface, see. Then God revealed to me that it's even bigger than that and that there is still a ton of things that I still can't see, and probably won't except in hindsight.

That blew my mind, because I figured, if I had known all of this ahead of time, I'd have been a bit more patient while I we were going through it. But how many of you know, that's probably just wishful thinking? You know as well as I do, we can tell ourselves that as much as we want, it doesn't always make the going through it part any easier does it? The truth of the matter is, God often does things that simply make no sense to us, and that drive us crazy at times. Things that at the time makes us even wonder whether we did something wrong and are now being punished, or worse yet make us believe that God doesn’t care about us. But I know something and that is that the Word of God does not return void, and that our faith is built up by the hearing of the Word. So with that in mind, I want to give us some reminders that God is in control, and that He is good, and along with that perhaps we can build our faith to see our hope and redemption even when it seems like all hope is lost.

The Lesson of Lazarus

John 11:1–44 TLV

Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Miriam and her sister Martha. This was the same Miriam who anointed the Master with perfume and wiped His feet with her hair. It was her brother Lazarus who was sick. So the sisters sent a word to Yeshua, saying, “Master, the one you love is sick!” When Yeshua heard this, He said, “This sickness will not end in death. It is for God’s glory, so that Ben-Elohim may be glorified through it.” Now Yeshua loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. However, when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was for two more days. Then after this, He said to His disciples, “Let’s go up to Judea again.” “Rabbi,” the disciples say to Him, “just now the Judean leaders were trying to stone You! And You’re going back there again?” Yeshua answered, “Aren’t there twelve hours in the day? If a man walks in the day, he doesn’t stumble, because he sees the light of the world. But if a man should walk around at night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” After He said this, He tells them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I’m going there to wake him up.” So the disciples said to Him, “Master, if he has fallen asleep, he will get better.” Now Yeshua had spoken about his death, but they thought He was talking about ordinary sleep. Then Yeshua told them clearly, “Lazarus is dead! I’m glad for your sake I wasn’t there, so that you may believe. Anyway, let’s go to him!” Then Thomas called the Twin said to the other disciples, “Let’s go too, so that we may die with Him!” So when Yeshua arrived, He discovered that Lazarus had been in the tomb already for four days. Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many of the Judeans had come to Martha and Miriam to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Yeshua was coming, she went out to meet Him; but Miriam sat in the house. Martha said to Yeshua, “Master, if You had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died! But I know, even now, that whatever You may ask of God, He will give You.” Yeshua said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to Him, “I know, he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Yeshua said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life! Whoever believes in Me, even if he dies, shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She says to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, Ben-Elohim who has come into the world.” After she said this, she left and secretly told her sister Miriam, “The Teacher is here, and He’s calling for you.” As soon as Miriam heard, she quickly got up and was coming to Him. Now Yeshua had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met Him. The Judeans, who were with Miriam in the house and comforting her, seeing how quickly she got up and went out, followed her. They thought she was going to the tomb to weep there. So when Miriam came to where Yeshua was, she saw Him and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Master, if You had been here, my brother would not have died!” When Yeshua saw her weeping, and the Judeans who came with her weeping, He was deeply troubled in spirit and Himself agitated. “Where have you laid him?” He asked. “Come and see, Master,” they tell Him. Yeshua wept. So the Judeans said, “See how He loved him!” But some of them said, “Couldn’t this One, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have also kept this man from dying?” So Yeshua, again deeply troubled within Himself, comes to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Yeshua says, “Roll away the stone!” Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to Him, “Master, by this time he stinks! He’s been dead for four days!” Yeshua says to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” So they rolled away the stone. Yeshua lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me; but because of this crowd standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.” And when He had said this, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” He who had been dead came out, wrapped in burial clothes binding his hands and feet, with a cloth over his face. And Yeshua tells them, “Cut him loose, and let him go!”

So let’s set the scene, we are talking about Mary and Martha. This is the Mary who anointed Jesus when the Pharisees disrespected Him. She was the one who saw Jesus for who He was and who was deeply offended by the snub of the Pharisee. She served Him at a great deal of sacrifice to herself. So we’ve established these events are happening to a devout believer - a worshipper even.

This answers the first question/objection that many people have and that is God would you allow this to happen to a believer? Yes, yes He would.

Sometimes, bad things happen to believers.

But you might not be convinced, I’ve heard believers bemoan trials that come their way by saying, “well if only I’d prayed more, if only I’d been more committed, if only I’d had a better relationship with Jesus, then maybe He would have spared me this pain”. But if we look at our text again, something pops out at us.

John 11:3 TLV

So the sisters sent a word to Yeshua, saying, “Master, the one you love is sick!”

“He whom You love is sick!” This is someone that Jesus loved! Surely if He loves you He’s going to spare you pain right? Well in this case no… he didn’t. Church, the first thing that you have to get out of your head is that when you are facing a trial it’s because of something you did wrong or because you’re in a bad spot with your relationship with Jesus because clearly, that’s not the criteria for bad stuff happening to you.

But some believers will say, “Well it’s the devil! The devil is attacking me and making this happen to me, I just know it!!” And while there are certainly times when the enemy does attack us, I think far more often it’s not him at all. The truth is

Sometimes God permits suffering and trials to afflict us as part of a bigger plan.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that God inflicts suffering upon us, I’m saying that there are some life things that happen to us all, and rather than deliver us from the consequences of living in a fallen world, God allows us to be subject to the rules and chaos of this world as part of something that we can’t really comprehend with our limited knowledge or understanding.

Look at what Jesus says to His disciples:

John 11:4 TLV

When Yeshua heard this, He said, “This sickness will not end in death. It is for God’s glory, so that Ben-Elohim may be glorified through it.”

That brings us to our next point. Jesus clearly told the disciples that this was not unto death, yet Lazarus died. Does that mean Jesus died?

Well that is only true if you limit yourself to what you can see, and your understanding of the entire timeline. You see the problem is not that Jesus lied, is that we as humans tend to put hard stops on things that try to limit who God is. To human understanding, death is the end, but God sees things differently.

God is not done until He says He’s done.

Now here’s the rub that a lot of people have with God. Look at what Jesus does next. When I drove an ambulance, if we got a call that there was someone experiencing a medical emergency, we’d turn on our lights and siren and go with great haste to wherever the sick person was, because we wanted to alleviate suffering and prevent death. And it’s a good thing right? In fact, we would expect nothing less! So how do we explain Jesus total lack of interest in running to Mary, Martha and Lazarus’ aid? Look what it says:

John 11:5–6 TLV

Now Yeshua loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. However, when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was for two more days.

What the heck Jesus! In fact, it’s a sentiment that Martha expressed the same thing:

John 11:21 TLV

Martha said to Yeshua, “Master, if You had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died!

See her despair? She’s saying, “Jesus you didn't make it in time. You missed the deadline, you’re too late.” But she stops there and in the midst of her despair, reaches deep down within herself to find a mustard seed of faith to express and she grasps at what she knows.

John 11:22 TLV

But I know, even now, that whatever You may ask of God, He will give You.”

What was it that caused her to be able to pull up this mustard seed of faith and make that proclamation? It was the simple fact that she understood who it was that stood before her.

This brings us to our first key to Understanding God when He doesn’t make sense.

Understand Who Jesus Is

The key is realize you don’t have to realize what God is up to, when you know who God is.

Jesus has it all thought out

Isaiah 55:9 TLV

“For as the heavens are higher than earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.

To think that we can out-think God, or that He is missing something that we’ve cleverly caught is the height of hubris.

Jesus knows your needs

Well surely, I need to make God aware of my every need. I mean what if He misses something because I forgot to pray about it?

Luke 12:29–32 TLV

“So do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. For all the nations of the world strive after these things. But your Father knows that you need these things. Instead, seek His kingdom, and these things shall be added to you. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father chose to give you the kingdom.

There is a second key to understanding God when He doesn’t seem to make sense.

Understand who YOU are!

Twenty-One times, Jesus calls God YOUR FATHER. What does that say about who you are?

When a person gets “saved” we say that the person has been “born again” At the instant of salvation, the person is brought into a deeply personal relationship with God.

Romans 8:14–16 TLV

For all who are led by the Ruach Elohim, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall again into fear; rather, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Ruach Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

The word adoption means “to place as a son.” So, that means that you are instantly a child of God in Heaven!

You are a child of God

1 John 3:1–2 TLV

See how glorious a love the Father has given us, that we should be called God’s children—and so we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Loved ones, now we are God’s children; and it has not yet been revealed what we will be. But we do know that when it’s revealed, we shall be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.

Doesn’t that blow your mind? As a child of God, you are given the same rights as a child who is born into that family! And that means that.

You have a profound relationship with God.

Think about what a person was – who you were before you were saved by His grace. According to the Bible, a person without Christ sets himself up as God’s enemy, thinking themselves to be free of rules and masters!

Romans 8:7–8 TLV

For the mindset of the flesh is hostile toward God, for it does not submit itself to the law of God—for it cannot. So those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

The sad truth though, is that they are really slaves to the world, their own flesh and ultimately to the devil.

Ephesians 2:1–3 TLV

You were dead in your trespasses and sins. At that time, you walked in the way of this world, in conformity to the ruler of the domain of the air—the ruler of the spirit who is now operating in the sons of disobedience. We too all lived among them in the cravings of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind. By nature we were children of wrath, just like the others.

So think about it, we are talking about people whose situation in life and whose bondage has them walking a path away from God, that they could even be turned from that path and saved is in itself a miracle!

But now take it a step further, and they aren’t just turned toward God, they become HIS children!!!

How is does this matter?

Well when we are facing tough situations and deadlines it can be maddening to think that God doesn’t care. In fact, that couldn’t be further from the truth. And the truth.

Just as a human father has certain responsibilities to his children, God has taken on many responsibilities as it relates to us. According to scripture:

Luke 12:30 TLV

For all the nations of the world strive after these things. But your Father knows that you need these things.

Our needs are many, and they are constant. Let’s face it, we are a needy people!

Even though we are so needy (and sometimes whiny about them) scripture says “God knows” our needs. The Greek word here for know literally means “to hold in the eye”.

It is almost as though God were constantly vigilant and thoughtfully looking for what we need. Sometimes we as parents may not know what our kids’ needs are, but our Heavenly Father always knows your needs. Nothing happens in any of our lives, that goes unnoticed by Our Father.

The question isn’t does God not know my need or not, it’s already answered by scripture. The key is to realize the key point to this passage of scripture.

Job 23:8–10 TLV

But, if I go to the east, He is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find Him. When He is in the north, I cannot perceive Him; When He turns south, I do not see Him. Yet He knows the way that I take; if He tested me, I would come out as gold.

To be completely honest, it’s less about whether God cares about you and more about the fact that…

God does not prioritize the same things we do.

The disciples should have already learned this lesson and known that Jesus was not concerned about how things seemed – even in life or death situations. Recall the episode with Jesus asleep on the boat in the storm. Does the fact that He was asleep mean He didn’t care?

Matthew 8:23–27 TLV

As He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. Suddenly a great storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was being covered by the waves. But Yeshua kept on sleeping. So they came and woke Him up, saying, “Master, save us! We’re perishing!” He said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became totally calm. The men were amazed, saying, “What kind of person is this? Even the winds and the sea obey Him!”

No, of course not! He was simply not impressed with the thing that had the disciples so wound up. To Jesus it was not important. Not because He didn’t care about the disciples, but because He knew that this was not going to ruin them, He knew their lives were really not in jeopardy.

Even when we can’t perceive Him, God is there!

Martha and Mary must have thought Jesus didn’t care about what was happening to Lazarus. How confusing it was to them to hear that Jesus did not arrive in time. But even while they were doubting that He cared for them, He was very much on His mind. In fact He knew exactly what had happened to Lazarus.

John 11:11–16 TLV

After He said this, He tells them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I’m going there to wake him up.” So the disciples said to Him, “Master, if he has fallen asleep, he will get better.” Now Yeshua had spoken about his death, but they thought He was talking about ordinary sleep. Then Yeshua told them clearly, “Lazarus is dead! I’m glad for your sake I wasn’t there, so that you may believe. Anyway, let’s go to him!” Then Thomas called the Twin said to the other disciples, “Let’s go too, so that we may die with Him!”

We are not always aware of His presence in our lives. When He is working on us, we are not always aware that He is doing something. And sometimes we go through trials and circumstances that have nothing to do with our physical and material comfort.

Psalm 139:1–12 TLV

For the music director: a psalm of David. Adonai, You searched me and know me. Whenever I sit down or stand up, You know it. You discern my thinking from afar. You observe my journeying and my resting and You are familiar with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, Adonai, You know all about it. You hemmed me in behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from Your Ruach? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to heaven, You are there, and if I make my bed in Sheol, look, You are there too. If I take the wings of the dawn and settle on the other side of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say: “Surely darkness covers me, night keeps light at a distance from me,” even darkness is not dark for You, and night is as bright as day— darkness and light are alike.

Now here is where Martha’s mustard seed of faith comes in. Let’s read it once more just to remind ourselves.

John 11:21–22 TLV

Martha said to Yeshua, “Master, if You had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died! But I know, even now, that whatever You may ask of God, He will give You.”

God is able to meet all our needs!

The Lord doesn’t just to know about what His children need; He possesses the ability to meet those needs! According to Luke 12:31-32, God does have the power to take care of us as well as to know about us.

Luke 12:31–32 TLV

Instead, seek His kingdom, and these things shall be added to you. Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father chose to give you the kingdom.

The word “kingdom” refers to “all that pertains to His rule.” It speaks of “the power of the ruling One.” Like a wealthy, benevolent king, God has the wherewithal to meet every need that arises in the lives of each of His children.

Therefore, when He says “all these things shall be added unto you”, verse 31; He has the ability to back up that promise. Many people live in doubt of God’s great ability to care for His people; but I would like to remind you that if God can speak this universe into existence, He can take care of you.

If He can keep Noah safe through that flood; feed Elijah with the ravens; put meal in the barrel, oil in the jar and life in the boy for the widow; keep the three Hebrew boys safe in the furnace; secure Daniel in the lion’s den; feed Israel manna and quail in the wilderness for forty years; slay Goliath for David; take care of those disciples in that storm; part the Red Sea for Moses; and raise Lazarus from the dead, then I think He is able to take care of you!

God’s purpose is not restrained by deadlines or even death itself.

You see, our problem is that we think that God has to work on our timing. We think something is over when we say it’s over because of our own dim understanding of the situation, but Jesus doesn’t see things the same way you and I do.

John 6:37–40 TLV

Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me, and anyone coming to Me I will never reject. For I have come down from heaven not to do My own will but the will of the One who sent Me. “Now this is the will of the One who sent Me, that I lose not one of all He has given Me, but raise each one on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and trusts in Him may have eternal life; and I will raise him up on the last day.”

He says He doesn’t plan to lose anything, in fact He says that He’s gonna raise it all up on the last day, and that includes you! If God has been speaking through His prophets that He is going to raise up this nation once again and that the America is going to experience a revival like it’s never seen before, well then guess what? It’s going to happen, even when all hope of that seems like it is dead and four days buried. If God is asking us to continue steadfast in prayer, if He’s asking us to open the tomb, then by God, don’t stop to remind him that the hope and promise that He made is dead and stinky, get that tomb open because God is not done yet!!!!

Putting it All Together

Jesus told his disciples that this wasn’t going to end in death, but for the glory of God. How exactly did God get the glory here? Well, according to the ancient sages, There were four miracles that the Messiah had to be able to perform:

1. Healing a leper

2. Casting out a mute demon

3. healing a man born blind

4. raising someone from the dead after three days.

The 12-year-old girl that Jesus raised the day he healed the woman with the issue of blood, she had only died at the most a couple of hours prior. Lazarus had been dead for four days.

This fourth miracle proved Yeshua was the Messiah because the rabbis taught that the resurrection from the dead was only possible within the first three days. It was believed that the spirit of the deceased hovered over the body for three days, and if someone was gifted by God, they could raise that person from the dead. But only the Messiah could raise the body on or after the fourth day.

If you read the story of Lazarus from this light, it seems that Jesus went out of His way to be late once He learned that Lazarus was dead. When Lazarus came forth from the grave alive and well, the Pharisees could no longer deny that He was the Messiah. And so while this was heart-rending for Miriam and Martha, it had a bigger purpose than they could imagine.

Saints, when things look bleak and you are deeply troubled it’s not because God doesn’t love you. When you can’t make sense of what God is doing, it’s not time to blame yourself for something you may or may not have done, it’s not time to question your relationship with God, it’s time to remember that God has a plan that is so far above your understanding, that you may not ever know what He was up to this side of heaven, but rest assured, on the day you discover what He has been doing all along, you will be amazed and marvel at the perfection in His purposes in your life.

Let me close with this reminder.

Nahum 1:7 TLV

Adonai is good as a refuge in the day of distress, and He knows those who take refuge in Him.

Let Us Pray