Probably one of the most common reasons for NOT believing in God is when bad things happen. Many people have walked away from God because they believe that God is cruel, God is unkind, God is not fair, God is silent or apathetic. When something bad happens, many can not reconcile a loving God with the suffering they see. If we are honest, we all have felt this way at some point in our lives.  Phrases from the mouth of humans are “I don’t understand why God would allow this to happen” or “how could a loving God let this happen…” This might be especially true in light of our current state of reality. As schools, businesses, travel plans, ….are cancelled as everyone goes into quarantine because of Covid19, there are so many unanswered questions and fear is rampant.

The truth is, we can’t understand for one simple reason, we are incapable of understanding the mind of God. It is beyond our reach, beyond our capacity to comprehend. This is the reality of our position as humans. We not only can’t understand, but we also can’t make sense of the reasons. In our finite minds, the infinite purposes of God are impossible to ascertain. The writer of Romans, Paul, says it like this: 

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

“For who has known the mind of the Lord,

     or who has been his counselor?”

36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

These words speak about the sovereignty of God. God’s ways are unsearchable to man. What we see from our perspective is so limited when compared with the vast view that God has from heaven. He sees the whole big picture and He alone understands it all. So, where does this leave us?

Well, we can choose to trust in the ways of man, science, to try to understand the reasons for why things happen, or we can trust in the sovereignty of God. This is where faith comes in in a BIG way. For the current state of the world, many turn to the scientists, and this is understandable, they put their “faith” in what these men and women can “see”, but they can only see what is visible to them as humans. They are intelligent, brilliant people in many ways, but their “understanding” is limited; they are just human, like me. 

This leads to me to look for a different place to put my faith. Even though I may not have an answer right now to what is happening, I choose to trust in the one who created the world and sustains it.  Yes, his ways are beyond my understanding, but why would I put my faith in someone like me who is limited? Only God is worthy of my faith. Because his ways are “unsearchable” and “the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God” are beyond my comprehension, He is the most logical place to put my faith. So, today, when things don’t make sense, I choose to trust in the maker of heaven and earth. In fact, this is the only thing that really makes sense!

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Col. 1:16-17)