Everything Happens For A Reason

Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD. [Lamentations 3.21-26]

Today's OYCB reading is very clear that punishment is from God. Sure, various minions carry out God's plans, but it is God Who wills it.

Who can command things to happen without the LORD’s permission? Does not the Most High send both calamity and good? Then why should we, mere humans, complain when we are punished for our sins? [Lamentations 3.37-39]

The point of these two informative passages is to remind us that everything in our lives is tied directly to our relationship with God. There are no random circumstances. Everything indeed happens for a reason.

Modern thinking however would have us believe otherwise. The wisdom of our modern age would have us carnally attribute life's circumstances to "natural" causes including man's mismanagement of the earth's resources. The problem with this, even though it follows the evidence to a point, is that it fails to trace the evidence to the actual source: Who can command things to happen without the LORD’s permission?

To stop at blaming man for all the earth's problems and damage, is to miss God - granted, most do this intentionally. Besides, the science provides compelling enough information without having to admit the problem is far greater than just man's mismanagement of resources. Few are willing to come face-to-face with the spiritual aspect of God's punishment (carried out in natural, social and political events).

Everything happens for a reason. Many people mindlessly quote this phrase, but precious few actually meditate on it long enough to come to the conclusion that bad things are God's engineered call to repentance. But how can we be sure?

Look at the first passage quoted above. God is good. He is for His people, not against them. Without this truth as the centerpiece of our relationship with God, there is no way to understand life and its various events. However, we are compelled to understand also that when this truth is in question (i.e. not applying to us) it warns us not of a shortcoming on God's part, but on ours. The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. If we are not experiencing God's goodness, then we are obviously not depending on Him or we are not searching for Him. It is that simple but the truth of it flies in the face of our pride and resistance to repentance.

Then why should we, mere humans, complain when we are punished for our sins? [Lamentations 3.39]

The answer is: We complain because we are in proud denial of God's supreme goodness and His flawless, never misplaced, justice. We complain because we only know God on our terms, not His.

This is just as true in Christ as it was before Christ. A simple look at a statement following the most famous verse in the Bible explains it perfectly (and in Jesus' own words at that).

There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. [John 3.18]

Again, though, if judgment is not rightly understood (in this case, upon those found not believing), it is impossible to make sense of anything else Jesus said here.

When bad things happen to us, the ONLY humble (correct) response is repentance. Our benefit in Christ is that He "paid it all" but only FOR THOSE WHO BELEIVE! If bad things persist, then, regardless how emotional we get about it, WE ARE NOT IN FAITH. When "in Christ" we speak to mountains and they do not move, we should repent. When "in Christ" we command demons to flee and they do not, we should repent. When "in Christ" we are not healed, we should repent.

Jesus did not die on the Cross so we could be arrogant! There is NO PRIDE in Christ. There is only the humility of the Cross. I am NOT in Christ then, unless I am in the vulnerable, exposed humility of my own cross.

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. [Luke 9.23]

Without apology, if we are not following Christ (taking up our cross daily), we are deceiving ourselves to think we are believing in Christ. If we are not believing in Christ, we are not saved and we are rightly under every judgment known to man.

Then why should we, mere humans, complain when we are punished for our sins? [Lamentations 3.39]

Remember all of God's goodness is available to those who genuinely believe - those who depend on him, ...those who search for him. 

Is it any wonder that Jeremiah's mention that God's mercies begin afresh each morning, and Jesus' demand to take up your cross daily have the same daily connotation? A relationship with God is not a one-and-done prayer but a daily walk with Him - a walk that takes us to our cross (our daily death to every proud and selfish way) so that the faithful love and mercies of God are ALL that are seen in and upon us.

Everything happens for a reason. Will we proudly deny our human sinfulness or humbly repent upon our own cross?

Who can command things to happen without the LORD’s permission? Does not the Most High send both calamity and good? Then why should we, mere humans, complain when we are punished for our sins? [Lamentations 3.37-39]

Father, I feel like words fail me right now! There is SO MUCH TRUTH in these passages from Your Word, but we are so dull and drunken with the world and its ways (ourselves) that we fail to comprehend what You have said. I want to die daily to myself so that I might enjoy the redemption Jesus so humbly provided. You are right in judging me - be pleased though as I submit to my cross in full faith in Jesus - Your Way to redemption, healing and provision.