Today’s devotion: it all boils down to “Why?” “
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You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)
There is no single answer to the question “Why?” Why don’t we follow God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength? Why are we content with lesser glories, immobilizing sins and worthless idols? My friend raised these questions at lunch the other day, and all I could say was, “I don’t know.”
I don’t know why I often take control of my universe away from a sovereign and omnipotent God. I don’t know why I rush into things despite knowing a God who is not only patient, but demands patience from me. I don’t know why I run away from life – the real, abundant, joyful life we ââtalk about in the books – in a slowly forming hell.
Do you know why you are doing it?
I know you do, because we all do. We all slam the door of total devotion to God time and time again. But why? The question is certainly worth pondering. This is a question that has arisen since we were told to seek this abundant life. This is a question that others have tried to answer with zest, wisdom and practicality.
A theologian would say that the reason for our hesitation is the distortion of our psyche by sin – a distortion that only eternal redemption changes. It would be fair. Our fears, hopes, motivations, actions, non-actions, and questions are all tainted with the sickness of sin. And the final answer is that we are transformed by having our minds renewed daily.
A pastor would say that it is the mystery that lies below the mystery of grace – sometimes it is better not to answer but to accept. It would also be good. The more we ask ourselves why we waver, why we fail, why we do this and not do that, the more we conclude that it is the sinful acts that create the fatal distance, when in reality it is the distance itself. even that is the danger. God gives us the command to be clean, but He never said it was possible – by ourselves. He alone gives us the power to be pure.
A friend might say that the question is not for one person, but for the camaraderie of two to struggle together. We are friends not only because we both follow God to the end, but because we can communicate with each other often, we don’t.
There are several ways to answer. And the answer we need for one moment and one situation may be different from another.
This is why God laughs, He cries, He cries, He whispers, He walks, He runs, He writes, He listens, He lives and He dies. He does whatever he can think of to reach us â to get our full attention, to take care of ourselves.
Sometimes it hits our hearts. Sometimes it stirs our souls. Sometimes it renews our minds. And sometimes it zaps our strength. He knows what we need when we need it. It is the pursuit, it is the knowledge of ourselves as a whole. It is the sign of a Creator in love with His creation.
That may be the answer in itself: think about all that God has done instead of thinking about all the more we could do.
Dig deeper:
Prayer today:
Lord, thank you for answering all my questions and concerns. Remind me daily why I follow you and stay close to me when I get frustrated or confused.
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