Why Doesn’t God Get Me Out of Here? (Submitted 9/16, not posted. Resubmitted 9/23)

Other people in the Bible had the same question. Look at the following verses: Judges 21:3, Psalm 13:1, Job 17:15, and Psalm 10:1. These verses might seem like different questions but they all boil down to this — we want God to rescue us right now! In this we are no different than other believers down through the ages. Our loving God provided His Scripture to help us understand His puzzling delay.

Understanding God’s Delay

Some believers are afraid to question God. But throughout the Psalms, direct questions like this are asked. It is a good example to follow for in the questioning, relationship with God is built.

Some believers also think that if they are a good person, God will reward them and theirs with blessings and fewer and less intense difficulties than people who are really bad. But the Bible never promises a trouble free life — only that God will walk with us through the troubles. Our world is broken. It hasn’t been the way God wants it to be since Adam and Eve decided to go their own way and let death into our lives and into the world.

Yet God, who loves us more than we can image, promised a way to bring us and the entire creation back to the way God wants it to be. He promised the Savior, His own son, Jesus Christ. Yeah, OK, great. I know everything will be great when I get to heaven but what about right now? It doesn’t make sense that our loving and protective God is insisting on a slow and painful journey to Heaven . . . does it?

What we have trouble understanding is that God’s timing is based on not only His perfect love, but also on His perfect wisdom. You see, He knows that learning to trust Him is the only way we will be able to receive the greater gift He has for us, Himself. St. Paul says in Romans 8:28 that God will work all things for good for those who love Him. Faith and love grow through years of all kinds of suffering as we learn to trust God.

Jesus suffered as well, yet surrendered to the will of His Father. Job learned to trust without understanding — this is the reckless trust to which God calls us. And you will find that Ephesians 3:14-21 is true — God’s deliverance will be better than we are able to imagine!

Blessings,
Cheri