"Why Is this Happening to Me?"

When I was first learning to hear from God and engage in two-way conversations with Him instead of just monologues, I would sometimes try asking Him for His perspective on things I didn't understand. I knew that His ways and thoughts were much higher than mine (Isaiah 55:9) so I would take my perplexity to Him and say, "Here's my perspective on this situation, but what's Yours?" It could be anything from an unexpected health problem to a monkey wrench in ministry to a disappointing change in plans or set back in a relationship. I was always amazed at God's willingness to respond. And even more amazed, usually, at how His response helped me to accept what it was that was happening to me.

So it was fascinating for me to read this morning that my perspective-seeking conversations with God were nothing new. In fact, Rebekah did the same thing I did way back in Genesis 25. It's a simple, matter-of-factly told incident.

"Isaac pleaded with the LORD to give Rebekah a child because she was childless. So the LORD answered Isaac's prayer, and his wife became pregnant with twins. But the two children struggled with each other in her womb. So she went to ask the LORD about it. "Why is this happening to me?" she asked. And the Lord told her . . . " (vss. 21-23). You know the rest of the story, which isn't my point. My point is, she didn't understand what was going on, so without hesitation or acting like inquiring of the LORD was anything out of the ordinary, she simply asked the Him and expected Him to answer. And He did.

To be honest, I don't always hear quite as immediately or as concretely as Rebekah did, but sometimes I actually do. And almost always I hear Him say something that lets me know He cares, He's at work for my good, and I can trust Him. Without fail, I'm always glad I took the time and risk
to ask.

What about you? Wish you had God's perspective on the perplexing situations in your life? Why not take your cue from Rebekah and just ask Him: "Why is this happening to me? What's Your perspective on this, God?" Let us know how it goes.

Cynthia Bezek

I could say that He answers us in the way that He knows is best, it isn't always audible to me, but I do know that He does respond. When my husband was out of work I went back to work after having had a time of recouperation from surgery that I needed to get done. Then I had the best time working with a Christian boss, not directly, but through his company to help others, and it brought me great blessing in being able to help in serving others. That time was short, and when my husband got the new job, it took us to a location I would not have known that we could have been . So He responds in ways that we don't always expect to have. He had been out of work once before, and I didn't seek to work, because my kids were still young, and I didn't think it would be right to not be home when they needed to have me there. So I stayed home the first time he was out of work, because of that. He was out of work a year then, and we saw God provide for us, through the church , the community, and neighbors who are Christian, and our parents who provided for us grocery money and money to pay the mortgage as well. When we got the job the first time, it took us north. When we got the job the second time it took us south. So we have been both north and south, having left the north originally, we went down south, to go north, and then south from having been north. In another words we left IN initially because he got a job that his boss wanted him to have, as he left that position was not fired, but left it. Then after a short 5 years there, he was laid off for a year, that was when we went south, to TX from IN. From Tx. we went north to TN, stayed there a long time, 13 years ? and then he lost his job there from being laid off. Company went south, and had to be sold. So we went South from there and that's where we are today. God knows what is best for us, even though we don't always understand the 'why's that happen in the meanwhile. I kept my faith in all of those moves, and our children grew up to know that God is faithful too. We are empty nesters now, though only one has a family. Hope that helps .

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Comments

Lewis Turner June 5, 2010 9:32

Cynthia,

What I am sharing is very personal to me. The question why is this happening to me, is a good question.

Intercessors are not immune to bad times. As an intercessor, I have seen a number of answers to prayer-but sometimes one area that I sense the Lord wanting me to cover also seems to be the hardest to see answers. If often involves an area where I have been personally involved. Often that prayer comes up against pride –my pride and the pride of others, differing focuses-ie vision—in reality we need humility to let those visions help each other. It may be that others are not at the point of recognizing the need of humililty. The list could go on. –I we find oursselve thinking that—it really reflects a judgment—The truth is that if I have seen others not recognizing the need of humility—I am really seeing my own need.

All of this could be happening to help me humble myself, and stay humble before the Lord and let Him lead. That can be difficult even for an intercessor.

Recently I have been asked to share with a top person on my job to share how they could help young people on a job to grow professionally. I will be retiring in a month, and in seeking an answer, I have sensed the Lord taking me back to bad times, and his showing me how humility has opened the door to communication with those individual I had problems with. The Lord showed me three times in my past where this made a difference. James 4: 10 says “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”

Perhaps the Lord has been showing that when we have difficult times, one lesson to be learned in getting through the difficult time is to humble ourselves. When we do, He can work, and as the scripture says, “He shall lift you up.” That may take some time, but in my experience, this has happened at least three times in my life.

Don’t run from the bad times even though the do hurt and sometimes deeply hurt. Let them help you to seek the Lord and His grace to bring us through. They are opportunities to grow in our walk with the Lord.
Eleanor Christine Clemons ( Tina June 4, 2010 17:06

I could say that He answers us in the way that He knows is best, it isn't always audible to me, but I do know that He does respond. When my husband was out of work I went back to work after having had a time of recouperation from surgery that I needed to get done. Then I had the best time working with a Christian boss, not directly, but through his company to help others, and it brought me great blessing in being able to help in serving others. That time was short, and when my husband got the new job, it took us to a location I would not have known that we could have been . So He responds in ways that we don't always expect to have. He had been out of work once before, and I didn't seek to work, because my kids were still young, and I didn't think it would be right to not be home when they needed to have me there. So I stayed home the first time he was out of work, because of that. He was out of work a year then, and we saw God provide for us, through the church , the community, and neighbors who are Christian, and our parents who provided for us grocery money and money to pay the mortgage as well. When we got the job the first time, it took us north. When we got the job the second time it took us south. So we have been both north and south, having left the north originally, we went down south, to go north, and then south from having been north. In another words we left IN initially because he got a job that his boss wanted him to have, as he left that position was not fired, but left it. Then after a short 5 years there, he was laid off for a year, that was when we went south, to TX from IN. From Tx. we went north to TN, stayed there a long time, 13 years ? and then he lost his job there from being laid off. Company went south, and had to be sold. So we went South from there and that's where we are today. God knows what is best for us, even though we don't always understand the 'why's that happen in the meanwhile. I kept my faith in all of those moves, and our children grew up to know that God is faithful too. We are empty nesters now, though only one has a family. Hope that helps .
Lori Baca March 8, 2010 13:15

I always pray that I learn the lessons He has for me in whatever trial I am going through, but I have never asked Him for His perspective. Hmmmmmmmm, will have to give that a try. Thanks.
Edith Eutsler March 4, 2010 21:43

I love and believe in this.. What a tender heart our Lord has.

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