Lord, Why?
Even in the midst of suffering, God's grace is sufficient and his strength is made perfect in weakness.
David Wilkerson addresses the question 'Lord, Why?' emphasizing that it is not a sin for believers to ask why they endure suffering, as even Jesus questioned during His crucifixion. He acknowledges the world's demand for explanations regarding pain and suffering, asserting that God weeps for humanity's plight. Wilkerson highlights the Apostle Paul's immense suffering and the assurance that those who seek Christ will face trials, yet they will also experience God's deliverance. He reminds us that while God may not provide answers, His grace is sufficient to carry us through our afflictions.
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It is not a sin for a believer to ask why; even our Lord asked this question as he hung in pain on the cross (see Matthew 27:46). We may sometimes cry out, "Lord, why are you putting me through this? I know it does not come from your hand, but still you are allowing the devil to harass me. When will it ever end?"
The secular demands an explanation for all the pain and suffering in life. They say, "I simply can't believe in your God; I must have more love than he does because if I had the power, I would stop all this suffering." I am not going to attempt to answer why there is famine, flooding, disease and destruction but I do know that as the world questions, I can respond, "He is weeping over what humankind has done."
In my opinion, no person other than Jesus has suffered so much as Paul, in so many ways at the hands of so many people. At the very point of his conversion, Paul was forewarned of the sufferings he would face: "But the Lord said ... 'I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake'" (Acts 9:15-16). Jesus himself was declaring here, "I'm going to show Paul how greatly he will suffer for my name's sake." Likewise, if you have set your heart wholly on Christ, determined to know him intimately, you will experience hard times and afflictions that cold, carnal Christians know nothing about.
David writes, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all" (Psalm 34:19).
While God did not bother to explain anything to Paul or bring an end to his sufferings, he revealed to him how he would make it through each trial with victory: "[Jesus] said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness'" (2 Corinthians 12:9). You don't need to understand it all -- God's grace is all you will ever need.
Sermon Outline
- The Validity of Asking Why
- It is not a sin to ask why, even our Lord did
- The secular world demands an explanation for suffering
Key Quotes
“He is weeping over what humankind has done.” — David Wilkerson
“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- You don't need to understand why God allows suffering, just trust in his grace.
- God weeps over what humankind has done, but his love is still present in your life.
- Set your heart wholly on Christ and trust that he will deliver you from afflictions.