“Christ didn’t come to the world so that we could decipher him but that we could hold onto him…” / Dietrich Bonhoeffer /

A few weeks ago a family we love lost a son in tragic circumstances. Godly, wonderful, good people and a horrible thing has happened to them.

Why bad things are happening to good people? Why good things are happening to bad people? We don’t understand that.

Jeremiah also had a hard time understanding what God was doing with him and why he had to do certain things just out of obedience. In Chapter 32 he was commanded to buy a piece of land. He had to invest into a country that was going to be destroyed. He had to announce the judgment of God on the country and than he had to do something that communicated the opposite of this message. He felt trapped and confused.

What did Jeremiah do with his doubts and questions? He worshiped God before he shared his doubts with Him. He turned his doubts and questions into a worship! He was focusing on who God is and not on what he didn’t understand about Him.

Jeremiah’s example encourages us to follow a path when we have doubts, questions and pains:

1. Share your doubts and questions with God! When you don’t understand Him, turn TO HIM and don’t turn away FROM HIM. If you turn away from Him how do you hope to get an answer, a solution and comfort? Nothing is waiting for you, but hopeless despair, anger and bitterness when you decide to turn away from God.
2. Worship Him even when you don’t understand Him!  Not understanding Him doesn’t mean He is less powerful and loving! Our limited understanding and knowledge doesn’t make Him limited in power and in love.
3. Don’t question His character, His power and His motivation just because you don’t understand something He is doing in your life or in the world. Not understanding Him is not a reason not worshiping Him. Our limited knowledge and experience can’t be the judge of our Creator. When we make decision that our kids don’t understand or appreciate that doesn’t mean that we don’t love them. And it hurts when they assume that and question our love toward them. God’s character is not dependent on our experience.

When we envelope our doubts with worship than our soul will find peace. Bonhoeffer saw it well: Christ – first and foremost – has not promised that we will decipher Him, but that we would find hope and comfort in Him.