PIG PEN WISDOM

All of us go through it at one time or another. Life seems to treat us unfairly; comfort is a meaningless word, and our faith in God is weak. Those are the times we find ourselves asking God, “Why?” Instead of answers, we find only silence and heartache.

It has been said that we may never have an answer to our why God questions. As for me I’m just simple minded enough to believe that God has answered all our questions within His word. Dare I say it? Childlike faith trusts the Father’s word. Perhaps our problem is we don’t like God’s answers. Maybe we are just unwilling to listen or even look to His word for an answer.

Here is one of the many ways I believe God answers our why questions. Read it slowly, and then read it again aloud.

• For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.
  Psalms 36:9 NLT

Now imagine God speaking personally to you. Your heavenly Father says, “I am your fountain of life, the only light by which you can see.” Can you hear the Father’s love for you?

With a little help from Charles Spurgeon* I’m just foolish enough to offer an answer to our some of our many whys. Could it be that the reason we endure some of the hardships of life is because we have drifted too far from God?

When we forsake God, we begin to live life in our own strength and with our own wisdom. We claim the blessings and prosperity that God has given us as our own and use it as we desire. None of us do this all at once; rather it is a subtle change of thinking that slowly separates us from God.

This is what happened to the prodigal son. He did not ask for his inheritance because he despised his father, nor did he forget his father’s love when he set out for the city. Little by little he forgot as he spent all his father had given on himself. By the time everything was gone the prodigal had forgotten his father’s love. Instead of immediately returning home he hired himself out as a farm hand. The pay wasn’t good. He ate with the animals. Amazing how when we get used to living for ourselves that even slop from the swine-trough is appealing. Finally the prodigal came to his senses and remembered his father.

It seems to me that when we begin to wander away from God, the Lord takes the things we are trusting in away from us. At first, like the prodigal, we ask why but forget the abundance of our Father’s love which satisfies our desires and gives us light to see. Eventually we too come to our senses. When we get thirsty we will eagerly return to God, the only fountain that will satisfy our the desires of our heart. What do you think?

* Charles Spurgeon, Morning and Evening; October 16th evening.