While in elementary school my son Erick became known for his inquisitive mind.  Like most boys, he wanted to know how things were put together and why they worked the way they did.  The objects most prone to his curiosity were his bicycles, which he took apart and reassembled quite frequently.  His greatest accomplishment was building his own working flashlight without the aid of a kit.  It’s not surprising to me that he is still mechanically inclined and can fix anything he wants to!  Erick’s quest to figure out how machines work is not much different than the motivation that drove men to look through telescopes and microscopes.  It is our natural tendency to want to know why things are the way they are.  We even attempt to seek these answers in our faith.  We want to know why God is the way He is and why life is the way that it is.

            However, there are some “things” about God that we cannot, nor will we ever be able to explain.  Most of the time we are not bothered by this but whenever our lives seem to go awry, this becomes an issue.  When life is good, it’s fine for God to be mysterious.  But when life’s a mess, we want Him to be an open book.  Unfortunately God doesn’t work that way!  This was the dilemma that Job found himself in.  Life had become unexplainable.  Job’s “complaint” was that his condition was confusing.  He’d done all the right things and was suffering miserably.  What was God doing?  (Job 23:1-7)  Job’s struggle is a major theme which also runs through much of the Psalms (Ps. 60), Proverbs (Pr. 13:23) and Ecclesiastes (Ecc. 4:1-3) as well. God is often unexplainable because He is infinite.  He has no limitations, no boundaries, and earthly no limitations.  This is alien to people who struggle daily with faulty and earthbound flesh.  We expect life to follow a set pattern.  We expect God to behave in certain ways.  We feel that bad things shouldn’t happen to good people and are shocked when they do.  Yet, as Job eventually came to realize, we must come to allow God to be greater than our expectations and accept the unknown reasons for the events which happen in our lives (Job 42:1-6).  We may think the answer to the question to “Can you discover the depths of God?  Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?” (Job 11:7) is “No!”  But, there is a part of God that can be known.

            Consider this verse:  No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is at the Father’s side, He has explained Him. (Jn 1:18).  Jesus offers an explanation of the limitless boundaries of God’s love through the Incarnation (Rom. 1:3-4).  God took on the limitations of human flesh (Jn. 1:14).  Even this incredible act of love defies explanation.  And yet, it is a reality (Col. 1:19).  I think in many Christian circles today there is a tendency to familiarize ourselves with Christ so much that we forget the unexplainable nature of Who He is.  As we have sought to order our lives so that nothing happens unexpectedly, we order Christ so that He fits our humanness, forgetting He is also the mysterious, unknown God (Lk. 8:22-25) who brought Job through His trial and never really told Job why.

            Have there ever been events in your life that defy reasoning?  Are there loose ends you wish you could tie up, but are not able to?  Is there a sickness you can’t overcome, a loss that seems bound to haunt you forever?  Have you sought an answer to these struggles, felt God is hearing, but have seen no results and been puzzled by the outcome?  Job never knew of the scene in God’s courtroom that initiated his turmoil and struggle (Job 1-2).  Job never received any help from his “friends” who came to “console” him.  But Job did encounter God in his day of struggle.  And he came into a new awareness of the magnitude of the God he was faithful to.  Perhaps the unknown events in your life are there to help you know God more by looking at the part of Him that can be explained in Jesus Christ.  The Bible observes that there is a tension between the known and the unknown that is present in the life of faith.  For those who learn to walk in faith through their trials, there awaits an encounter with the Almighty that will change their perspective of Him forever (Ps. 18).  This was Job’s experience, it could be yours too (Is. 55:6-12).
 
Ann LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; [email protected]; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

            I was driving out of my community one day and just happened to catch an odd sight out of the corner of my eye.  Tacked on to the front of a tree by the road was the handle of a snow shovel.  At first I thought I'd imagined what I saw, but when I returned home later, a glance in the rearview mirror proved that I had truly seen what I had seen- a snow shovel handle attached to a tree.  "Well," I thought to myself, "there are some things in life you just can't explain!"  Of course I had to take a picture of it!  And since then I’ve accumulated quite a collection of oddities that make no sense but appear out of nowhere- a Styrofoam cup tacked to a tree on a trail in the woods, and a port-o-potty with a mailbox on the side of the road to name a few!

            While the above examples can bring on a smile, on a deeper and far more personal level, the same could be said about suffering.  It is something that we feel defies explanation but the Bible does show us some causes:
 
            *If a person is lost, God may use suffering to bring that person to faith (2 Pet. 3:9).
            *God uses suffering to punish unrighteousness (Jn. 3:36).
            *Suffering is a Biblical principle (Prov. 4:19).
            *Suffering can also be a means for God to display His glory and power (Jn. 9:3).
            *But if a person is saved, suffering may make Jesus known to others (2 Cor. 4:11).
            *Suffering can be used to demonstrate life to others (2 Cor. 4:12).
            *Suffering can be used by God to manifest grace (2 Cor. 4:15).
            *Suffering can actually be a means of edification for the believer (Rom. 8:28).
 
            Although we may not know the reason for suffering on a personal level, the Bible does explain to us why suffering is present in our world.  Suffering occurs because 1) we live in a fallen world (Rom. 8:18-22).  2) If we are out of God's will, we might reap the consequences of our actions (be it God's discipline or the natural outcome of our sinful choices) (Heb. 12:5-11) which causes suffering.  3) Or, if we are in God's will we may face trials or persecution which is a form of suffering as a result of our faith (1 Pet. 4:12-16).

            It is never easy to suffer, or to watch someone we care about suffer.  But there are some rewards, even benefits to suffering that strengthen our faith very much like what an athlete receives from rigorous training.  We can expect trials to be a part of our daily walk and allow them to remind us of the suffering which Christ endured (1 Pet. 4:12-13; Rom. 8:18-23; Jn. 16:33).  It is helpful to remember that the purpose of some trials or suffering is to strengthen our faith (1 Pet. 1:6-7; Jb. 23:9-11).  God has given us commands to obey when we are facing trials (Js. 1:2, 5:13; 2 Tim. 2:3).  He is interested in how we respond to them.  When we are faced with suffering it is important that we remember God is sovereign in trials (Jer. 10:23; Is. 43:1-3; Ps. 23:4).  This helps us to recognize that He is in control, is with us in the midst of our struggles, and He is working in us during them.  He often uses our struggles to encourage other believers.  God will use our suffering to comfort others who are also suffering (2 Cor. 1:3-4).  While suffering is certainly not something we would choose to endure, it can strengthen us much like a bone becomes stronger when has healed after breaking (Rom. 5:3-5).  And lastly, God has an eternal reward for those who endure suffering and trials (Js. 1:12; 2 Cor. 4:16-18) which gives us hope beyond the physical difficulties we face.
 
Ann LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; [email protected]; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre
 
Additional Resources: Discovery Series: Why Would A Good God Allow Suffering?  Kurt De Haan, c. RBC Ministries, 1990/2001

            A young man set out to build a house.  He collected the necessary tools and gathered all the materials.  "Now all I need is a ruler, and I'll be set," he thought to himself.  So off to the store he went.  On his way into town, he met a traveling salesman.  "Good day Sir!" the salesman said with a Cheshire cat grin, "I can see you are a man on a mission.  What is it that you are so intent upon?"  "I'm building a house and I need a ruler," the young man replied.  "Well, you are in luck!" answered the salesman, "That is exactly what I am selling!"  And with that he produced a handful of rulers.  But to the dismay of the young man, not a single one looked like the others.  They were all different!  Building a house was going to be harder than he thought!

            The problem facing our young builder could happen to anyone.  If you’ve ever collected a handful of rulers manufactured by several different companies you know what I mean.  None of them ever seem to have the exact same measurements.  So how do you know which one is right?  And when you do decide on one, how can you be sure you’ve actually selected the right one?  What criteria do you use?  What do you base your decision on?  In a nutshell, that is the pressing question in the book of Romans concerning righteousness.  How is it determined or measured?  What criteria should be used?   And how do you know your measurement of righteousness is right?  The book of Romans states there is only one accurate measuring stick when it comes to righteousness, and that is faith in the Gospel and God Himself.  As Romans 1:17 states, "For in it (the Gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "But the righteous man shall live by faith."

            Romans emphasizes God is righteous in the way He acts.  What He does and provides is in keeping with His righteous nature.  God's activity in righteousness stresses divine provision.  He gives righteousness to those who believe in Him and in turn those who believe live by faith.  Paul, the author of Romans, links this activity to a quote from Habakkuk 2:4 to defend his conclusion.  God's righteousness is a moral standard that only He can attain, but as part of His righteous nature He declares a person righteous when they place their faith in Him.

            Romans 4:24 tells us that Abraham's story is recorded for our benefit. Abraham's faith is a wonderful reminder of God's grace because, like us, he had moments of weakness which led to some failure on his part.  In spite of the conflicts which were a result of his weaknesses, God worked through Abraham and Abraham believed God would fulfill His promises.  Because Abraham believed that God was able to give him descendants when offspring was physically impossible, Abraham was "reckoned as righteous".  When we respond to the Gospel in faith, we become Abraham's spiritual offspring (Rom. 4:16).  God says that our faith in Him measures up and He counts us as righteous just as He counted Abraham as righteous.  I don’t know about you but I find that very reassuring because like Abraham, I too, have moments of great weakness!  Abraham believed God had the power to give him a child.  We believe God had the power to raise Jesus from the dead and His resurrection gives us victory over sin (Rom. 4:25), which is the essence of the Gospel.  Our faith in the power of the Resurrection reckons us as righteous.

            The faith that results in righteousness does not look at circumstances.  It does not look at the logical or predictable.  It resists focusing on obstacles that others see, instead it trusts God to fulfill the promises that He has made.  Its ruler is true and accurate because its standard is The Ruler.   Is your faith measured by the Righteous Ruler?
 
Ann LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; [email protected]; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

             My study tour tracing the footsteps of Paul in Greece impacted the way I understood the spread of the Gospel and the struggles of the early church.  Standing in the places where Paul stood gave me the ability to personalize the life of Paul.  It was both challenging and inspiring.  One spot which was extremely powerful in this way was what was once the city of Borea.  Paul's experience in Borea is recorded as such:  The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Borea; and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.  Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so.  Many of them therefore believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men.  Acts 17:10-12 (New American Standard)

            Borea is only 60 miles west of Thessalonica.  Today there is only one thing that remains there from Paul’s day, the steps which led to the bema seat.  The bema seat was a platform where judgments and rewards in legal matters and athletic competitions were given out.  It is believed that Paul spoke to the Boreans from this spot.  The steps are now enclosed in a large monument erected to honor Paul and the Boreans who listened intently and checked out his proclamation diligently.  It is important to understand the role the Scriptures play here.  They not only were the basis for Paul’s preaching, but they were also the key to the Boreans’ belief.  The claims Paul made were affirmed by the Scriptures themselves.  It could be said that Paul’s claims were not his own, but actually those of the Scriptures.

            What objections would these honorable Borean scholars have with Paul’s claims?  The Jews of Paul’s day would be certain that Jesus could not have been the Messiah because He was crucified.  To them a crucified man was equal to being cursed by God.  In response to this Paul probably introduced passages like Isaiah 53 to his audience.  Through Isaiah's words they could see how Jesus' death had fulfilled prophecies about the Messiah and their search was rewarded with faith.  It is interesting to note that Paul didn’t use a fancy program or the art and literature of his day to explain or “update” the message of Scripture.  He had now Power Point montages, video bumpers, or high-tec presentation to draw in his audience.  He took the Scripture as they were, presented them from his heart and look at the impact!   Not only did those noble-minded Jews believe, but Acts also notes that prominent Borean Greeks also believed.  Those little steps in Borea stand as a testimony to the power of God’s word.

            Paul was also true to his convictions.  Instead of going into hiding in Borea (which he easily could have done since he’d been encouraged to flee Thessalonica in order to save his life), we find Paul in the local synagogue eager to present the Gospel once again.  In these actions we see Paul’s confession of Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (NAS) in full bloom.  His first concern was always to bring the Gospel to the Jews, so at every stop you will find him in the synagogue doing what any rabbi does best, studying the Scriptures.  But he did not forget or shun the Gentiles.  Whether they were “God-fearers” who attended the synagogue or folks doing business in the market place, Paul never failed to share the Gospel with them as well.

            Paul had a boldness that is rare.  Nothing stopped him.  When I visited Borea and stood on those ancient steps where Paul once argued in defense of the Crucified Savior, I was in awe of his fortitude and painfully aware of my own timidity.  I know Paul was a man with faults like everyone else.  But in his own way, Paul was one-of-a-kind, a unique man with a boldness that God used to reach a broad spectrum of people.  God sees me no differently than Paul.  He has given me my own uniqueness and in His hands, I too can effect a change in another’s life.  While some churches may enjoy a concert style approach to worship these days and others still rely on a traditional “3 hymns and out” mode, when all is said and done, it’s the Word that truly effects change in the hearts and minds of people- believers and seekers alike.  Like Paul, I do not need to rely on my own strength, but that of the Scriptures.  They speak for themselves. 
 
Ann LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; [email protected]; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre