Why?

At my church Pastor Bill has been encouraging us to spend time reading the Bible every day.  We are studying I John this summer so he suggested that, since there are five chapters, we read a chapter a day. 

Here is how my friend Kay and I are following his suggestion. Every morning along with her prayer time and Bible reading, she reads, “That’s My King” by Dr. S.M. Lockeridge, http://across2u.com/ThatsMyKing.html. For my devotional time after I pray, I read “Our Daily Bread”, a devotional to which our church subscribes.   I pick a new one up at church every three months.   During the school year I work on my Precepts Bible study for my Bible reading. (Last year we studied Old Testament books.  We learned about Solomon’s Temple and the Shekinah Glory, see the picture above.)

But in the summer I either read a chapter in Proverbs, (there are 31 chapters so I read one a day for a month, and then start over at the first of the month,) and a Psalm a day, or I follow a Back to the Bible reading program.  Here is the link.

I'm also reading a chapter a day in I John.

But even though we seek God every day in prayer and in reading His Word, we still won’t have all of the answers to our questions.  Here are some questions that I have had in the past.

·      Why did God choose Samson, who was narcissistic and proud, to be a judge?  I asked my dad this once and he didn’t know.  Andy Lewis, of Mitchell Road Presbyterian Church in Greenville, SC, says that God chose him to bring glory to Himself.

Here are some verses about God’s glory:

  Solomon learned all about God’s glory in II Chronicles 7:1 Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the house. ² The priests could not enter into the house of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s house. ³ All the sons of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the glory of the Lord upon the house, bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave praise to the Lord, saying, “Truly He is good, truly His loving kindness is everlasting.”

Isaiah 48:11 For my own sake for my own sake I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.

Psalm 79: 9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; And deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name's sake. 

Here is a blog written by pastor Jared Wilson on God's glory:  

More questions:

·      Why does Israel always have people bullying her?  Why are Jews persecuted? It’s all in God’s plan and for God’s glory.

·      Why did God tell us what will happen to the unbelievers in Revelation after the Christians are gone from the earth?  Dr. Hitchcock, of Faith Bible church, says so that we will know how urgent it is to tell unbelievers about their need for salvation. So this is all for the glory of God.

·      Why do I have chronic pain from fibromyalgia?  Why hasn’t God healed me? Because of the pain I’m more sensitive to those who are suffering. So this is also for God’s glory.

·      Why are there so many suffering today?  Why are Christians being persecuted around the world?  Jesus was hated and so will his followers be hated --all for God’s ultimate glory.

In the end God will work everything out for His glory. (What is glory you may ask?  Webster’s says this—Great honor and admiration won by doing something important or valuable; fame; renown.)  And also we know from Romans 8: 28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to 
those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

But meanwhile this is true:

Romans 8: 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with 
Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.