Asking God Why

​What do you do when life throws you a curve ball? My first inclination is to ask God why. The problem is that I rarely get an answer to my "why question." In return for my question, I hear, "Do you trust me?" Then, I review some of my trust Scriptures:
 
Psalm 9:10 - "Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You."
Psalm 13:5 - "But I trust in Your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in Your salvation."
Psalm 84:12 - "Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in You."
Psalm 125:1 - "Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken, but endures forever."
 
Proverbs 3:5, 6 - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."
 
Isaiah 12:2 - "Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord Himself, is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvation."
 
Nahum 1:7 - "The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him."
 
My why question has been directed by the unexpected death of my husband's dear daughter. She was taken from her family too early in life. Her quiet, gentle personality will be sorely missed. So, we declare our trust Scriptures, and we take comfort in who God is and in the way our Church family has poured their love on us. My other "go to" is a book written by Elisabeth Elliott titled On Asking God Why. The author knows what it is to suffer loss and has compiled her thoughts on how to deal with different kinds of loss. Here are some of them:
 
Page 11 - "A true faith must rest solidly on His character and His Word, not our particular conceptions of what He ought to do."
Page 140 - "I wanted God to explain Himself to me when my expectations were turned upside down. God knew what I really needed was not explanations but sanctification and purifying. My notions about myself, my work, and my God needed to be put through the fire. My heart needed deep and painful scouring. 'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.'"
Page 147 - Elisabeth quotes Evelyn Underhill: "If God were small enough to be understood He would not be big enough to be worshipped."
Page 149 - "Whatever dark tunnel we may be called upon to travel through, God has been there...Things are a mess, yet to turn our eyes back to the Cross of Calvary is to see the irrefutable proof that has stood the test of the ages: 'It is by this that we know what love is: that Christ laid down HIs life for us.'" (John 3:16 - NEB)
 
The conclusion I came to before and come to again and again remains the same. God's love for us is unfathomable. He demonstrated His love through the death of Jesus on the Cross. In this unimaginable act He took our sins upon Himself so that we can spend eternity with Him in heaven when we acknowledge what He has done. His mercies are new every morning. He has walked every road we must walk and is prepared to lead us into a place of peace and love. Great is His faithfulness! Bill Johnson of Bethel Church in Redding, California, says it all: "When I don't understand, I trust."