Life throws curveballs. Sometimes, it feels like a barrage of them. In moments of deep sorrow, confusion, or loss, a persistent question echoes in our minds: “Why?” Why me? Why this? Why now? These “why” questions, while natural, can quickly become overwhelming, trapping us in cycles of doubt, fear, and frustration. Like my friend who faced the sudden end of her 23-year marriage, the “whys” can be relentless. “Why did he leave? Why wasn’t I enough? Why couldn’t he communicate? Why didn’t he consider our family?” These questions are raw, painful, and often, maddeningly unanswered in the way we desperately seek.
Whether it’s job loss, a child’s health challenges, financial struggles, or feelings of isolation, these “why” questions can feel like punches to the gut. They bounce around in our heads, leaving us bruised and emotionally drained. We crave understanding, validation, a sense of peace. But the answers we seek are often elusive, not simple, and certainly not satisfying on the surface. These unanswered “whys” linger in the background, resurfacing during our most vulnerable times, eroding our sense of self, our faith, and our perception of the world. In these moments, the silence to our “Why Please Tell Me Why” can be deafening, leading us to question everything around us and even ourselves.
It’s comforting to know that this struggle with “why” is not unique to our modern experience. Turning to Scripture, we find a chorus of voices echoing our very questions. Figures like Moses, Job, David, and Jeremiah, individuals deeply connected to God, wrestled with the same agonizing “whys.” “Why is this happening to us? Why would you allow this? Why do the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer? Why have you seemingly forgotten me?” These weren’t just rhetorical questions; they were cries from the heart, posed with a genuine expectation of response. While the Bible cautions against testing God in a challenging way (Deuteronomy 6:16), it also encourages persistent prayer (Luke 18:1). God invites us to bring our “whys” to Him, not necessarily demanding answers but seeking understanding and solace. He desires to be gracious amidst our questioning.
Even Jesus, the Son of God, uttered the ultimate “why” in his darkest hour. On the cross, bearing the weight of the world’s sins, Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). In this profound moment of suffering, Jesus himself voiced the very question that plagues humanity.
Hearing Jesus’s “why” on the cross shifts the perspective on our own. Suddenly, our unanswered questions seem to fade in the light of His. We begin to understand the answer to Jesus’s agonizing cry. He was forsaken for us. My own “whys,” born from doubt and blame, begin to lose their power. I realize I’ve often questioned God’s actions, focusing solely on wanting Him to fix my situation, rather than seeking the wisdom and acceptance He offers within it. In moments of pain, I’ve sought comfort elsewhere, trying to escape the discomfort. But true solace isn’t in escape; it’s found at the cross. There, God absorbed the payment for my resentment, my bitterness, and my anger. His righteous anger, the consequence of sin, was poured out on Jesus so that forgiveness and new life could be offered to me.
And then, another “why” emerges, a “why” filled with awe and wonder. Why would God do this? Why would He sacrifice His perfect Son for my imperfections? Why do I, of all people, benefit from this ultimate act? These “whys” are profound, almost incomprehensible. Yet, they too have an answer, an answer rooted in the very nature of God: God is love. It’s not just something God does; it is who He is. As 1 John 4:8-10 beautifully states, “God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
Why did God forsake Jesus? So that He would never have to forsake us.
Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, God’s promises become unwavering anchors in our lives. Despite rejections, failures, and losses, we can hold fast to the assurance of God’s faithfulness. He promises to always be with us (Hebrews 13:5). Nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39). We will not ultimately be put to shame (Psalm 25:3). We have no reason to live in fear (Isaiah 41:10). His constant presence offers comfort, the assurance of forgiveness, and the promise of a future with Him in heaven. So, in those inevitable difficult times, when the “why please tell me why” questions echo relentlessly, know that God does not reject or abandon you in your questioning. Instead, He wraps you in His promises of unwavering hope, gently guiding you back to the cross, the ultimate demonstration of His boundless love.
