HopeUC Secunderabad

Trusting God When Life Does Not Make Sense

• HopeUC Secunderabad

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When pain gets loud and heaven feels silent, we often ask why. We’ve prayed, believed, and still the door stays closed. This episode sits in that ache—tracing Job’s cries, David’s laments, and Habakkuk’s bold questions—to find that God often answers not with explanations, but with Himself.

We explore how lament is not faithlessness but faith expressed, how the cross transforms our deepest why into yet I will rejoice. If you’re walking through unanswered prayers, may this remind you that presence heals where answers can’t.

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SPEAKER_00:

So I have titled the sermon When the Why Has No Answer. When the Why? Yeah. Yeah, when the Y has no answer. So basically, there are too many whys with no answers. We're going to dwell upon that. Trusting God when life does not make sense. All right? Anytime you've heard this terminology, how long? How long? So the scripture says, How long must I wrestle with my thoughts? Day after day, I have sorrow in my heart. How long, Lord? How long should I bear with this? How long should I be in this situation? Why is there sorrow in my heart? Lord, how long shall I cry? Anybody's been here in this place? How long should I cry? And you will not hear. Nobody's hearing you. You're praying, but your praying is not bringing the results. You're fasting. Your fasting is in vain. You're sowing. It's not bringing the result. How long, oh God? How long will I be in this situation? How long? This is what scripture says. You will not hear. The difficult thing is, you know, you are talking to somebody and they don't pay attention to you. The most terrible thing. It feels like that sometimes. You're praying. You're not seeing that result. Why do you make me look at injustice? Have you heard this word injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoings? People around are doing everything wrong, but how come you're tolerant? Why you're not destroying them? But they're doing what they want. Why, Lord? Why? Why is my pain unending? Pain unending and my wounds grievous and incurable. Anybody knows what unending pain is? You start with pain. And it doesn't end. Unending pain. My wounds. My wound grievous, incurable. Anything or any situation that you are in right now that is incurable? There's a question that is being posed. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do wicked prosper? I'm doing everything right as a child of God, but I'm not getting there to that place. But all around me, everything is like green and everything is going good. But I don't see it in my life. How long must I cry? Before someone can listen. Listen to me very carefully. I need your attention for the next 20 minutes. We live in a world full of questions and often with very few answers. Why did this happen? Why me? Has anybody been in that place? Why me? Why now? How long, Lord? Every one of us probably have asked these questions at some point of time. Maybe may not be loud or vocal, but deep down inside our heart. When pain feels too heavy, heaven too is silent. When the pain is too heavy, you feel heaven is silent. Because there's no answer. Maybe there's somebody here asking, why did the door close for me? Why? Why is that door not being opened for me? Where am I going wrong? Why isn't healing come to me? Why? Why am I still waiting? Why am I still waiting to get a job, to be married, to have a child? Why am I waiting? The truth is we all have a why. Listen to me, we all have a why that keeps us awake all night. We all. Your why may be different to the why I have, but we all have a why in our lives that causes sleepless nights. The Bible is not shy about these questions. In fact, it is filled with them. I will categorize into four of them. The first one, questions God asked people. Number two, questions people ask God. Number three, questions Jesus asked. Number four, questions between people. If you read the Bible, you will find all these categories are listed in the Bible. Amen. So that itself tells us there are a lot of questions, lot of wives we have, but we don't have the answers. We are Christians, we are believers. Jesus came, he died, he rose again, and he lives forevermore. We trust in him, but yet there is a door that is closed. Yet it looks like everything is coming to an end. Yet it looks like I'm not getting healed. Yet it looks like I'm not going through. What do you do? Job cried out in his ashes. And he said, Why was I even born? Do you know how he started his life? Everything was fine. Wife, children, property, everything was great in his life. Suddenly, suddenly, was he a sinner? He was not. Have you considered this man? One who is righteous, holy, who shuns evil. That means he this guy was living a righteous life, holy life, a life for God. And suddenly things start to change in his life. He started to things were taken away. Wife died, children died, property lost. He was on the street with his friends. He said, Why am I born onto this earth? For what reason I am on this earth? Is a day like this to see in my life? And some of us we go through such kind of things. Why is this in my life? To see such a day in my life, I am still here. And he was saying the same thing. Job said. David cried out, How long, O Lord, you will forget me. You know what he's saying? Things are not going well for me. I feel distance from you. God, how long? You'll forget me. That would last the last thing that God should forget us. Amen. Anyone can forget us. If God forgets us, what else is left? You know the disciples when they're facing the storm? What did they say? Teacher, don't you care that we perish? Did you ever ask such a question? I am losing, I am falling, I am struggling, don't you care? Will you not do anything about me? My life? I am struggling. These are not questions of rebellion. When you ask questions, no, sometimes you feel very difficult. You know, can I question God? A lot of people who question God. They're not questions of rebellion. They are questions of relationship. It is because you have a relationship with God, you are asking God these questions. They all come from a heart that believes God, that God will do something in my life. And you ask God. Amen. But you don't understand why he has not yet, you know, answered your prayers. I'm going to go to a text in Habakkuk. Before I go to the text, I'd like to give you a background. Habakkuk lived during the final years of Judah, that is the southern kingdom. It was divided. A time marked by corruption, violence, and more moral decay. Babylon's shadow was growing darker upon this land. This is a time when Habakkuk was writing. Listen to me, unlike other prophets who spoke from God to the people, Habakkuk spoke to God for the people. Amen. His book records an honest dialogue. A man wrestling with the gap between what he knew about God and how he saw the world. There was a battle within him. God, you are a good God. Why are bad things happening in the world? He could not fathom how when God is good, why people should suffer. When God is loving, when God is kind, why his people should go through lack and insufficiency of various things in life. Habakkuk could not grasp. How come on earth so many problems are there? And there is a good God. That is his battle. That is his cry. And that is the background that you know we are looking at. And we go to Habakkuk chapter 1, verse 2 and 3. How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you don't listen or cry out to you? Violence, but you do not save. Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoings? Habakkuk is asking so many questions to God. You are a good God, but so many things are happening. Amen. Habakkuk did not doubt God's existence. Listen to me. He did not doubt God's existence. His wrestle was against the silence. Against the silence. There is a why, but there is no answer. You have a question. There is something in your life that's not going well. There is no answer. After doing all the fasting prayers, you know, doing all the great and good things, nothing has gone good. Silence really bothers us. I'm going to talk about the whys. Okay? The first one. Our why often comes from pain. Our pain. Most why questions are born in the middle of pain. When you lose someone that you love, when a prayer you have prayed for years seems unheard, when you obey God faithfully, but still face heartbreak. Job's question came from deep pain. He had lost everything. David's how long came from when he was hiding in caves, running from Saul. Don't forget our Lord Jesus. The why came while he was hanging on the cross. If not today, some point of time in your life, you will all go through this question of why, why, why, why, why? Pain has a way of shaking our theology. It will deepen our faith. It will shake us. But will also strengthen our faith. The psalmist said, before I was afflicted, listen to me. Before suffering came, before the problem came, I went astray. I started good, but I went astray. But now, but now I obey your word, your instruction, your counsel. I've gone astray now. I'm in this difficult phase of my life now. Do you know what I do? I listen to your voice. I listen to your word because that only sustains me, that only will help me, that only will heal me, that only will deliver me. Sometimes pain does not destroy it. It refines it. Sometimes pain does destroy our faith. It refines our faith, makes us faith more stronger while we're in this process. You know what the problem is? Church. We all want answers. Who does not want answers? Why am I like this, Lord? What is happening in my life, God? Where will I be in the next 10 years, God? What is my future, oh God? We all want answers. We all want to know why. So you need to understand that often God does not give us explanations, but he gives us something greater. That leads us to my second point. God does not always give explanations, but he will give himself. Let me explain this. When Habakkuk cried and asked God, God did not give him a time timeline or a theory. He did not give so and so will happen at this point, this day after five years, your life will change, this will happen. Nothing got told. He gave him a revelation. Let's understand it. His revelation of his justice, his power, and sovereignty. Let's understand this. When Job demanded to know why, why am I like this? Why my condition is like this, my family was good, my finances were good, but suddenly things changed. I'm not good anymore. I'm not feeling better anymore. I feel sad. I feel depressed. I feel anxious about many things in life. In that situation, the scriptures we have read, God did not give any explanation. That's the problem. We want explanation, but God is not giving any explanation. Instead, he asked Job. You know, he comes and asks Job in that difficult situation. Where were you? Job is asking, I'm having problems, I'm struggling, I'm on the street, look at my body. Nothing is going right for me. And you want that to be answered. Now God comes with a question to you. Where were you? Where were you when I laid the foundations of this earth? Where were you when I was created? Where were you? What were you doing? Do you know what God was doing? Look at my power, look at my splendor, look at my glory of what I can do. The earth that you are talking about, the place that you are talking about. I hold it in my hand. Can you see the dimension? Can you see the magnitude? Can you see the power of God beyond your circumstances? That's what he was doing with Job. You're too concerned looking at yourself. Look at me. Get the revelation of my presence that is there in your life. That is the question God posed to Job. It was not silent to it was not to silence Job, but to remind Job, Job, I am still God. You may not understand me, but you can trust me. You can trust me. We want reasons. How many of you want reasons? Don't raise your hand. We all want reasons. But God doesn't give explanations. But he will give you a revelation. Revelation of his presence that is there with you. The glorious power. The magnitude of his glory. At that very time. We want clarity. How many want clarity? We all want clarity. But you're not going to get it. We want you to build your relationship with God more stronger. And he will the word is a cube light onto your feet. Yeah, just as much you can know. That's all he will reveal. No, I want clarity, Lord. What will happen next to five years? Ten years, where I'll be. It looks like I'm gone blind, oh Lord. I don't see anything. All I see is my problems. Where will I be? No idea. God does not owe us explanations. Listen to me. God does not owe us explanations. Amen. He offers something better that is his presence. Amen. Isaiah chapter 43, verse 2. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. Amen. When you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned. The flames will not set you ablaze. You know the scripture. As a church, do you know this scripture? Wonderful. We all know this scripture. But we all doubt the scripture also. Huh? You will not be burned means you will be burned. Oh, you will not be burned. Two important words in this, if and when. Which scripture, which word is used in this passage that we have read? If or when. Which one? When not if. That means when is something will definitely come your way. When it happens, whenever. Whenever you go through the waters, okay, let's let's go through this. Whenever you go through the waters, I will leave you. We are all sleeping today. Looks like I'm the only passionate guy in this place. When you go through the waters, he is not telling I'll take you out of the waters. Is he saying that? No, no, no, no. Understand who God is, understand how God functions. We have a very telling about how things. No, I'm child of God. This is my right. No man, nothing you have. You go and understand the heart of God, how he functions. If I'm in the situation, what I should do, what will God do? You better understand that he is telling you when you pass through the waters, not if I will be with you. When you pass through the rivers, but waters and rivers, you have to be there, no? You have to be to you know struggle, especially. Hydrava is no swimming experience. Only pool experience we have two feet, three feet only. Hydrava is no chance, no survival. Rate will be zero, I think. So when you are in the river, when you are in the water, you are struggling. What is he telling you? Oh, I'll come, I'll send the lead or pull you out. He's telling you I'll be with you. Then what? When you walk through fire, do you know any classic example of this scenario? Where in the Bible, Shadrach, Mishak, and Abednivo, for their faith, they were not elevated. They were put in the fire. For your faith, probably you will not be elevated. You'll be go you'll be going through in the fire. Right? Shadrach, Mishak, and they are in the fire. Now they are singing songs and so did God come to pull them out? No, huh? Did God come to pull them out? The king says, I see the fourth man like unto the Son of God. The Son of God never pulled them out. When Daniel was in the lion's den, he did not pull Daniel out, he shut the mouth of the lion. Amen. You will be in the lion's den, my friend. You will go through the waters, you will be in the fire. But you know the revelation is I am with you. Can you rest in that revelation? You don't have a job, you don't have promotion, financially struggling, family-wise struggling. Can you rest in his presence? I'm struggling, but I have this assurance. His presence is okay for me. Amen. That's what he's teaching us. God did not stop them from entering the fire. Church, listen to me. God did not stop them. He joined with them. He joined with them to tell you, I am sitting you within this place. In that lack, in that misery, in the loss, I am sitting with you. Can you see him sitting with you in your home, your dining table, your workplace? He's sitting with you. When life stops to make sense, his presence, his presence starts to give you strength. Amen. The third point the cross is God's final answer to why the cross. At Calvary, Jesus, the only sinless man, cried the deepest cry in history. Do you know what was the cry? Why? The same question you are asking. The same question God's people ask. Now is Jesus' sister.

unknown:

Why? Why?

SPEAKER_00:

If you are asking such a question in your life, don't worry, you're in the right place. You don't understand anything. You are in the right place. Because Jesus was in the same place. I said, you know what was a cry? My God. My God.

unknown:

Why?

SPEAKER_00:

Why have you forsaken me? There is the only time. Jesus addressed God the Father as God. He never talked to God as God. He always was his father. And disciples went to him, Lord, teach us to pray. Then said, God in heaven. No, huh? Which Bible are you reading, Pastor? What did he teach them? Our Father who is in. Every time Jesus talked to God, he always addressed him, the Father. This is the only time, you know why? Because he felt like you and me. He felt like a human being. All is lost now. My father is silent. If there is a God who can help me, if there is a God who can hear me, all my cries are going in vain. I lived the holy life. I live the righteous life. I never hurt anybody. I never killed anybody. I never did anybody any harm. But Lord, look at me. I am suffering right now. I don't want to drink this cup. Lord, let this cup be removed from me. That was the cry of a human being. And Jesus was also in the same boat like you and I. He also cried. And that day he said, Father, Father, why have you forsaken me? He knows the pain of unanswered questions. He knows the silence of heaven. Yet even in his why, Jesus trusted the Father. Father, into now he comes back. Father, into your hands, I come with my spirit. When we look at the cross, we realize God did not stay distant from our suffering. He entered into it. He did not explain away evil, he overcame it. So when we are Ask why God he points to the cross and says, Because I love you. I'm redeeming what broke you. Leads us to my fourth point. The why may not be answered now. But it will be. That's my fourth point. Habakkuk's story does not end in confusion. It ends in worship. By chapter three, Habakkuk says, though the fig tree does not bud, and there are no graves on the wives, yet I will rejoice on the wines, yet I will rejoice in the Lord. Even though it's not flourishing, even though it's not prospering, even though I don't see it, even though I don't understand it. Yet, somebody say yet. Come on, everybody say yet. What do you do yet? I will be joyful. My God, am I saviour? Nothing changed around him. Listen to me. But something changed within him. Same circumstances, same situations. Everything was the same. But he changed. His approach changed. His view changed. His ideology changed. Yes, God is with me. He has never left me. First Corinthians chapter 13, verse 12. I'm going to read in two different translations. I want you to understand this. For some, we will not know the answers. We will not be able to find for it is only in due time. For now, listen to me. In this time of imperfection, we see in a mirror, this is Amplified Bible, mirror dimly, a blurred reflection, a riddle, an enigma. But then when the time of perfection comes, we will see reality face to face. Now I know in part, just in fragments, but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known by God. I want to read in New Living Translation the same. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror. But then we will see everything one day with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete. I don't know everything. But then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. One day every while will make sense. In eternity, what confused us will one day comfort us. What hurt us will one day make sense. Revelation chapter 21, verse 4. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, no sorrow, or crying or pain. All these are gone forever. That is the assurance God gives. Maybe today your wives look different from the person beside you. For some it's financial difficulty, for others, family conflict or loss. Or young people, why life is so uncertain? And parents, why is not my child walking with God? Or seniors, why do I feel forgotten? Having family, I still feel lonely. Different ages, different wives, but the same ache. The pain is the same. God will not give us explanations. You may not see his hand right now, but his heart will never leave you. So instead of asking, why me? Ask what now, Lord? I'm in this. What now? What now? What do you want me to do? Because why seeks understanding? Why seeks understanding? But what now invites transformation? What now invites transformation? Can you trust God today? I want you to see uh this quote by Charles Spurgeon. It says Can you all read it please? This is what this great man of God said. When you can't see his hand, trust his heart. Just trust. That's all we can do. I'm going to read to a story. A real-life story. I hope I pronounce his name correctly. Probably there's somebody who knows the story of. Anybody can read. Whoever that person is. You all know him? I said, do you all know him? Now you know him. So we are talking about this person. In the late 1800s, this Christian businessman lost almost everything. First in the great Chicago fire, then in a shipwreck that took the lives of his four daughters. As he sailed across the same ocean to meet his grieving wife, the captain showed him the very place where the ship has sunk. And that night, this man has penned down this it's well. It's well. This came out of a pain. This came out of an agony. This came out of a loss and a failure. It is well with my soul. It's not about your job, it's not about your money, it's not about your name, it's not about your fame, it's all about your soul. How well is your soul? How well is your soul? That person did not have all the answers to the why, but he found peace in who? He did not have all the answers in the why, but he found peace in who? That is Jesus. Faith is not pretending you're fine, it's saying, Lord, I do not understand it, but I still trust you. 2 Corinthians chapter 12, verse 7 to 10. This is a great man of God going through a difficult phase in his life. Built churches, did amazing things, right? Even his shadow was healing people, handkerchief was doing great things. You know, now look at this person's life. Even though I received such wonderful revelations from God to keep me becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I beg the Lord to take it away. Each time God said, My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness. So now I'm glad to boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ can work through me. That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses. Come on, hello. Come on, church, and in the insults, can you take pleasure in insults? You'll not get hurt, my friend. There's insult. Right? You take pleasure in what? Weaknesses, insults, come on, read it. Hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For come on, everybody. When I'm weak, I am strong. How many of you feel weak here today? You are strong. Don't believe the lie of the devil. Don't believe the world and its structure. You are strong. This is a personal reflection. 21st August 2020. I was diagnosed with COVID. There was a time when everybody was leaving this place. Initially it was in the distance, people. As it came by, known people started to leave Earth. I don't know for whatever reasons, on the 21st of August year 2020, I started to cough very badly. Then COVID positive. Then my wife treated me at home with doctor's help for the five days. Because there was that was a time when you can't find a bed. Right? And that was the situation. And even though when you find a bed or whatever, do you know anybody anything called isolation? You know how painful it is? How killing it is? Nobody wants to come to you. Nobody wants to talk to you. Stay away from this guy. Stay, stay away, move away, move away. You know the feeling, man? Perfect candidate for whatever. Expect the other side of it. Aye. After five days, things became worse. Then I had to move to the hospital and trying to find a bed. Luckily, you know, by God's grace, my wife found a bed. She had connections or talked to people, and nobody was getting a bed. Thankfully, I got a bed, and there was not a great one. Then I called my wife and told her, this is terrible. Blood is all over the bed and all. I'm lying there. And then she called, and within one hour, then I moved to a better place in the hospital. You know, five days I stayed there. Why me, Lord? Why me? Because those were the days when you go to the hospital. You know the story? What happened? What? They will not come. They won't come back home. I am in that phase. All these nurses and doctors, my god, they come in these suits like astronauts, they came. And then they do what they are supposed to, then they run away. Then all the time you have to be with yourself. And the guys were coming next to me, all taking ticket to heaven. Next is you. I don't know. I'm laughing now, but it was not the condition like that. Praise God. I said, praise God. I am here today. Hallelujah. You know, I asked God. Same questions. Some of you are probably asked. There was no ray of hope, my friend. Forget my health condition. The conditions around, with the news, everybody talking, you will definitely have to go there. With those videos that is circulated, with the lift that is here, like you know, all that, you know, and people coming, you know. You definitely know ticket is booked for you. God gave me one scripture. Can we please put Isaiah 40, verse 1? Can't be more direct. What does it say? Come on, read. Everybody got to read. I found my name in the Bible. Praise God. Hallelujah. I don't know if you can find your name in your Bible. Otherwise, please change your name. Jokes apart. Comfort with a comma. Do you know why? They are very uncomfortable. They are uncomfortable, man. Comfort. Comfort, my people, says God. From that day forward. The passion I have for God. Because I know where I was. Every time I see an ambulance, I know I've been there in that ambulance on the streets. And I start to pray because I don't know what is their condition. Because I know. Because I've been in that condition. I give way, try to make way as much as possible. And I start to pray. God, I don't know who that heal that person. They need it, they have it. They have every right to live on the face of this for whatever reason. So God. Life must not die. God heal me. God touch me. God raise me back up. Amen. Comfort. Don't forget the scripture. I never forget the scripture. Comfort. Comfort, my baby. You go and find a scripture for yourself. Is it? Oh, I don't know the song. Very nice. I should go and listen to the song. Amen. When the why has no answers, come on, church, what do you do? Trust God and life does not make sense. Please rise to your feet. Can I have the worship team, please? Isaiah chapter 40, verse 31. Isaiah chapter 42 scriptures I would like to read and we'll close. Are you all ready?

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_00:

Are you all okay, church? Just woke an up is it? What does it say? For though all those who hope in the Lord, they will renew their strength, they will soar on wings like eagles, they will run, they will not bravari, they will walk. Who can say amen? Who can say this is for me? I take it. My next scripture, please. Ah, yes. 547. That coming day. Yeah. No weapon turned against you. You will silence everyone raised against you. Come on now. What is that standing against you that's raising its voice? Trying to tell you how miserable you are, how difficult you are, how you're a failure in the loss. Turn around and say, No weapon that is formed against me. Ever prosper.