Trust Always Requires Unanswered Questions

Recently, I was on a panel with other ladies from the leadership of our church’s women’s ministry. We were each asked to choose a question to answer from those submitted by other ladies who had attended our monthly gatherings. The question I chose was, “If God’s word never fails, then why do some people who stand in faith die of a terminal disease?” The reason I chose this question is that my husband, Jerry, passed in February of 2022 of pulmonary fibrosis, so I have experienced this firsthand.

When we received Jerry’s diagnosis in July of 2021, we immediately began to pray and believed he would be healed. We kept the news of his diagnosis to a small group of friends and family who we knew would pray in faith with us. I created a playlist of “fight songs” that spoke of God’s power and His ability to do impossible things. We listened to and watched sermons about healing. We meditated on and spoke scriptures about healing. We did everything else we could in the natural and the spiritual. Despite all these things, he went to be with Jesus after a seven-month battle.

When someone dies, there is a temptation to try to explain why it happened. Some reasons that may be given are that it wasn’t God’s will to heal them, that they didn’t have enough faith, there must have been sin in their life, God needed them more, or many other reasons. However, these responses and beliefs can be hurtful and untrue.

When adversity comes, the human instinct is to doubt God’s goodness which is the basis of our faith. I read recently, “Atheism may be attractive to some people who face pain, because it’s easier to say there’s no God than to wrestle through the difficult questions posed by a good God allowing suffering.” We want answers.

Mark 1:29-38 tells the story of Jesus healing Peter’s mother-in-law. After He healed her, He healed many others and also cast out many demons. The next morning, He went away to pray. Simon and the other disciples went looking for Him saying, “Everyone is looking for You.” Jesus said, “Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, in order that I may preach there also; for that is what I came out for.” Even though there were many others that were seeking Him and desiring healing or freedom, Jesus said it was to time to go somewhere else. I’m sure there were some who were disappointed they had not received the miracle they may have been expecting.

Hebrews 11 is referred to by some as the “Hall of Faith.” Hebrews 11:1-12 recounts the faith of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham and Sarah. But verse 13 says, “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles in the earth.” Despite their faith, they didn’t see the fulfillment of all they were believing God for on this side of heaven.

Hebrews 11:17-32 gives the accounts of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the prophets as people of great faith. Verses 33-34 are filled with great feats that were accomplished, “Who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.” Sounds amazing doesn’t it? But not every one of these great people of faith experienced such victories as we see in the following verses.

Hebrews 11:35-38 says, “Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.”

Once again, we are told that not all of them received what they were believing God for. Hebrews 11:39 says, “All these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect.” However, even though they didn’t see the fulfillment of all the promises, God was pleased that they continued to believe and because of this God approved them.

One of the verses I quote often is Deuteronomy 29:29. “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever.” There are some things we will never fully understand on this side of heaven. Trust always requires unanswered questions. If we always understood everything that happens in our lives, why would we ever need to trust? Trusting God comes into play when we don’t have the answers but still choose to place our hope and faith in Him.

Strong faith comes when we wrestle through the challenges and keep trusting God – even in the presence of answers. Do I still believe God heals? Absolutely! Do I still pray for people to be healed? Yes! Just because I did not see Jerry healed this side of Heaven, I am not shaken in my belief in God’s goodness and His power to heal. Jesus told the disciples to heal the sick, cast out demons, and raise the dead. Then when He was leaving to return to Heaven after the resurrection, He told His disciples, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 NASB)

Jesus wanted His disciples to teach everyone what He had taught them. This included not just the good news of salvation from our sins, but also health, wholeness and freedom for the whole person. Even though we may not always see the outcome that we desire, we still pray and believe. Bill Johnson, in his book, “The Way of Life,” says, “I have chosen not to sacrifice what I know about the goodness of God on the altar of human reasoning so that I can have an explanation for what didn’t happen as I expected. Mystery in my life is as important as revelation. If I don’t value mystery, I will cut short my opportunities to grow in trust.” Amen!

If you would like to read more of our experience through Jerry’s illness and the journey I have walked since, please order my book, “Sorrowful, But Not Shaken – A Journey Through Grief,” from this website.