I’m reading The Chronicles of the Kings by Lynn Austin and I highly recommend the five book series. In fact, you can currently download book one from Amazon at no charge.
Reading this fictional series based on 2 Chronicles has brought to the surface many questions and Austin offers solid food for thought. This is not Christianity-lite – this is meaty and deep, piercing the heart and forcing the reader to wrestle with God over the big questions.
Like why?
Why did so-and-so die? Why is so-and-so sick? Why is life changing? Why did God allow this tragedy?
There is nothing wrong with questions – God does not shrink from questions. But Austin encourages the reader to ask the right questions. She implies what God does with someone else is none of my business. Why He allows a tragedy to rock my neighbor’s world is between Him and my neighbor. It is not my place to question His actions in someone else’s life.
Austin writes: ask questions, but ask the right ones.
“What does God want to teach me through this suffering? Which of my faults, like pride or self-sufficiency or self-righteousness is He trying to purge from me? Ask which of His eternal qualities, like love compassion and forgiveness, He wants to burn in my heart. Yes, ask questions, ask why he gave you the talents He did, Ask Him what he wants you to do with your life (pg 197-198 from book four, Faith of my Fathers).”
This doesn’t mean everything revolves around me all the time. I think it means that some things are none of my business. I think it means I can and should pray for my friends as they walk through the valley, but God doesn’t have to answer my nosey questions about why He has allowed them to go there. He would rather I ask Him what He is teaching me while walking beside them.
Something to chew on…
FYI, the link to the free e-book download has now expired. I hope you all got one while you could!
Thoughtful, as usual, Stacey. I have had a number of serious health issues such as my back surgery, which left me unable to walk for months, and my breast cancer, where the surgery was the least of my worries once I started the chemo and radiation. How right you are that the correct question always should be “how can I change to be more what God wants me to be?”. Something is either lacking or needs an adjustment in me, that is for sure. I will admit that I wonder when my next jolt from God will be. I must be stubborn and need a major event to get me back on the right track. Actually, maybe the stubborn part is what needs the change 🙂 Thanks for bringing something important to the forefront again!
I often wonder what my next jolt will be too! I totally understand what you are saying Ruth. Thanks for such a thought provoking comment.