MAY 4 "MANY QUESTIONS, NOT MANY ANSWERS"

       This story that we read today in the book of Judges prompts many questions in our minds. Had the Levite decided to stay just one more night (as the step father was trying to persuade him) would his wife have been spared of this brutal raping? Had the Levite stopped in the first city to rest (as was suggested by his servant) perhaps his wife have not been murdered. This little, seemingly, insignificant decisions perhaps are not so insignificant.  Are lives, yes are affected by the BIG decisions we make, but they are just as much, if not more, directed and affected by the countless seemingly, insignificant decisions we make every day, on a whim. There was many instances in this story that this man could have just as easily chose differently and the question that bares asking is..."would it have made a difference in the final outcome?"

     How about the war? The Levite convinces Israel to go to War against the Benjamites to avenge this murder and God allows them to take thousands of casualties and 2 failed attempts until finally succeeding in defeating the Benjamites. Why does God allow this? Why not a victory on the 1st attempt, why have thousands of innocent men killed trying to defend the honor of a woman that was senselessly raped and murdered. Why not have instant defeat, with no lives being killed? Why was she allowed to be raped and murdered in the 1st place? We know God is not asleep on this because he has given them direction in the defeat of the Benjamites.
     This story probably best illustrates the average Christian's life.  So many seemingly insignificant decisions we make everyday and in the end all we can ask is, "God why did you allow to make those choices knowing the end result would be this, why didn't you stop me?"  Why didn't God have the Levite stay one more night, he had already stayed 4 nights. Why didn't God have him stop in the first city? Why does God not intervene when I am making decisions that will cost me and hurt me?  We will probably not get an answer to that and you'll notice the Levite never asks God why either. It's not always easy serving God and keeping faith in him, but the reality is we must. We must go forward not fully understanding God and his ways and methods. God will show up eventually, as he did in the victory over the Benjamites, but the questions will always remain, answers to THE WHY's, we will probably never get on this side of eternity and we must continue to walk with God with many questions unanswered, are you willing to do that, if so, you will do well, if not, you may walk away from God one day and that will be a decision that you will regret, your children and family will suffer from and certainly will be an unfortunate, the day you die and must stand before the God that you lost faith in. God is good and we must bank in his character, no matter what life throws at us, we must never waiver in our minds, that God is good, His ways are just and one day, he will set everything thing straight and he will be vindicated in all He did.



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