why me?
April 24, 2009
The Lord gives both death and life; He brings some down to the grave but raises others up (v.6).
READ: 1 Samuel 2:1-9
I can tell if it’s good news the moment my oncologist walks through the door. Having battled cancer three times now, it’s easy to read him. When he’s all businesslike and somber, I know the results aren’t pretty.
During a recent appointment, following many rounds of radiation therapy for a mass in my abdomen, he came bounding through the door of the consultation room and bellowed, “The scans look good!”
Each time I hear good news, I praise God. But I’ve also sometimes wondered, Why me? Why weren’t others healed?
My best friend in high school died of cancer when I was just fifteen. Countless other people I’ve known have perished from the disease. Why not me?
Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel 2 helps answer my question. She exclaimed, “The Lord gives both death and life; He brings some down to the grave but raises others” (v.6). She praised God for His sovereign ways. “All the earth is the Lord’s, and He has set the world in order” (v.8). She praised Him for being Lord of all.
Her words flowed from a heart that had been revived. For years, she longed to have a child of her own (1:5). Her husband, Elkanah, had another wife who “had children, but Hannah did not” (v.2).
Hannah prayed to God out of deep anguish and He heard her plea (v.19). God blessed her with a boy, Samuel. Later, she brought him to the Tabernacle to serve God “his whole life” (v.28). She worshiped the Sovereign One as she left Samuel to serve Him.
God hears our cries when we face difficulties. Then He reveals His will based in His good pleasure. We can respond in faith by praising Him for who He is—regardless of the outcome (Job 1:20-22).
It’s okay to wonder “why” sometimes. But we can trust God’s sovereign, loving hand all the time. —Tom Felten
How is God’s sovereignty an encouragement to you? What happens when you praise God after hearing bad news?
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