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Understanding the "Why?"
Job 12:12
"With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding."
One of the questions often asked when people face hard times is, "Why?" This is one of the hardest questions to be able to answer because we are not God. Only God knows the answer as to why He allows hard times to come our way. However, because we don't always understand why God would allow us to go through hard times, many times we are tempted to quit.
No doubt, Job was tempted to quit when he faced his trial. Job's trial was not the average trial that people face, but it was one where the Devil unleashed his full strength of attack against Job. In the verse above, Job is talking himself out of quitting. Though Job did not understand why he had to face this trial, He knew that if he quit he would never understand why the trial came. He made the statement, "...and in length of days is understanding." Job was saying that if he would stick it out that time would reveal why he had to go through his trial. In other words, quitting would have left him asking why for the rest of his life.
Christian, quitting is never the answer. You will never gain wisdom by quitting. You will notice it says in the verse above, "With the ancient is wisdom;..." In other words, a person gains wisdom by continuing on in their hardship. One of the reasons you should not quit is because you will gain valuable wisdom that will help you later on in life. How many times have you quit only to learn later that you could have gained invaluable wisdom if you wouldn't have quit. There are lessons in hardships that can only be learned if you won't quit. The more you continue on in trials, the more wisdom you will gain to help others and yourself for later on in your life.
Furthermore, understanding comes from not quitting. Too many people never learn why they had to go through their hardships because they quit before understanding came. H.G. Spafford wrote the famous song, "It Is Well With My Soul." Though even at the writing of the song he did not completely understand why the LORD allowed his children to be lost at sea, he kept on going. It was not until later in life that the understanding came when he saw the impact this song had upon many Christians. Only time reveals why you must go through hardships and trials. If you quit, you will never understand why God allowed you to go through the trial. Though you may not understand now why you must face your trial, if you will not quit, then time will reveal the why and give you understanding.
Whatever it is that you face right now, I beg you not to quit. Though nobody may be able to help you understand why you must go through your hard time, only time can help you understand. If you quit, then time will not be able to explain to you why you had to go through your trial. Time can and will help you understand why you had to face your trial, but it can't if you quit. So, until time explains to you why, keep on going for understanding is on the way.