The Dangerous Y Trap
In a lesson a couple weeks ago, I warned my church family to not get caught in the Y Trap. Anyone who has worked with plumbing knows that there are U Traps, S Traps, P Traps, and even J Traps, but this isn’t about plumbing. I’m using Y to symbolize WHY and it truly is a trap. It is probably the most asked question God has heard since Adam and Eve were booted from the garden. Everyone wants to know why thing happen, or more accurately, why things didn’t happen. In our study of angels, I have painted a picture of spiritual beings who care about us and are often called on to guide, help, protect, and even defend us. It’s thrilling to read Bible stories of God’s angels intervening and “saving the day” for His people. It’s equally exciting to hear people give witness to amazing things that happened in their life. Cancer disappears, lives are rescued, terrible accidents are avoided, strangers appeared to help, and on and on the stories go. Was it the work of angels or was it coincidence? We won’t know in this life, but I am convinced that one of the great surprises in eternity will be learning how many times God’s agents intervened to help and save us.
BUT, that brings us back to the why! Why did God intervene and save you or your loved one but not to save mine? Why did “that guy” succeed and I was allowed to fail? Why did I get cancer when I’ve been a faithful child of God for decades? Why? Why? Why? To be truly honest, we need to be asking more often “why not.” Remember Job’s response when when his wife, the first of several poor advisers, told him to “Curse God and die”? He called her foolish! He then pointed out, “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” Why (there it is again) do we assume that everything that happens to us is supposed to be good?
The real problem with asking why about spiritual intervention is that the answer is always “We don’t know and we can’t know!” In The Judas Sword, this is a lesson that Matt Zampolos and all the other agents have to remind themselves of regularly. As agents, they do some amazing things to help people, but they don’t know why they are helping THAT person, nor do they know why they gave THAT specific help. They have to learn – and be reminded – that God is in charge. That means THERE IS A PLAN AND A PLANNER! He told us that He has a “plan” for us and that “he will make your paths straight.” Our task, just like all the angels who carry out his plan, is to trust Him.
It’s okay to ask why. It’s part of our journey in trusting Him, but we must not look to this world for answers to that question. Here is what I would encourage us all to remember about the providential work of our Father – His plan – especially when we are asking why something did or didn’t happen:
Sometimes we, or what is happening at that time, are not part of a plan. (That plan at that time.)
Sometimes we are the purpose for the plan.
Sometimes we are tools to be used in a plan.
It’s not our job to know, but it is our job to trust and accept. Why? Don’t ask!
