## Someday We Will Understand

## John 13:7

Read: John 13:1-12

Perhaps the question I am asked most often, and the one I am least able to answer is Why? Why did I lose my job? Why did my loved one die? Why did this horrible tragedy take place? Why did God do this? or Why did God allow that?

Now I would like to be able to say that I could tell you exactly why God does what He does, when He does it, and how He does it....but I cannot. I might be able to suggest possibilities, but it would all be purely conjecture.

All of life's experiences are either painful or pleasant. And it is interesting that when something good or wonderful happens to us, we seldom stop and ask why. Why did I get this promotion? Why was my child born healthy? All too often we only begin asking questions when something happens that we don't enjoy, or something that is hard for us to deal with.

A little boy was questioned by his mother concerning the low grade he received on his history test in school. His answer to why he scored so low was that it was the teacher's fault. He had the right answers, but she asked the wrong questions! Often we are like that. We ask the wrong questions. Instead of asking why, we should ask:

- What am I to learn, do, or change because of this?
- Where am I to go or serve better?
- How will I accomplish the task?
- When do I start? When will I see results of this action?
- Why? (It is permissable to ask "Why" for instructions and leading, but not for understanding or self-pity.)

Consider what Jesus said in John 13:7:

I. "What I do ..." 7a

A. The Lord is doing something in the life of his children.

1. God is not sitting idly by waiting for something to happen.

2. He is actively at work in lives of those who have put their trust in Him.

EPHESIANS 2:10 10 FOR WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS UNTO GOOD WORKS, WHICH GOD HATH BEFORE ORDAINED THAT WE SHOULD WALK IN THEM. (KJV)

3. He is doing a work in us and through us.

B. The Lord is working according to His plan.

1. God has always had a plan.

2. He had a plan when He created this world.

3. He has a plan for our salvation.

4. He has a plan for reaching this world with the gospel message.

5. He has a plan for maturing the believers.

C. God works in love for our good.

JEREMIAH 31:3 3 THE LORD HATH APPEARED OF OLD UNTO ME, SAYING, YEA, I HAVE LOVED THEE WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE: THEREFORE WITH LOVINGKINDNESS HAVE I DRAWN THEE. (KJV)

D. God never makes a mistake.

ROMANS 8:28-29 28 AND WE KNOW THAT ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD TO THEM THAT LOVE GOD, TO THEM WHO ARE THE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE. 29 FOR WHOM HE DID FOREKNOW, HE ALSO DID PREDESTINATE TO BE CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON, THAT HE MIGHT BE THE FIRSTBORN AMONG MANY BRETHREN. (KJV)

II. "Thou Knowest Not Now..." 7b

A. For the present, we do not understand all there is about what God is doing.

ISAIAH 40:28-31 28 HAST THOU NOT KNOWN? HAST THOU NOT HEARD, THAT THE EVERLASTING GOD, THE LORD, THE CREATOR OF THE ENDS OF THE EARTH, FAINTETH NOT, NEITHER IS WEARY? THERE IS NO SEARCHING OF HIS UNDERSTANDING. 29 HE GIVETH POWER TO THE FAINT; AND TO THEM THAT HAVE NO MIGHT HE INCREASETH STRENGTH. 30 EVEN THE YOUTHS SHALL FAINT AND BE WEARY, AND THE YOUNG MEN SHALL UTTERLY FALL: 31 BUT THEY THAT WAIT UPON THE LORD SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH; THEY SHALL MOUNT UP WITH WINGS AS EAGLES; THEY SHALL RUN, AND NOT BE WEARY; AND THEY SHALL WALK, AND NOT FAINT. (KJV)

B. We are to walk in the light that we are given.

PSALM 119:105, "THY WORD IS A LAMP UNTO MY FEET, AND A LIGHT UNTO MY PATH."

C. What God is doing may not make sense to us

1. Death...sickness...loss...

2. Jesus said we wouldn't understand

a. We cannot comprehend

b. We waste time trying to figure out God

c. We are called upon to:

(1) Believe Him

(2) Accept His Direction

(3) Trust Him

III. "Thou Shalt Know Hereafter..." 7c

A. Some day we will understand.

1 CORINTHIANS 13:12 12 FOR NOW WE SEE THROUGH A GLASS, DARKLY; BUT THEN FACE TO FACE: NOW I KNOW IN PART; BUT THEN SHALL I KNOW EVEN AS ALSO I AM KNOWN. (KJV)

B. We will know Him and will understand.

1. People talk about questions they want answered when they get to heaven...

2. We may not care then.

3. We may not think it is so important to understand 'why', when we see Him.

1 JOHN 3:2 2 BELOVED, NOW ARE WE THE SONS OF GOD, AND IT DOTH NOT YET APPEAR WHAT WE SHALL BE: BUT WE KNOW THAT, WHEN HE SHALL APPEAR, WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM; FOR WE SHALL SEE HIM AS HE IS. (KJV)

C. Our knowledge comes when sin is removed from the picture and thought process.

2 CORINTHIANS 1:10 10 WHO DELIVERED US FROM SO GREAT A DEATH, AND DOTH DELIVER: IN WHOM WE TRUST THAT HE WILL YET DELIVER US; (KJV)

1. Past deliverance

2. Present deliverance

3. Future deliverance

D. The glory of God will reveal all in His time

ISAIAH 40:5 5 AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD SHALL BE REVEALED, AND ALL FLESH SHALL SEE IT TOGETHER: FOR THE MOUTH OF THE LORD HATH SPOKEN IT. (KJV)

ROMANS 8:18 18 FOR I RECKON THAT THE SUFFERINGS OF THIS PRESENT TIME ARE NOT WORTHY TO BE COMPARED WITH THE GLORY WHICH SHALL BE REVEALED IN US. (KJV)

2 CORINTHIANS 4:15-18 15 FOR ALL THINGS ARE FOR YOUR SAKES, THAT THE ABUNDANT GRACE MIGHT THROUGH THE THANKSGIVING OF MANY REDOUND TO THE GLORY OF GOD. 16 FOR WHICH CAUSE WE FAINT NOT; BUT THOUGH OUR OUTWARD MAN PERISH, YET THE INWARD MAN IS RENEWED DAY BY DAY. 17 FOR OUR LIGHT AFFLICTION, WHICH IS BUT FOR A MOMENT, WORKETH FOR US A FAR MORE EXCEEDING AND ETERNAL WEIGHT OF GLORY; 18 WHILE WE LOOK NOT AT THE THINGS WHICH ARE SEEN, BUT AT THE THINGS WHICH ARE NOT SEEN: FOR THE THINGS WHICH ARE SEEN ARE TEMPORAL; BUT THE THINGS WHICH ARE NOT SEEN ARE ETERNAL. (KJV)

Are there questions that trouble you? Trust the Lord. Believe God's Word when He tells us that 'all things work together for good' even if we cannot see it right now. The Word calls upon us to live by faith not by sight. That means trusting Him every step of the way.

1. Trust Him for salvation...are you born again?

2. Trust Him for today...He will provide exactly what we need every step of the way.

3. Trust Him for tomorrow...

1 CORINTHIANS 2:9 9 BUT AS IT IS WRITTEN, EYE HATH NOT SEEN, NOR EAR HEARD, NEITHER HAVE ENTERED INTO THE HEART OF MAN, THE THINGS WHICH GOD HATH PREPARED FOR THEM THAT LOVE HIM. (KJV)

JOHN 13:7 7 JESUS ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO HIM, WHAT I DO THOU KNOWEST NOT NOW; BUT THOU SHALT KNOW HEREAFTER. (KJV)

Come to Jesus today. Accept Him by faith. Trust Him to see you through this world and into the glory that He has prepared for all who love Him.