So many times, we go through situations we cannot understand, we go through challenges that bring us to our knees and have us question God, “why me?” In several cases of believer-turned-atheist, such situations happen to have been the triggering factor. They experience hurtful things that lead them to conclude “there is no God” or in cases of unbelieving-believers, “God doesn’t love me”. I know it can be hard sometimes and other times terrible but rather than go through those challenges, grow through them. In today’s post, I’d be focusing on four biblical case studies who probably also thought “why me?”

WAITING FOR WHAT SEEMS LIKE FOREVER is probably one of the most frustrating feelings ever. Waiting on a terribly long queue at the bank, waiting for a promotion, waiting for your African mom to finish greeting all her friends in church *wink* and the list goes on. All these things can be tiring and frustrating to be honest, but imagine just how frustrated Sarah would have been waiting and waiting to have a child of her own. It must have been an emotional rollercoaster for her…hopeful today, hopeless tomorrow. She waited and waited and waited. I’m pretty sure she must have also thought “why me?” Eventually, she passed the age of childbearing because she had reached menopause but still, she had no child of her own. Only for God to tell her at the age of 90 that she would bear a child. Unbelievable right? But she did bear a child. She was the actual mother of Isaac and from what the bible makes us understand, the number of people that have descended from her is uncountable. Sarah faced an ordeal of shame, embarrassment and sorrow but when God blessed her finally with a child, he became mightier than 10 sons put together. Yes, it’s tiring to wait but God says wait for me, I wish surely surpass your expectations at the appointed time. (Genesis 16: 1-5; 17-18).

WAHALA, they say, is like a bicycle, it is not hard to start. Daniel and the three Hebrew boys (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) were passionate about God. In Daniel’s case, the king had made an order that no one should pray again and to Daniel, it was absurd and so he decided to pray even more (talk about a holy stubbornness). The Hebrews boys had decided not to bow to the image of the king (as one would do to worship God). So, that’s how these four men entered what my country people call wahala, in other words, trouble. Daniel was to be thrown inside the lion’s den and the Hebrew boys, inside a furnace. Though they would not compromise their stand and would rather die, they must have thought “why me?” “why this kind of cruel death for those who are worshipping you?” And really, why should those who are just living their lives to please God. Have to have their lives put in danger? Though these men were ready to die for their stance, it would not have been an easy decision to make. But God is too faithful to fail us. Sometimes, it happens that some people aren’t vindicated and are therefore martyred like in the case of Stephen and Apostle Paul but we are sure of them receiving a glorious welcome into kingdom of God…and other times, God shows up to save His own like in the case of the Daniel and the Hebrew boys. In fact, their enemies were executed in the same manner they planned to kill them. Being persecuted for the sake of the Lord is never futile. Philippians 1:21 says “for me to live is Christ and to die is gain” make this your motto and you’d begin to see your life only worthwhile in Christ. (Daniel 3&6; Acts 7:54-60)

There is no way this kind of topic comes up that the name Job won’t be mentioned. Honestly, in the entire bible, I don’t think anyone suffered as much mental and emotional and even physical trauma as he did. On the same day, he lost all of his livestock (I’m talking thousands not like 10…he was a an extremely buoyant man). As if that wasn’t enough, he lost his children, all ten of them. He lost all he had on the same day, five of his servants coming to inform him in series, unplanned. DOES IT EVER GET BETTER? Well, not yet because he got boils all over his body. His wife then told him to just “curse God and die”. This advice is one that every other person could have taken, especially because this man called Job happened to be an upright and blameless man. In fact, God boasted about his loyalty. So, he thought, “why me?” “God what have I done?” and surprisingly, he never for once cursed or sinned against God. There is so much to explain and uncover about this story but so as not to digress, I’d leave that for now. I know some of you have experienced similar situations…losing something or someone invaluable (priceless) to you or experiencing a series of ill-luck despite your dedication and obedience to God, but did you know that God always comes through for His own? The challenges that came to Job were in fact as a reason of his dedication to God. The devil was jealous of how passionate he was about God and so he thought that if Job lost everything, he would stop serving God. But glory to God, Job did not and the Lord blessed him with multiple folds of all he had previously lost. What he had lost at that time, would not have mattered anymore because he now had way more than that. The bible tells us to “count it all as joy when we fall into diverse trials…” (James1:2). Through Job’s ordeal, he learnt more about God and learned to trust Him more and Job became even bigger than he was before and even someone that would have made God much prouder. Stay on God through those tough times and watch how those times will soon be long forgotten (James 1:2-4; Job 1-2&42).

MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME were the words of Jesus Christ when He was on the cross packaging the best gift mankind ever received (Matthew 27:46). Jesus Christ, by whom everything that was created was created, left His throne and came to earth as a man to live and then die for the sins of the whole world. This is a feat that no one else could have achieved. However, He in His sovereignty was able to do this for us all. Sometimes, we get too consumed His deity that we forget He was also flesh like us. He felt what we feel and experienced things we experience. When He was about to got to cross, we see it evident. He was in despair; He begged that God let the cup pass over Him and He was aware of just how much suffering He was about to go through and although He most likely didn’t think “why me?” it is easy to feel that way in such situations. Jesus Christ though one with God, experienced the torture as an ordinary man would. He felt forsaken at one point but He didn’t back down (this kind love nawa oo), He did it for us. Right now, He hold the most powerful name ever and forevermore because God gave Him that. God sat Him at His right hand and now we do not pray to God without mentioning the name JESUS. Probably, you’re at your rock bottom and you feel forsaken, remember God does not love Jesus more than you, He says He would never leave nor forsake you. (John1:1-3; Matthew 26:36-46; Philippians 2:9-11; Romans 3:34; Colossians 3:1; John 17:23; Hebrews 13:5).

Things happen and we wonder why it has to be us but really no one can tell why. Or maybe it is God using us as channels of His wonders and miracles.  All we aware of is God’s faithfulness to those who love Him, those who put their trust in Him. Sarah didn’t know why she had to be barren for several decades but God established His promise through her and gave a son whose name is still resonating in the earth till today. Daniel and His friends could have died but God vindicated them and used them for signs and wonders in that land…even if they died, they would have been welcomed ceremoniously into heaven. Job went through hell because of His faithfulness to God which seems like an irony but in the end, he became much greater than he was and till today, he still serves as a godly example to Christians all around the world. Jesus Christ needs no explanation; we are only enjoying the things we enjoy today as a result of grace that can be traced to the trials, crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection that our Lord Jesus Christ went through. How about you stop asking “why me” and start asking “what is the plan, Lord?”. This way, we’d learn to see what God has planned for us. Don’t worry, so long as you are a child of God, it gets better!