Why Lord?

• You tell a child to do something and invariably they will say, “why” ?

• You tell a child not to do something and invariably they will say “why”?

One of the reasons it annoys us as parents when our children do this, is because sometimes we know they should do something, but we do not always know why ourselves.

Illus: Life is filled with little things that we can not explain, for example:

• If you throw a cat out of the car window, does it become kitty litter?

• Is it OK to use the AM radio after noon?

• What do you call a male ladybug?

• Why do they sterilize the needles for lethal injections?

• Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?

• If the 7-11 is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, why does it have locks on the door?

• You know that indestructible black box that is used on airplanes? Why don't they make the whole plane out of that stuff?

• If they squeeze olives to get olive oil, how do they get baby oil?

• If you are driving at the speed of light and you turn your headlights on, what happens?

• Why is it that when you transport something by car it's called shipment, but when you transport something by ship it's called cargo?

• Why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?

• If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the terminal?

Life is filled with difficult questions about some things, and sometimes we parents do not know all the answers. But that does not stop our children from asking “WHY”.

If you ask a child psychologist why children are this way, they will tell you it is because of their inquisitive nature that they want to learn. But I must confess, I do not believe that, because when you tell them WHY, they are still reluctant to obey after we explain.

Why do children always come up with “WHY” when we tell them to do something? It is because they do not like being told TO DO SOMETHING when they do not want to do it! It has nothing to do with being inquisitive, but everything to do with rebellion!

In other words, most of the time when we were asking “WHY” to our parents or someone else in authority, it was:

• A challenge to their authority

• A denial that they had our best interest in mind

We, as the CHILDREN OF GOD are the same.

For example, one of the reasons a Bible-preacher stays in trouble with many of the children of God, is because when the minister of God tells them THINGS THEY SHOULD DO and things they SHOULD NOT DO, it doesn’t sit well with some.

THEY WANT TO KNOW WHY! But you can tell them why, and when you do that does not satisfy them because the fact is they are CHALLENGING THE AUTHORITY OF THE MINISTER, and they are DENYING WHAT THEY ARE TOLD TO DO IS IN THEIR BEST INTEREST!

But some parents recognize this rebellion, and they simply tell the child to do it because, “I SAID SO!” And likewise with God, there are some things God tells us to do, and He does not tell us why He told us to do it, He expects us just to do them!

Not that there isn’t a reason, but God doesn’t owe us a reason. He is God!

And who is to say that we would always understand the reason if He were to tell us why?

• God has a purpose for everything that He tells us to do

• God has a purpose for everything that He tells us not to do

All we really need to know is that God has the authority, and He does have our best interests in mind.

However, there are some things that God tells us TO DO or NOT TO DO, and he tells us why. I want to look at TWO things in our text that God says we should do, and then He gives the reason why.

Look at the verses we read a few minutes ago. He said-

I. WE ARE TO HUMBLE OURSELVES

He commands in verse 6, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God,...” Then He gives the reason, “...that he may exalt you in due time.”

Now if you are interested in Him exalting you, it is important that you understand you must first humble yourself. But notice this, the humility He commands is under the hand of ALMIGHTY GOD.

Many times folks humble themselves in the sight of man because of PRIDE IN THEIR LIFE. They want to look good in the sight of others, so they give the appearance that they are humble, but actually they are using the appearance of HUMILITY to make themselves look good.