“In the beginning God…” (Genesis 1:1)

You may be in a situation that, unless a miracle comes your way, your situation will never change until death. You may be on a sick bed; in a wheel chair; or even in a prison cell, with no human hope of release to freedom of the body; or any numerous physical and even spiritual conditions that have you bound in your circumstances, leaving you with no hope of change.

These physical and spiritual conditions may be your prop to self-pity; anger toward man, and even God; bitterness; and even deep depression that has left you with no real desire to continue to live. You feel useless, worthless, unloved, and forgotten. You have no goals for the future; and no hope for change.

You have tried the faith healers. You have tried reading the Bible, prayer, and even confiding in a friend or the chaplain; but still no real and lasting change has happened for you.

The answer lies not in seeking for a miracle to relieve you of your present situation; nor in seeking the help of man, for vain is the help of man. The answer is in seeking God Himself. Not to ask Him to change your situation, but to surrender your mind that He is God; your Creator; your Controller; and your Consummator.

“And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” (Job 1:21)

“Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;” (Job 14:5)

“But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.” (Job 23:13)

“For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.” (Job 23:14)

“There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.” (Proverbs 19:21)

The first step of answering the question “Why Me?” is to acknowledge that God is your Creator; you belong to Him; and He has a Plan and Purpose for you.

Second, submit to His Word (Christ) (John 1:1-3, 14). Christ is God in the Flesh, who is our Representative. He is the God-Man; fully God and fully man, without sin, who “…was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus can be and is “…touched with the feeling of our infirmities…” (Hebrews 4:15a).

Go to Jesus, not to man. Bow before Him in humility, ready to listen for His will. See 2 Corinthians 12:7-10:

“And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.” (2 Corinthians 12:7)

“For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.” (2 Corinthians 12:8)

“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

“Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10)

When Christ speaks to you as He did the Apostle Paul, there will be a change in your mind as you are taught to lean on Christ’s grace and His strength, even when He has told you there will be no change in the physical. But there will be a change – spiritually. The change comes when you desire Christ’s Glory more than your own glory (reread verses 9 and 10). You will never be able to figure out “Why God?” – other than it is for His Sake, for His Glory (Romans 11:33-36).

The problem therefore, is not your physical or mental situation; it lies in your surrender to a Sovereign God, and in your submission to God of yourself, to bring glory to Him in whatever way He pleases.

The question then is: “But how do I get to the surrender and submission?”

1)    When you get sick and tired of being sick and tired of your present anger and rebellion and misery;

2)    When you look up from yourself, from your condition – and look to Jesus.

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.” (Numbers 21:8)

“And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.” (Numbers 21:9)

“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” (John 12:32)

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)

“For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” (Hebrews 12:3)

“Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” (Hebrews 12:4)

The next question is: “How do I look ‘unto Jesus’?”

The answer is, by the Holy Spirit of God. Read the story of Nicodemus (John 3:1-21). Jesus said, you must be born again (verse 3b), “… Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” The process of being born from above is performed by God alone, and not man (John 3:8; 6:63; 44-45).

However, your problem is not getting God to regenerate you, to quicken you from deadness in sins and trespasses (Ephesians 2:1-5). He will take care of His Work (Philippians 2:13). But your work is to look to Him. The truth is you will not look until you have been quickened and given repentance, and revealed that Christ is your Savior. Your work is to confess what you have been revealed:

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

“For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:10)

And then you follow Christ in obedience, beginning with water baptism, and then completely submitting your body, soul, and spirit to Him; to follow Him whithersoever the Shepherd leads His Sheep, in a manner that is in accordance to His Written Word.

When you come to confess Christ as your Savior, then you will rejoice forevermore. For when this happens, you know you are free, and you know that Christ lives in you, and now you have His Strength and Power to overcome all things. (See Acts 8:26-39; John 8:32, 36; Romans 6:18; 8:2, 14-16; Galatians 5:1; 4:5-6; Philippians 4:13, 19.) You have become a new creature in Christ:

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Now you seek Christ and not self (Colossians 3:1-3).

Then you can say:

“Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me… for when I am weak, then am I strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9b, 10d)

Then you will say, not “Why me Lord?” – but “Thank You Lord, my Savior, my Strength, my Supply, and my Sustainer. Amen and Amen!”