“Why me?” It’s a question we so often ask. Why is this happening? And why is it happening to me? Why now? Why my kids, my family, my job, my health? But … are we asking the right “why question”?

And from our New Testament reading:

We’ll talk about some very familiar verses from Romans. Most of us have likely shared these verses when talking to others about the gospel. Some of them have even been turned into what is commonly called the “sinner’s prayer.”

But is there a danger to praying the “sinner’s prayer” or “asking Jesus to come into your heart”? If so, how can we avoid it and not mislead others by giving them a false assurance of salvation?

Today’s Readings:

Job 13 & 14
Psalm 94.12-19
Proverbs 22.26-27
Romans 11.1-18

Why Me?

Job 13 & 14:

Demanding Answers

We have been talking about Job, his suffering, and his interactions with the friends who had originally come to comfort him. But because of their misunderstandings about God and the reasons for suffering, they became critical and accusing. Job would end up calling them “miserable comforters” (Job 16.2). If you missed those posts and want to read about what they did right and what they did wrong because of those misunderstandings, I’ll add the links at the bottom of this section.

But in today’s readings, after all he had been through, Job had heard enough. In chapter 13, after strongly rebuking his friends, Job turned his attention directly to God. He was at a loss to understand why so much calamity had come on him. In chapter 14, he talked to God about the frailty of humanity and seemed to prepare himself to die, perhaps even yearning for it.

Be sure to read John MacArthur’s notes for today’s readings. Pastor MacArthur jumps ahead to some of the later chapters to explain that Job’s problem was not the belief that he was righteous, as his friends thought, but his over-familiarity in demanding an answer to why he was suffering such hardship.

We, too, can be tempted to demand answers to our “whys.” While I don’t believe God is put off by sincere questions from his hurting children, we need to remember that He is God and we are not! Isaiah 55.8-9:

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

When we get to chapter 40, we will see Job’s full reaction to God’s response to all his whys. But this statement sums it up to some degree. He said, “I lay my hand over my mouth” (Job 40.4). It seems he realized he had been asking the wrong questions.

So, what should we ask when going through a test or trial?

Better Questions

First, we should ask God to help us examine our lives for reasons.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting (Ps. 139.23-24).

Is there some area of unconfessed sin?

He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy (Prov. 28.13).

We should also ask Him to help us grow in our trial.

2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing (Jas. 1.2-4).

And we should ask for His wisdom to respond righteously to our trial.

 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways (Jas. 1.5-8).

But what else might we ask?

The Right Why

Tests and trials come for many reasons, some because of our own actions and others as a result of living in a sin-cursed world. But nothing can happen in our lives that is not first filtered through God’s loving hands. Even when He allows some hardship for his holy purposes, He always mixes it with His blessings and His grace … if we will but look for them.

He promises that those trials will not be more than we can handle if we stay connected to Him and rely on His strength (1 Cor. 10.13). And we can trust His promise to use our trials for good and to help us become more like His Son (Rom. 8.28-29).

Finally, when we think about asking “why,” let’s also ask, “Why His blessings and favor?” and, especially, “Why would He die for us when we were still His enemies?” (Rom. 5.8).

Other posts about Job and his friends:

“How to Strengthen Ourselves for Our Spiritual Battles”

“How Can You Run to God When You Want to Run Away?”

“Could My Response to Someone’s Sin Cause Me More Suffering?”

“3 Ways to Stay Strong When Life Is Hard”

“5 Contagious Sins. Could You Be at Risk?”

Today’s Other Readings:

Psalm 94.12-19:

He Will Not Cast Us Off

In verse 14 God promises that He will not cast off His people. Even though this psalm is talking about the Jewish people, in particular, He has made the same promise to us, “For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you'” (Heb. 13.5b).

Proverbs 22.26-27:

Co-Signing for Loans

These two verses warn us about the danger of taking on someone else’s debts—co-signing for loans, etc. Instead, if someone is in need we should help them when biblically appropriate and our circumstances allow—give them food and other necessities, or money without expecting to be repaid. I do want to emphasize the point, “when it’s biblically appropriate.” Sometimes we get in God’s way by trying to prevent the consequences that will allow them to “come to their senses” as the prodigal son did.

But when someone we love and care about asks us to co-sign for them, it seems unloving to refuse. This can be especially difficult when it’s our grown children or others close to us. But often, their situation is the result of bad choices and we can get in the way and, as I said, short-circuit God’s work in their lives. At other times, it’s simply not wise for them to take on debt. We need to trust God’s sovereignty in their lives and His wisdom in ours.

Romans 10.1-21:

Is There a Danger in the “Sinner’s Prayer”?

This chapter is actually from yesterday’s readings but because of time, I decided to wait until today to talk about it.

Romans 10 contains some very familiar verses. Most of us have likely shared these verses when talking to others about the gospel. Some have even been turned into what is commonly called the “sinner’s prayer.”

But, as I suggested in the introduction, there can be a danger in praying the “sinner’s prayer” or “asking Jesus to come into your heart.” What is it? How can we avoid it in our own lives and avoid misleading others?

No Magic in the Words

The danger is not, of course, in the words of Scripture. It’s in our lack of properly understanding them. Let’s look at verses 9-13:

⁹ because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

¹³ For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

We can’t simply turn this into a prayer as if there is some magic in the words. Instead, we need to remember that God is always looking at the heart.

We are saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2.8-9). It is totally and completely a work of God but faith must come alive, faith in what Christ did, and faith in our need to repent and go God’s way. There should be a realization that we are sinners, completely helpless to save ourselves, and that our only hope is Christ.

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death (2 Cor. 7.10).

But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord (Acts 3.18-19).

False Assurance of Salvation

Telling someone to “just pray this prayer” or to “ask Jesus into your heart” in the absence of faith and repentance risks giving them a false assurance of salvation. We have all known people who “prayed a prayer” or “raised their hand” in response to an invitation without any evidence of conversion. Genuine conversion will produce the fruit of repentance to one degree or another (1 Cor. 5.17; Eph. 2.10).

So, as we share the gospel, we must share it in its entirety. That means we must first help people see that we are all sinners (Rom. 3.10, 23) and that we can do nothing to save ourselves (Eph. 2.9). Only then will the good news be truly good, that Christ died for sinners like us and was raised from the dead so we could live the God-kind of life here and one day spend eternity with Him (Rom. 6.23; Eph. 2.10).

And while there is no magic in the words of “a sinner’s prayer” apart from faith, faith is sometimes expressed through a prayer.

If you are unsure of your relationship with God, I would encourage you to read the verses I’ve listed and watch one or both of the videos in these posts:

“Do You Live with a Sense of Guilt?”

“Could You Be a Christian in Name Only?”

Then you might pray something like this:

Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and that I can do nothing to save myself. I believe that you came and lived a sinless life, yet you willingly died on the cross as payment for my sins. I also believe that you rose again and are now seated at the right hand of the Father. Lord Jesus, please grant me godly sorrow that leads to repentance. Forgive me, fill me with your Spirit, and help me to live a life that is pleasing to you. I ask this in Your name. Amen.

This Is Not the End

But praying and believing is not the end. It’s the beginning. When we are saved by God’s grace through faith, we are spiritual infants. Right-thinking people would never leave a newborn baby on the delivery table and say, “There are some diapers and some bottles, now grow up and go live your life.” Newborns need care and nurturing. So do you as a newborn believer.

It’s imperative that you find a solid, bible-believing, bible-teaching church. If you don’t know where to start, you might look for a church near you here or here. Tell someone there that you have recently come to faith and ask for help to grow. They should be able to point you to a class or small group or someone who can walk with you. Get a bible if you don’t have one and begin to read it. Start with the New Testament. And begin talking to God regularly in prayer. If you have any questions, leave me a comment and I’ll do my best to answer them.

Romans 11.1-18:

God’s Covenant People Israel

Paul reminds us here in Romans 11 that God has not cast aside His covenant people. He has promised there will always be a faithful remnant.

And He has promised to bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse her (Gen. 12.3). All of this plays into what is happening in the Middle East today. The Jews are God’s people. We are to pray for Israel as Paul did (Rom. 10.1) and, as a nation, stand with her.

Coming Up:

In the coming days, we’ll talk more about what it means to be a miserable comforter, our impossible calling as believers, and how true worship = obedience.

I hope you’ll sign up so you don’t miss any of them. You might also like to check out our YouTube channel.

If this post spoke to you, I would love it if you would share it on your favorite social media platform.

And if you don’t already have a copy, you might want to purchase a copy of my eBook, 10 Benefits of Keeping a Spiritual Journal. It’s available on Kindle or in paperback (the paperback has 31 days of blank journaling pages with prompts to help you get started).

Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥

Note about this post:

I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer. 

A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”

I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.

Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)

I sometimes LINKUP with these blogs.