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"This God--his way is perfect; the word of the LORD proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him." 2 Samuel 22:31

When you stop and think about it, it seems almost ludicrous to say that God's way is perfect. It's a bit redundant, you know? Same for his word being true - God's word is true because it's God's word, isn't it? That God's way is perfect ought to go without saying simply because it is God's way...and God is perfect and true, right? God is the very definition of perfect and true - if he says something, it must be true because he said it.

It's sort of like what I used to tell my kids after assigning them some disagreeable task, when they pestered me ad nauseam with the old "WHY?" question: "Just because I said so!" The fact is that the reason I couldn't always answer my kid's "why" question is that I knew that they often would not understand nor accept the answers. They might even question whether I really knew what was best for them or if I even had their best interests at heart.

The same is true for me now. If God really did answer my "why" questions, I have no doubt that I would often not be able to understand nor accept the answers. For instance, if God appeared before me this very moment in all his glory, carrying a golden platter with a parchment scroll on which he had written in gold letters the answer to my question as to why my first wife had to suffer through the trauma of brain cancer only to die, even when literally hundreds of friends and family were praying for her healing, and why my kids had to lose their mother at such a tender age, well, even if God let me read his reason for allowing that to happen, I undoubtedly could not accept it. I wouldn't be able to understand it. Asking God why something like that has to happen is a useless exercise because there really is no acceptable answer to the question.

You know, even though they sometimes grumbled about it, my kids usually accepted my "because I said so" answer. Why? Because they have always known that I love them. Even when things weren't going their way, deep down inside they knew that they could trust me to do the right thing for them, because I had proven to them that I was a trustworthy and loving father.

Same goes for me now. God has proven his love for me beyond a shadow of a doubt on the cross of Christ and sealed it with his Holy Spirit in my life. He has proven that he has my best interest at heart and is willing to put himself on the line for me. He has proven that I can trust him even when things aren't going my way. He has proven that he is a trustworthy and loving father, and I put my faith in him no matter what.

Even when I don't know why something has to happen the way it does, I trust my Father just because. Just because his way is perfect and his word proves true.

His truth is my shelter, his perfect word is my shield.

I give myself to you, my loving Father, and lay all my cares upon you. I rest in your truth, secure in your perfect love. No matter what happens today, I will trust you, I will worship you, I will take refuge in you. I love you, Father.