Program 108: “Why? Why?”Yah responds every time!

When tragedy happens, it is natural to ask “Why?” Far from rejecting such demands, Yahuwah encourages us to ask . . . and He has answers.

Welcome to WLC Radio, a subsidiary of World’s Last Chance Ministries, an online ministry dedicated to learning how to live in constant readiness for the Savior's return.

For two thousand years, believers of every generation have longed to be the last generation. Contrary to popular belief, though, Christ did not give believers “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, he repeatedly warned that his coming would take even the faithful by surprise. Yahushua urgently warned believers to be ready because, he said, “The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” [Matthew 24:44]

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

* * *Part 1: (Miles & Dave)

Miles Robey: Hello! Welcome to today’s program on WLC Radio. I’m your host, Miles Robey, and with me is Dave Wright!

Dave Wright: Hello! I want to add my welcome to Miles’. We’re glad you’ve made us a part of your day.

Miles: If you’ve tuned in before, you’re aware that at World’s Last Chance, we prefer, whenever possible, to refer to the Creator using His personal name of Yahuwah, or Yah. Elohim is a Hebrew title that also refers to Yahuwah.

The personal name of the Creator was actually used throughout the Old Testament. It’s just been lost in translation. But if you’ve got a concordance and you look up the word “Lord,” you’ll find that instead of this generic title, the writers of the Old Testament books actually used His real name.

Dave: What’s more, they repeatedly urged believers to “call upon the name of Yahuwah.” You can’t do that if you don’t know His name.

Miles: There’s power in the divine name, let me tell you. It comes from the Hebrew verb-of-being, hayah. This is the same verb of being used during Creation week when He spoke the world into existence

“Light be. Light hayah … light was. Light hayah.”

That’s the root word of the divine name. So, when you combine that powerful name with your need, it becomes a powerful promise you can claim!

Dave: The Saviour’s name is quite similar. Instead of the familiar “Jesus,” the Saviour’s real name is Yahushua. A lot of people use Yahshua and that’s fine, but the complete, formal version is Yahushua and means “Yahuwah’s salvation.”

Miles: I love how the very names of the Creator and the Saviour are designed to inspire faith.

Dave: I do, too. It’s beautiful.

Miles: Well, speaking of inspiring faith, there’s something I’d really like you to talk about today. As you know, my family has been going through some difficult times lately, with the loss of a loved one, some health issues, and other stressors.

Dave: Right. I remember. It’s been really tough for you lately.

Miles: It has. And, you know, things get tough enough and, sooner or later, someone is going to start asking “Why.” Why do bad things happen to good people? If Yahuwah is so powerful, why does He let these sometimes truly horrible things happen?

I think that’s the cry of every believer’s heart when things get bad enough: why? If You’re all powerful, Yah, why is this happening? Why aren’t You putting a stop to it?

Dave: It’s a fair question.

Now, in the past when I’ve been asked this, I’ll be honest: I realize now that I haven’t answered the question at all well. Instead, I’ve tended to just say: trust in Yah and whatever you do, don’t question because that opens the door to doubt.

Miles: Yeah, I’ve done that, too. It ends up being more of a caution against doubting than anything else.

Dave: It becomes even an implied accusation: If you’re even asking this, you’re doubting Yah’s goodness, so don’t ask.

Miles: Right.

Dave: The thing is, yes, these are hard questions. They’re difficult to answer, but it doesn’t mean they’re wrong to ask. This was a turning point in my understanding. These questions are fair to ask.

Turn to the first chapter of Isaiah. There’s a really eye-opening verse here I want you to read. This is where I realized that Yah is not intimidated by our questions. In fact, He invites us to ask them!

Miles: And if He’s inviting us to ask them, He’s going to have some answers for us.

Dave: Exactly. Okay. Read Isaiah 1, verse 18.

Miles:

“Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says Yahuwah,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.

Dave: This is said in the context of reassuring sinners that forgiveness is freely available but the principle still applies: Yah is inviting us to apply logic, to “reason” together with Him. That means that He’s willing to provide answers to our questions—

Miles: Which means that He has answers for us!

Dave: Precisely. We’ve been intimidated by these questions, but Yah isn’t.

So, no more of this scolding a person for asking why. Yah wants us to ask! It gives Him the chance to answer.

All right, let’s get started. Grab your Bible. We’re going to be going over a lot of texts. First, turn to Isaiah 55 and read verses 8 to 9.

Miles: All right. It says, uh …

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

Dave: In other words, Yah is saying: “Trust Me. I have My reasons.”

Honestly, this reason is the hardest to accept. We don’t like this answer, but it is an answer and when we know that Yah loves and wants what is for our ultimate good, it’s easier to accept this answer.

Miles: Do you get the feeling that this is Yahuwah’s way of saying “Because I said so”? I mean, He is our Father, our heavenly parent.

As a parent, I try not to say that very often to my kids, but there are times, you know, they’re pressing for an answer and sometimes they just can’t understand all the reasons why.

Dave: So you exert your parental authority and say, “Do it because I said so.”

Miles laughs: That’s about right.

Dave: It has that feel to it, doesn’t it? But you’re right. He’s saying: “Just trust Me. I know what I’m doing.”

And if we know Him, if we know that He is safe to trust, then we can rest on that assurance. Read Psalm 18, verse 30. It’s not a text we quote a lot, but there’s a lot of promise contained in this one little verse.

Miles: All right. It says:

As for Elohim, His way is perfect;
The word of Yahuwah is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

Dave: He is safe to trust. Even when we don’t understand why He allows everything that happens, we can trust that He does have a reason, and that reason is for our ultimate good.

Miles: There’s an old gospel hymn that I really like. It goes:

Life is easy, when you’re up on the mountain
And you’ve got peace of mind, like you’ve never known.
But things change, when you’re down in the valley.
Don’t lose faith, for you’re never alone.

Then the chorus goes:

For the God on the mountain, is still God in the valley.
When things go wrong, He'll make them right.
And the God of the good times, is still God in the bad times.
The God of the day, is still God in the night.

Dave: That’s beautiful. Only the living god, the one true god, loves us just as much when we’re helpless and hurting as when we’re happy and doing well.

Miles: You know, as a little boy, whenever I was hurt or unhappy I’d go to my mum for comfort. I didn’t assume that, just because I was hurt or afraid, she didn’t love me anymore. And the same holds true for our heavenly Father.

Dave: So why do we so easily doubt in the bad times?

Next, I’d like you to read Lamentations 3, verses 31 to 33. This whole book is one long lament for the catastrophes that befell Jerusalem. This passage, though, is extremely comforting.

What does it say?

Miles: “For Yahuwah will not cast off forever. Though He causes grief, yet He will show compassion according to the multitude of His mercies. For He does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.”

Dave: Yah does not willingly afflict any of His children. In fact, He suffers when we suffer! We can trust that even in the worst of our dark times, He is working out a plan, and His great heart of compassion feels our grief.

Miles: What’s next?

Dave: Uh … turn to James, chapter 1, and read verses 2 to 4 for our next answer. What does that say?

Miles: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

Dave: In other words, trials come so that we will grow: in faith, in our Christian walk, in our reliance upon Yah.

He wants to write His law on our hearts; He wants to “consume away our dross” so that we can perfectly reflect the divine character. But character isn’t developed in times of prosperity and ease. So, there are times He allows us to go through hardships so that we can learn the lessons He knows we, as individuals, need to learn.

Miles: That reminds me of a text in Acts. Give me just a moment to find it … Here we go: Acts 14:21 and 22. It’s talking about Paul. It says:

And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of Yah.”

Dave: That’s very clear: only through “many tribulations” can we enter the coming kingdom on earth. And these tribulations are purposefully designed to develop in us characters fit for eternity. Trials are for our blessing! So, don’t lose faith when they come.

The next reason why trials are sometimes allowed might take you by surprise, but sometimes it’s simply because we never asked!

Miles: What do you mean? That seems almost too simple.

Dave: Well, because we know that Yah knows all our needs, it can be easy to slip into what I call “lazy Christianing.” We think: because Yah knows what I need, He’ll just give it to me even when I don’t ask for it.

But what we need to remember is that the Father wants a relationship with us. He wants us to ask, because it gives Him the chance to answer. We can see this in the history of the wilderness wandering. The Children of Israel got to the Red Sea and couldn’t pass. They prayed—well, Moses prayed. Everyone else just got angry and threatened him. But in answer to the prayer of faith, Yahuwah divided the waters of the Red Sea.

Next, they ran out of water, so Moses was directed to where there were springs of water.

Miles: And the people griped because the water was brackish. They couldn’t drink it. So, again they threatened Moses.

Dave: That was kind of their thing, wasn’t it? But Moses prayed … and Yah answered! Over, and over, and over, throughout the 40 years in the wilderness, Yahuwah allowed them to be brought into difficult circumstances so that they would be led to pray and ask for help. He was trying to teach them to come to Him for help.

That’s what we’re to do, too. We need to ask. There are many things He’s willing to do, but we have to ask.

Miles: Hmmm. That’s a good point. James 4, verse 2 says: you don’t have, because you don’t ask.

Dave: Do you know what the next verse says?

Miles: Uhhh … nope!

Dave: Why don’t you turn there and read it? James 4, verses two and three.

Miles: Okay … uh, it says: “You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.”

Dave: We often lack pure motives when we ask. Now, obviously, we’re all sinners and Yah knows that. So, lacking an entirely pure motive isn’t necessarily a deal breaker.

But, in answer to our prayers, Yah’s not going to give us something that may harm us or others. Turn back to Matthew 7, and read verses 9 to 11. This really clarifies Yah’s modus operandi when we either ask for the wrong thing, or for the wrong reason.

Miles: Okay. Almost there … here we go. It says: quote: “What man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” Unquote.

I like that.

Dave: It’s reassuring, isn’t it?

Miles: Yeah, it is. As our heavenly Father, we can trust Him to do right by us. If we ask for the wrong thing, something that would harm us, we can trust Him to protect us from our own wrong requests.

Dave: Well, isn’t that what we do as parents? Your kid asks for an ice cream cone, but you know the ice cream contains eggs, and your child has an egg allergy. Are you going to give your kid the ice cream anyway, knowing that it will make him really sick?

Miles: Of course not.

Dave: No. And we can trust our heavenly Father to protect us to an even greater degree than we, as loving earthly parents, protect our children.

Miles: There’s such comfort in that, isn’t there? I know, for myself—and I think for a lot of Christians—we’re afraid to be really specific when praying for what we need because there’s this, sort of, unspoken fear that we’ll ask for something that could harm us, or that we’re not supposed to have. So, we end up praying these open-ended prayers … and then wondering why our prayers are rarely answered!

Dave: You’re right. I know I’ve felt that concern before, too.

But you don’t need to be afraid of that. That’s Satan trying to instill fear. We can trust Yahuwah to do what is for our best. So pray! Ask for what you need! Pray very specifically. But if your prayers aren’t answered in just the way you feel they should be, continue to trust. Yahuwah knows the future, and He knows what is best for you.

* * *

Advertisement

One of the hardest experiences anyone ever has to go through is losing a loved one in death. There simply are no words to describe the sense of loss, guilt, pain, regret. Loneliness!

Further compounding the problem is the uncertainty that many feel, not knowing what happens after death. Others worry that a loved one is hovering close, WATCHING everything they do.

Yahuwah has not left us in ignorance about what happens at death and the truth is very comforting. If you are interested in learning what the Bible teaches about death, watch “Rest in Peace” on WorldsLastChance.com or look for it on YouTube! Once again, that’s “Rest in Peace” on WorldsLastChance.com.

* * *Part 2: (Miles & Dave)

Dave: All right. The next reason why trials are allowed is simply so that we will learn to rely on Yah for all our needs. Would you read Deuteronomy 13, verse 4, please? This verse explains how we are to live our daily lives in relation to our Maker.

Miles: Sure. It says: “You shall walk after Yahuwah your Elohim and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.”

Dave: There’s nothing that will make us “hold fast” to Yah more than being in desperate need. When everything’s fine and life’s going well, we tend to loosen our grip. It’s when the storms in life batter us that we cling desperately to Him.

Miles: William Ames was a Protestant theologian and philosopher. He once said, quote: “Faith is the virtue by which, clinging to the faithfulness of [Yah], we lean upon Him, so that we may obtain what He gives to us.”

Dave: Trials either teach us to cling to Yah more firmly, or they reveal to us that we need to ask for more faith.

Miles: Yeah. Faith itself is a gift. Isn’t that encouraging?

Dave: It is. The reason it’s so important that we learn to rely on Yahuwah in all things is that gratitude for blessings received awakens love. And love begets trust. This is important character development we all need. It’s what will get us through the days ahead!

Miles: One of the reasons I’ve heard that it sometimes appears our prayers aren’t being answered is that Yah says “wait awhile.”

It’s hard to wait when you’re hurting.

Dave: It is! But often our demanding to know “why” is a bit, well, premature. When we can’t see the future and we’re feeling vulnerable or afraid, it’s easy to get impatient. But again: Yah has it all under control and His ways are not our ways; His timing isn’t always our timing.

Let’s take a quick look at Psalm 84, verses 11 and 12.

Miles: It says:

For Yahuwah Elohim is a sun and shield;
Yahuwah will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.

O Yahuwah of hosts,
Blessed is the man who trusts in You!

Dave: A special blessing is pronounced on all who trust in Yah regardless of circumstances or whether or not they can see the future.

Miles: John 20:29. Yahushua told “doubting” Thomas: “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”

Dave: Again, what allows us to wait trustingly on Yah, regardless of the circumstances, is if we have that personal relationship with Him. If we know, for ourselves, that He is in control and will work it all out for the best.

Miles: I like how Paul says it in Romans 8:28. He says, quote: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love Yah, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Dave: That’s a powerful promise. We should all memorize it. When Yahuwah is your best friend, you know that, even if you can’t see the future, you can still trust Him to work it all out. Then you don’t have to stress out over what you can’t control, and what you don’t know. You know Him, and that’s enough.

Isaiah 40:31 also contains a special blessing for those who wait on Yahuwah. Would you read that for us? Isaiah 40, verse 31. Actually, start at verse 28 and read through verse 31. That whole passage is powerful.

Miles:

Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, Yahuwah,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,

But those who wait on Yahuwah
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

Dave: Those that “wait” on Yahuwah, who choose to trust, even when they can’t see the way ahead, shall have their strength renewed. Divine strength will be given them, to carry them through.

Now, sometimes when we ask why, it’s because we’re feeling … gripey. We assume that Yah has forgotten about us, or maybe is letting us flounder in mistakes of our own making.

Miles: Yeah, it’s easy to feel that way when you know you’ve brought your current situation on yourself.

Dave: Of course it’s easy to feel that way! Satan is right there impressing those feelings upon you! But what is the net effect of those feelings? Does it draw you closer to Yah? Or push you further away?

Miles: Pushes you further away.

Dave: So you can know those feelings aren’t from Yah and reject them. I know you already read Matthew 7:11, but it applies here, too. Go ahead and read it again: Matthew 7, verse 11.

Miles: “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”

Dave: Maybe the Father is waiting to give you something even better than you asked for! It’s possible! 1 Corinthians 2:9 says “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
nor have entered into the heart of man the things which Yah has prepared for those who love Him.”

We’ve always applied that to eternity, but it can apply just as much to His plans for us in this life as well. Lay your expectations aside and simply trust in Yahuwah.

Miles: I noticed you said trust in Yahuwah—not in what you want or hope to get from Him.

Dave: Trust His love for you! He knows the future and knows what we need, not only now, but in the future as well. His love is as tender as that of a mother for her suffering little boy, and as strong and protective as a father for his precious, innocent daughter. Best of all, He delights to bless us. It’s what brings Him joy! Isn’t that a beautiful trait of character?

Miles: It really is. It’s the very definition of benevolence.

There’s another promise I think applies here as well, and that’s Jeremiah 29:11. It says, quote: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says Yahuwah, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Unquote.

We have, right here, Yah’s own promise that He has plans for us! Specific plans. And they’re for our good!

Dave: Yah’s plans for us are what we would choose for ourselves if we could discern the future like He can.

Another reason for why Yah allows things to work out the way they do, even when it hurts or we don’t understand, is that sometimes He is protecting us from something worse.

I want you to read Psalm 71, verse 15. This is a really intriguing promise, one we don’t typically pay attention to, but I think it speaks to why Yahuwah sometimes allows even tragic events to occur in our lives. Go ahead and read it once you’ve got it.

Miles: It says, quote: “My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and Your salvation all the day, for I do not know their limits.”

Dave: Yahuwah is in the work of saving us all the day long. Another version says: “My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds. Of your saving acts all day long …”

Again, Yah’s work is our salvation. He’s continually working out all the particulars that will bring into our lives what we need in order to be drawn to Him, in order to touch the lives of others, to do the work He has assigned us … it’s an extremely complicated, complex work that only He can do.

He might answer your prayer “no” because He wants to save you from something that would harm you, or He might allow something hurtful—even devastating—to save you from something worse.

Miles: Our part is to trust Him.

Dave: Always.

Miles: I don’t think we stop and realize just how complicated Yah’s work is on our behalf. Because it’s not just our behalf—yours and mine. It’s also on behalf of the neighbors, the old woman you pass on your way to work, the little boy who kicked his ball across the road in front of you. It’s on behalf of someone on the other side of the world, and their friends, and neighbors, and even enemies.

Dave: Never forget that, in a very real sense, Yahuwah is our Father. Not everyone has had the experience of having a loving father, but Yah is the very essence of a loving, protective father. He protects us physically, spiritually, and every other way. We can trust Him to make the best decisions for us, even when we don’t understand why.

Miles: There are a lot of object lessons that can be drawn from an earthly parent-child relationship, aren’t there? Any child who has a loving relationship with his or her parents is going to trust them implicitly, and that’s what we need to do, too.

Dave: What it boils down to is, sometimes things happen because Yah is protecting us. So, as with every other reason, our part is to trust.

Another reason why bad things are allowed to happen is that Yahuwah knows that the process and the lessons we learn through the trial will bring us, ultimately, closer to Him, transforming us into His divine image along the way.

A little bit ago, you read Romans 8:28 which says that all things work together for good to those who love Yah. That’s a powerful promise. But I’d like you to read it again, in context with the very next verse. Read Romans 8:28 and 29.

Miles: It says:

We know that all things work together for good to those who love Yah, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Dave: The “good” that Yah is constantly working out through our circumstances is the transformation of sinners into the divine image. Can’t we trust Him even through life’s tragedies when we know that what He is working out is for our best good?

And finally, Yahuwah allows bad things to happen because He loves us too much to give us what He knows would only hurt us. Yes, life’s trials are hard. Tragedy hurts. Catastrophes are scary and not fun. But throughout all of this, we can trust the love of our heavenly Father.

Miles: Let me read my favorite Bible passage. It’s Romans 8, verses 31 and 32. It says, quote: “What then shall we say to these things? If Yah is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall He not with him also freely give us all things?”

Dave: If you have prayed for something and not received it, whether that is for financial security, good health for yourself or a loved one, or any number of other things that bring stress into your life and you don’t understand why Yah hasn’t given you what you’ve asked for, why you’re still struggling, His answer might be: “I haven’t answered the way you asked because I love you. Someday you’ll understand.”

Miles: We can trust Him to know what’s best.

Dave: We can trust Him to know what is best. In 1 Peter 4, verses 12 and 13, the apostle said: “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.”

Miles: That’s a promise.

Dave: It is! One we can cling to.

Look. We’re living in a world of sin. It’s not easy. There is suffering. It’s why Yah never wanted sin in the first place. But we can trust that in His infinite love and wisdom, He will bring us through. We just need to trust Him in all things.

Miles: One psalm that has been really comforting to me when I’m in the midst of these “fiery trials” is Psalm 37.

Dave: Oh, yeah. That’s full of promises, isn’t it?

Miles: I won’t take the time to read all of it, but listen to the first few verses. It says:

Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in Yahuwah, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in Yah: and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto Yahuwah; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass. [Psalm 37:1-5]

Dave: When bad things are happening and you don’t know why, or you pray, and pray, and you don’t seem to be getting an answer, know that Yahuwah has His reasons and you can safely leave it all to Him. He hasn’t abandoned you! He’s right there with you.

Would you read Isaiah 43:1 and 2 for us? I love this passage. Difficulties can stretch us to the breaking point, but we can know that Yahuwah walks with us every step of the way.

Miles: Isaiah 43:1 to 2 says:

But now, thus says Yahuwah, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.”

Dave: I’d like to close with one more Bible verse. It’s a simple statement of fact, explaining what will be the state of all who trust in Yah, regardless of circumstances. Isaiah chapter 26, verses 3 and 4. What does that say?

Miles: “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You. Trust in Yahuwah forever, for in Yahuwah Adonai, is everlasting strength.”

* * *

You are listening to World's Last Chance Radio.

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

* * *Advertisement

At World’s Last Chance, we understand that following truth can exact a very high price.

Yahushua said that gaining the kingdom of Heaven was like a merchantman who gave up all that he had in order to obtain a pearl of great price. In other words, the cost of following truth “no matter what the cost” is . . . everything.

This may sound courageous in theory, but it can be scary when your job—and your ability to earn a living, or get an education—is at risk.

If you find yourself in a difficult situation at work or school, World’s Last Chance can help. On our website, we have articles that can teach you the skills needed for negotiating accommodation in both work and school.

We also provide examples of letters that can be used when writing to employers or school administrators.

Check out “Worship & Job Conflicts” on WorldsLastChance.com.

Once again, that’s “Worship & Job Conflicts” on WorldsLastChance.com.

Let us help you get accommodation for time off work or school to worship Yah.

* * *Daily Mailbag (Miles & Dave)

Miles: Isagani Roxas from Dipolog in the Philippines has sent in a question to our Daily Mailbag. He writes: “Every so often you mention the Book of Jasher. It’s not in the Bible. Could you explain what it is and why you give it so much weight when it’s not actually part of sacred Scripture?”

Dave: The word Jasher, or [yaw SHAR], literally means “upright” or “righteous.” So, the title is actually The Book of the Righteous.

It’s a very interesting book.

Miles: It is. My wife insists that it had to have been written by a woman.

Dave: Why is that?

Miles: Well, as you know, the Book of Jasher covers from Creation to the conquest of Canaan. And yet, there’s so much more in there! The detail just brings the stories of the Bible alive. It’s all the added detail that makes my wife think it was written by a woman.

Dave: I’ve noticed that, too. What Genesis will say in a single verse will be expounded on to fill half a page in Jasher. It makes for very interesting reading.

As to why we sometimes reference it, well, Scripture does!

Jasher is referred to twice in the Bible. Let’s read them both. Miles, would you look up Joshua 10, verse 13 and read that. I’ll look up 2 Samuel chapter 1, verse 18.

You’ve got yours? Go ahead.

Miles: Okay, this was when the children of Israel were fighting the Amorites. It says: “And the sun stood still and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.”

Dave: All right. Now I’ll read 2 Samuel 1:18. It says: “Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold it is written in the book of Jasher.”

Miles: Do you believe the Book of Jasher should be in the Bible?

Dave: If you’re asking if I think it could be inspired and there are good things we can draw from it, yes. If you’re asking if I think it should be on a par with the other books in the Bible, I’m not prepared to go that far.

That said, I do believe it is possible that Yahuwah preserved the integrity of this book by keeping it unavailable for centuries.

Miles: What do you mean?

Dave: By hiding it away, it was preserved from deliberate errors in translation. We know, for example, that the personal name of Yahuwah was covered up in translation—on purpose—by substituting generic titles.

Furthermore, some things have been added to Scripture that were never there in the first place. Take, for example, 1 John 5, verses 7-8. This is the primary passage used for “proving” the existence of a triune godhead. And yet, we can prove that these two verses were never in the oldest manuscripts. They were added more than a thousand years later!

Miles: True. That’s true.

Dave: So, for Jasher, I’d say: take what’s good and lay aside the rest. Keep an open mind. The detail given in Jasher is very fascinating and teaches some beautiful truths. And that’s the thing: you can always trust Yah to lead you safely into all truth.

Miles: If you have a question for us. go to WorldsLastChance.com and click on Contact Us. We always enjoy receiving your messages.

* * *Daily Promise

This is Elise O’Brien with your daily promise from Yah’s word.

Tiffany Matthews’ senior year of high school had just begun. One rainy morning as she was driving to school, she was involved in a horrific accident as another car T-boned hers. Her Toyota Celica looked as though an angry giant had picked it up, then slammed it into the ground, crumpling it like tin foil.

Tiffany was already in a coma by the time she arrived at the hospital. MRIs and CT scans revealed the terrible truth. Tiffany had a diffuse axonal traumatic brain injury. In other words, Tiffany’s entire brain was bruised. Every part of it, not just one part, but every part of it had been impacted. The situation was very grave.

Doctors told Tiffany’s parents that over 90% of people with this sort of brain injury never wake up. Furthermore, if she did happen to wake up, the sort of life she could expect was bleak. They warned she would likely remain in a vegetative state in a nursing home until some infection or other killed her.

Tiffany’s parents understood how bleak the prognosis was, but they also believed in a prayer-answering God. Prayer chains were formed. Tiffany’s story spread and people all over began praying for her.

Exactly eight days after her accident, Tiffany awoke. It seemed the doctors’ warnings were coming true. She had no memory and for six weeks was unable to say a word. Tiffany had to learn how to walk again. She had to learn how to talk, and eat, and dress herself. Or, as she put it, she went to sleep a high school senior and woke up a baby.

But finally, on December 22, 2011, seventy-one days after the accident, Tiffany was discharged from the hospital. Staff at the hospital warned Tiffany not to be discouraged if school seemed harder, or she needed more time to recover. Yes, her recovery had been astounding, but they gently warned her to know her limits and have realistic expectations.

Tiffany listened, but she was convinced the only limits were those set by Yah Himself. After all, He had brought her this far!

Six months later in the spring of 2012, Tiffany graduated with the rest of her class on time. That August, she started university … again, on time. Yahuwah, the great life-giver, was also her life-restorer.

Looking back, Tiffany says, quote:

This whole accident has taught me the greatest lesson of all: to better appreciate the life-changing truth that [Yah] is alive! I have learned not to take my precious time here on earth for granted. Am I ready to give account of what I have done here on earth? Am I using what little mustard seed of faith I have to serve my God? Does my life bring [Yahuwah] glory? This is where all our stories begin—in the place where we surrender to [Yah], allowing ourselves to be rescued by him and choosing to live with all the passion and all the courage and all the faith we can lay our hands and hearts on. That is where life begins—even when we are moments away from death.

Psalm 31, verses 7 and 8 says:

I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy,
For You have considered my trouble;
You have known my soul in adversities,
And have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy;
You have set my feet in a wide place.

We have been given great and precious promises. Go, and start claiming!

* * *Part 3: (Miles & Dave)

Miles: I just want to say that I really appreciate everything you’ve shared today. I’d always felt that it was inviting doubt to question why.

Dave: I’ve felt that way in the past, too, which is why I finally decided to make a study on the subject. And the truth is, these are just principles: this is why bad things sometimes happen. But we probably won’t learn the specifics for our individual circumstances until we get to eternity.

But that’s all right. When we know that Yahuwah loves us, when we can trust—on a soul deep level—that He is working everything out for our good, we can have internal peace.

Miles: Do you recognize the name, Horatio Spafford?

Dave: Uh … yeah. Wasn’t he a hymnwriter or something?

Miles: No. Actually, he was a prominent lawyer, but he did write a hymn.

Dave: He wrote “It Is Well With My Soul,” didn’t he?

Miles: Yes, but that’s only half the story. If anyone embodies the principles of today’s topic, it is Horatio and Anna Spafford, so I’d like to share their story.

As I said, Horatio was a wealthy and prominent lawyer who lived in the city of Chicago in the United States. He was also a successful businessman. In the spring of 1871, Horatio invested heavily in real estate. The city was growing and it seemed a good investment. Just a few months later, however, the Great Chicago Fire destroyed much of the city and most of his investment.

Dave: Financial loss is tough to deal with. It brings its own level of stress.

Miles: As you can imagine, this was an extremely difficult time for the Spaffords. Two years later, in 1873, Horatio decided to take his family to England for a holiday.

Dave: Sure. Sometimes it’s good to just get away from it all for a while.

Miles: Well, Horatio was delayed by business, so he sent his wife and their four daughters ahead, planning on joining them later. On November 22, 1873, as their ship was crossing the Atlantic, another ship, an iron sailing vessel, struck the steamship on which Horatio’s family was sailing. Two hundred and twenty-six people lost their lives, including all four of the Spafford’s daughters: 11-year old Annie, 9-year old Maggie, 5-year old Bessie, and 2-year old Tanetta.

Dave: Oh, that’s horrible!

Miles: Upon reaching England, Mrs. Spafford sent her husband a telegram saying, “Saved alone.” Horatio immediately left for England. He asked to be notified when the ship reached the spot where his daughters had drowned.

Going up on deck, gazing out at the waters that had swallowed his little girls, Horatio’s thoughts turned to Yah. He wrote a poem that a friend of his later set to music.

Dave: It’s an incredibly moving hymn. Such a profound statement of faith. Do you mind if I read the lyrics?

Miles: We can in just a minute, but the story isn’t over yet. A lot of people know that the author of “It Is Well With My Soul” lost his four daughters at sea. But they don’t know the full story. After losing their four children, Mrs. Spafford gave birth to three more children: two girls, and a boy. On February 11, 1880, their three-year old son died.

To add insult to injury, their church family turned on them. The Spaffords had been active in their Presbyterian church, but after this series of tragedies, the Spaffords became religious outsiders.

Dave: What? That’s terrible! Why?!

Miles: Well, the church members began evil surmising about them. Obviously, such a series of catastrophes is not the norm. They rejected the Spaffords because they assumed Yah was punishing them.

Dave: It’s like Job. The betrayal of those you trust, on top of everything else, can cut to the bone.

I hadn’t known about these other tragedies. What happened next?

Miles: Well, the Spaffords began home-churching. The next year, in August of 1881, they moved with their remaining two daughters to Jerusalem.

Dave: In Israel?

Miles: Yes.

Dave: Why?

Miles: Well, obviously to get away from it all; to leave behind all the bad memories. In Jerusalem, they set up what they called the American Colony and, with other Christians, began doing philanthropic work among the people of Jerusalem. They didn’t try to convert anyone. They helped all, regardless of their religion. As a consequence, they gained the trust of the local Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities.

Dave: The “American Colony.” Seems like I’ve heard of that before.

Miles: You probably have. During and after World War I, the American Colony was critical in helping the local communities. Again, regardless of religious affiliation, they helped everyone. They provided food, medical services; they opened an orphanage. They helped survivors of the Armenian and Assyrian Genocides and whatever way they could find to help, they did it.

In the 1950s, the American Colony was turned into the American Colony Hotel. Because of their reputation of neutrality and benevolence, it’s still a place where people from all of Jerusalem’s warring factions can meet in peace.

Dave: That’s where I recognized the name from! In 1992, representatives from Israel met there with representatives from the Palestine Liberation Organization. They held talks that eventually led to the 1993 Oslo Peace Accord.

Miles: Horatio Spafford’s life seems to have been one long series of heart breaks. Honestly, he’s like a modern-day Job.

Dave: Absolutely. I was thinking the same thing.

Miles: And yet, through it all, Horatio’s faith clung to what he knew about his heavenly Father: that Yah is a god of love, and justice, who will make all things right in the end.

His poem, written while sailing over where his children had lost their lives, was later set to music by a friend of his. I know, for myself, when I’ve been going through struggles, the words of faith expressed in that song have been incredibly strengthening. I see you have it pulled up there on your monitor. Could you read that for us, please? I think it’s a great way to close today’s program.

Dave: Sure.

Miles: And as he reads these lyrics, I invite each one of you listening to let these words sink deep into your soul. When the storms of life roll over us, we can trust our heavenly Father to work all things out and carry us through.

Dave? Read the first three verses for us, would you?

Dave:

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Miles: The last verse always gives me chills. It was actually added later, so you can see that Horatio revisited the sentiments in his poem a lot. With everything he’d gone through in his life, he still trusted in the goodness and love of his heavenly Father. He added this last verse and it simply resounds with his strong, unfailing faith.

Go ahead.

Dave:

And Lord haste the day, when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Miles: You may have gone through severe trials that have tested your faith. You may be going through heavy trials right now. It’s okay to ask why. Yahuwah understands the pain you’re going through and He weeps with you.

But no matter what trials you are called to go through, always remember that Yahuwah walks by your side. He loves you . . . and He is safe to trust!

* * *

You have been listening to WLC Radio.

This program and past episodes of WLC Radio are available for downloading on our website. They're great for sharing with friends and for use in Bible studies! They're also an excellent resource for those worshipping Yahuwah alone at home. To listen to previously aired programs, visit our website at WorldsLastChance.com. Click on the WLC Radio icon displayed on our homepage.

In his teachings and parables, the Savior gave no “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, the thrust of his message was constant … vigilance. Join us again tomorrow for another truth-filled message as we explore various topics focused on the Savior's return and how to live in constant readiness to welcome him warmly when he comes.

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.