Purpose and Reason

I have heard people say, "Everything happens for a reason."  Like many Christian-sounding cliches, this is not a phrase you will find in the Bible.  This sentiment is possibly a hackneyed quote from Ecclesiastes 3:1 that says, "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven..."  It is important to point out that "purpose" and "reason" are not synonyms, though we might use them interchangeably in common conversation.  Purpose is the target to be reached, and the reason is the cause.  Purpose is all about plans and intention of the will, while a reason is what causes something.

When Solomon spoke about God having a time for every purpose under heaven, it means God has an intended end for everything He allows to occur.  Perhaps a good illustration to explain the difference between purpose and reason can be seen in answering the question:  why is the kettle boiling?  One might explain how the heat causes the water to boil as the reason why the kettle is boiling, but the purpose of the kettle boiling is because I want to make a cup of tea.  We often desire to know reasons while God is working at purposes we cannot fully comprehend because He is God, and all His ways and thoughts are above ours.  We imagine knowing a reason for our suffering will provide some comfort, but it is only in God we find peace, rest and beauty by faith in God who is good.

God is able to make all things beautiful in His time according to His glorious purposes.  Paul says it this way in Romans 8:28:  "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."  God had redemptive purposes in the suffering of His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, and He has given eternal life and liberty to all who believe.  In His wisdom and grace God has revealed this to us in His word, though He does not reveal everything.  Job fervently desired to know reasons God allowed him to suffer, yet God never even revealed the source of his trial was Satan himself.  God allowed many questions Job asked to go unanswered, yet He was faithful and gracious to answer with a glorious revelation of Himself.

The reason why there are devastating floods in eastern Australia at the moment is because there has been an incredibly large amount of rain in a short time.  The reason why hundreds of thousands of people are fleeing Ukraine today is because it has become a war zone.  The reasons are not hard to explain, but I cannot explain how God will bring good from them.  But because God has purposes in flood and drought, in times of war and peace, we can look to Him with full assurance of faith He will make all things work together for good to those who love God.  I am grateful and thankful God remains good when times are bad, and how He can take what man intends for evil and turn it into good.  Choosing to place our faith in the almighty God is always reasonable, even when we cannot know His purposes.