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ANSWERS TO SOME DIVINE WHYS OF LIFE
By Dr. Lawrence Osifo

Chapter One
The Mystery of Divine Thoughts
The evening breeze moved gently through the tall palm trees that stood proudly behind Elder Nathaniel’s house. The old man sat on his carved wooden chair under the mango tree, his Bible open on his lap, his eyes fixed on the young men and women gathered before him. They had come, as they often did, to hear him speak about life’s mysteries.
One of them, Ruth, broke the silence.
Ruth: “Elder, I have been wondering… Why do some things happen the way they do? Why does God allow some people to suffer, and others to succeed so easily? It feels unfair sometimes.”
Elder Nathaniel smiled softly. He had heard that question many times in his eighty years of life.
Elder Nathaniel: “Ah, my dear, that is a question as old as humanity itself. You are not the first to ask ‘Why?’ and you will not be the last. But listen to what God Himself says.”
He turned the pages of his Bible and read slowly, his voice calm yet commanding.
‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith 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.’ — Isaiah 55:8-9
The crowd grew silent. You could hear the chirping of crickets in the nearby bushes.
Elder Nathaniel: “Do you see, children? God is not human. His plans are built upon eternal wisdom. What may appear strange or painful to us may actually be a divine masterpiece in progress.”
He paused, looking into their faces.
Elder Nathaniel (softly): “The divine why is not always answered by reason, but by revelation. When we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.”
A young man named Jude spoke up next.
Jude: “But Elder, what about when innocent people suffer while wicked men prosper? Where is the fairness?”
Elder Nathaniel: “Ah, Jude, that is the mystery of divine justice. You see, God’s timing is not man’s timing. Sometimes, the wicked rise only to fall harder. Sometimes, the righteous suffer only to be refined. God is never late, never blind, and never unjust.”
He looked at them deeply and said one of his favourite quotes:
“God’s delays are not His denials; His silence is not His absence.”
The youths nodded, their hearts stirred. Elder Nathaniel’s words carried peace, even if they didn’t yet carry full understanding.

🌿 Reflection Questions — Chapter One
1. What does Isaiah 55:8–9 teach us about the difference between God’s thoughts and man’s thoughts?
Answer: _______________________________________________

2. According to Elder Nathaniel, how should we respond when we do not understand God’s ways?
Answer: _______________________________________________

3. What does the phrase “God’s delays are not His denials” mean to you personally?
Answer: _______________________________________________

4. Why is it important to trust God even when His actions seem mysterious?
Answer: _______________________________________________

5. Describe a moment in your life when you did not understand God’s plan but later saw His purpose.
Answer: _______________________________________________


Chapter Two
The Unlikely Helpers of Heaven
Several days later, Elder Nathaniel met the same group again, this time by the village stream. The sound of flowing water made the meeting serene.
Ruth: “Elder, last time you said God’s ways are higher than ours. But I still don’t understand why God sometimes uses unexpected people to fulfil His plans. Why, for example, did He use a harlot like Rahab to save the spies?”
Elder Nathaniel chuckled, stroking his white beard.
Elder Nathaniel: “Ah, that is a good question, Ruth. Do you know what that story teaches us? That God’s mercy is wider than man’s judgment. God looks at the heart, not the history.”
He turned to James 3:17 and read aloud:
‘The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.’
Elder Nathaniel: “Rahab’s past did not disqualify her from God’s plan. She feared God, she acted in faith, and that faith changed her destiny. God’s wisdom is full of mercy—it reaches where man’s morality cannot.”
Jude: “So, Elder, are you saying that God can use anyone—even a sinner?”
Elder Nathaniel: “Indeed, my son. Look at Peter in Acts 10:34–35. He said, ‘Of a truth, I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with Him.’”
Ruth: “That means even the rejected can be accepted by God if they turn their hearts to Him.”
Elder Nathaniel: “Exactly! That is the divine why—God uses the unworthy to show that His grace, not our goodness, is what qualifies us.”
He leaned closer to the group and said, with eyes glistening like morning dew:
“Never look down on anyone that God has decided to lift up. Grace can grow in the most unlikely soil.”
The group murmured in agreement. The mystery of divine choices began to make sense to them.

🌿 Reflection Questions — Chapter Two
1. What lesson can we learn from Rahab’s story about God’s ways?
Answer: _______________________________________________

2. How does James 3:17 describe the wisdom that comes from above?
Answer: _______________________________________________

3. What does Peter mean when he says God is no respecter of persons?
Answer: _______________________________________________

4. How can a person’s past become part of God’s plan for their future?
Answer: _______________________________________________

5. What does Elder Nathaniel mean by “Grace can grow in the most unlikely soil”?
Answer: _______________________________________________


Chapter Three
When the Will Aligns with the Divine
One cool morning, the group gathered again under the same mango tree. A soft light shone through the leaves as Elder Nathaniel spoke of another mystery—the one that puzzled many: Why did God command a prophet to marry a harlot?
Jude: “Elder, this one troubles me the most. Why would a holy God tell a holy man to do something that looks shameful?”
Elder Nathaniel smiled gently.
Elder Nathaniel: “Because, my son, sometimes God uses human acts to reveal divine truths. When God told Prophet Hosea to marry Gomer, the harlot, it was a symbol of how God loved Israel even when they were unfaithful to Him.”
He lifted his Bible and read slowly:
“Whenever the will of humans aligns with the Divine will, God approves.”
Elder Nathaniel: “Hosea obeyed even though he did not understand. That obedience revealed a deeper message—God’s love is unconditional, faithful, and redemptive.”
Ruth: “So the prophet’s life became a message?”
Elder Nathaniel: “Yes, my child. Sometimes, your obedience will preach louder than your words.”
Jude: “But isn’t it difficult to obey God when His instructions make no sense?”
Elder Nathaniel: “It is difficult, but not impossible. Faith is trusting God even when His plan offends your logic. True wisdom begins where human understanding ends.”
He then quoted softly, almost like a whisper carried by the wind:
“When you cannot understand the ‘Why,’ learn to trust the ‘Who.’”
The group sat in deep silence, each person reflecting on their own unanswered “whys.” The elder’s final words pierced their hearts like divine arrows:
“Some divine whys will never be explained on earth, but when our hearts rise to heaven, we will see that everything God did was right, merciful, and full of love.”
The meeting ended with a short prayer, and as the youths walked home, peace filled their hearts—not because they understood everything, but because they trusted the One who does.

🌿 Reflection Questions — Chapter Three
1. Why did God command Prophet Hosea to marry a harlot?
Answer: _______________________________________________

2. What lesson does Hosea’s obedience teach about aligning human will with divine will?
Answer: _______________________________________________

3. How does obedience reveal deeper spiritual truths?
Answer: _______________________________________________

4. What does Elder Nathaniel mean by “Faith is trusting God even when His plan offends your logic”?
Answer: _______________________________________________

5. How can you personally apply the message of trusting God’s higher ways in your daily life?
Answer: _______________________________________________