Why, God?

Why, God?

In heaven we’ll understand why.

KEITH GREEN was a struggling Hollywood nightclub singer, but at the same time he was fascinated with Jesus. A Christian friend invited Keith and his wife, Melody, to a Bible study of his Vineyard Christian Fellowship at a home in Beverly Hills. The leader spoke about how God sent his Son to earth to show the way to the Father. He explained, “You need to open your heart to Jesus and let him come into your life.”

As he ended his talk, he asked those wanting to receive Jesus to raise their hands. Keith raised his hand, but Melody couldn’t get her hand to move. The leader had those who raised their hands repeat a prayer, and then they were dismissed.

Keith had a gig that night at a bar, but during one of his breaks, he told Melody, “I just can’t do this anymore.”

The next week seemed to go on forever for Melody. She kept thinking, I want to go back to the Vineyard. I hope he asks us to raise our hands again.

They returned to the Bible study the next Friday night. At last the leader got to the hand-raising part. Melody raised her hand and a rush of peace greater than anything she had ever experienced filled her heart.

Keith Green quickly became one of the most popular Christian singer-songwriters. His debut album set a record for sales in the Christian recording industry. As a result, requests for concert bookings came flooding in.

Not only did God give Keith success in his music and speaking ministry, but in the next years he blessed them with three children: Josiah, Bethany, and Rebekah.

On July 28, 1982, the Greens and their children were at the Last Days Ministries base in Texas. Melody was rejoicing because she had just learned she was pregnant again. While leading a worship time for the staff, Keith surprised Melody by announcing to the group, “God is going to raise my wife up! She is going to speak against abortion—but that is not all. The Lord is going to use Melody in a mighty way, and she’s going to speak about many different things in many different places.”

After dinner Keith wanted to take the Greens’ visiting family friends on a plane ride to see the area from the air. Keith took their two oldest children, Josiah and Bethany, with him for the plane ride. As he was leaving he called to Melody in an offhand way, “If I don’t come back, raise Rebekah to be a woman of God.” Keith jumped in the car and drove to the airstrip.

In a short while Melody received a phone call that the plane had crashed. Rushing to the crash site, she learned that there were no survivors. Keith Green was just twenty-eight.

That night a close friend called Melody with a word she had received from the Lord for her. Melody quickly got a pencil and wrote as her friend spoke: “They are with me. My glory is revealed to them. They are in my arms.”

The following winter Melody gave birth to Rachel. In the next two years Melody traveled to 110 cities and spoke to three hundred thousand people at Keith Green Memorial Concerts. She served as president of Last Days Ministries and its sister organization, Americans against Abortion.

Years after his death Keith Green is still considered to be among the most popular Christian recording artists.

Reflection

When someone we care about dies, our natural reaction is to ask God why. What should our reaction be when negative events occur in our lives? It is significant that in the book of Job, Job himself never knew about the spiritual contest that was the cause of his sufferings and the death of his children (Job 1:16-19).

Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. . . . He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be stripped of everything when I die. The Lord gave me everything I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!” In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.

Job 1:20-22