Questions – we all have them – starting at the age of two with everyone’s favorite question, “why?” But asking questions isn’t a skill unique to toddlers. It almost seems inherent in us as humans. The same questions get asked so often that we have an acronym for it – FAQ. We question our children’s behavior, our husband’s decisions, and our employer’s policies. We question the ability of the drivers in the vehicles around us. If we are honest with ourselves, don’t we also question God? We beg Him for answers about why some people seem to have such easy lives while we struggle with finances, jobs or relationships. We want to know why He has allowed tragedies in our lives or the lives of those we love. I don’t think God is surprised by our questions. After all, not only did He create our inmost being (Psalm 139:13), He also knows the secrets of our hearts (Psalm 44:21).
Although it doesn’t come as a surprise to God when we question Him, I can’t help but wonder how it makes Him feel, The sadness that comes from those you love so deeply not trusting you.
Have you ever noticed that satan asked the first question in the Bible? He was speaking to Eve when he asked, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?” (Genesis 3:1) It was not an innocent question. He was intentionally questioning God’s word in order to cast doubt about the authority of God in the mind of Eve. It worked, Eve was deceived and a chain of events was set in motion that separated us from our Creator.
We are blessed to serve a God who is patient with those He created and who has offered us a way back to Him. He says in Psalm 81:13-14, “If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes.” The Psalms are full of beautiful verses about who God is and all of the magnificent things He has done for those He created; and it is full of questions. It is comforting to me that many of the writers inspired by God to pen His word were also inquisitive. There are more than 100 questions posed directly to God throughout Psalms and not once do we ever read of God ridiculing any of them. What I find most impressive about Psalms is that the writers didn’t just ask the questions, they also sought out the answers while continuing to put their trust in God.
Psalm 13 is just one example. David begins by calling out to God, asking if God has forgotten him? His pain is deep. He ends with a proclamation of trust and praise to God.
Are we doing the same? Are we doing more than just asking the questions? Are we continuing to praise and trust God as we seek answers?
Scripture tells us that if seek Him, we will find Him (Deuteronomy 4:29) My prayer is that just “as the deer pants for streams of water” (Psalm 42:1), we will also pant for God’s truths and fill our hearts with them giving us insight not only into who God is, but also the reasons we should trust Him, serve Him, and live for Him. Perhaps, like David, the next time we question God, we will also trust in Him, in the One who created us and loves us so much that He longs to spend all of eternity with us.
With Eyes on the Cross 