We all come to a point in our lives when we question God. Questions come in all different forms based on the situation we find ourselves in. I know there have been many moments in my life when I questioned God's plan especially when it seemed to make no sense.
At this moment in my life, I am in a place of transition and I asked, what are some of the major questions we ask God and more importantly what are the answers to these questions. I found there are three major questions we ask.
Question 1: When?
When will it happen, when will my prayer be answered, when will I see a change, when will I know that God has changed things, when do I need to do what's asked of me? There are a lot of when questions. This question is about timing.
You may or may not have heard this verse before but it gives a little perspective, "But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day." 2 Peter 3:8.
The problem isn't whether or not God will work in our lives in the different areas we are searching for answers, because He will. The problem is that we forget that God's timing is not ours. As cliché as this may sound its true. Sometimes God does answer the when question and give us a timeline for things but many times He does not. When He doesn't give us the answer to when there is a truth to remember.
Truth: God's timing is not our timing. Be patient in waiting for His even when its difficult is whats important.
Question 2: How?
How is it going to happen, how can God do this, how will God answer, how is this possible, how can he work out this situation? The when question can be frustrating but the how question goes a little deeper. This question is about provision.
Two verses come to mind when I think about this question. Matthew 6:26 says, "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" And Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
God has an amazing plan for each of our lives. Worrying about how, will do nothing but cause problems for ourselves. Many times we wont see how until it is accomplished. When it feels as though we will never know how, there is a truth to remember.
Truth: God is big enough to do anything. He loves and cares about us enough to be engaged. Trusting him to provide as he promised in His word is whats important.
Question 3: Why?
Why did this happen, why didn't God stop it, why did God let it? The list of why's could go on and on and on. I think this is one of the most difficult questions we can ask God. This question is often linked to very serious and personal matters. When you dig deeper, many times this question is about God's sovereignty.
Theopedia.com describes God's sovereignty this way:
"The Sovereignty of God is the biblical teaching that all things are under God's rule and control, and that nothing happens without His direction or permission. God works not just some things but all things according to the counsel of His own will (see Eph. 1:11). His purposes are all-inclusive and never thwarted (see Isa. 46:11); nothing takes Him by surprise. The sovereignty of God is not merely that God has the power and right to govern all things, but that He does so, always and without exception."
This is a difficult subject to wrap my head around. Ultimately what this means is that God is God, he has a plan that I may never understand it. Things are going to happen that I don't get, don't like and don't agree with. God may choose to give me the answer to my why question but when he doesn't there is a truth to remember.
Truth: When I don't know why, I can know that God is in control; He is good, He loves me and He wants to best for me even when it doesn't look that way.
Questioning God is the easy part. Getting the answers is what's hard. I'm sure many of us have experienced silence when asking God one of these three questions. The great thing is that God cares for us enough that He gave us his word with truths to fall back on when there is no answer.
At the end of the day the truth of it all is: God's timing is not our timing, He loves and cares for us enough to provide all that we need. He is God and deserves all the glory, his plan is all that matters even when we don't understand. This may be hard to swallow at times but is also reassuring in the sense that God is consistent in who He says He is and what He says He will do.
Thought for the Day: Am I willing to remember truth and trust who God says he is? Am I willing to lean on the promises that He has left for me through His Word even when I am unable to get all the answers I want from Him?
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