The Questions AND the Questioner
For anyone who has been around a two or three year old very long, we know they ask many questions: “What’s that? Why? When? Where? How?” At first it was endearing, but before long – we get worn out with all those questions.
Can we imagine how tired God must get from our questions? “Why, God, why?” “When?” “How?” “Where will we go?” “Where are You?” “Why did You allow that?” And as a loving Father, He responds with answers that aren’t exactly what we want to hear because His answers involve time AND His timing!
God has questions of us, as well. It isn’t because He doesn’t know the answers. He knows all things. The questions God asked throughout Scripture were to get us to think, to repent, return and to be more devoted to Him.
God’s very first question was to Adam in Genesis 3:9: “Where are you?” God knew where he was, but God always gives His kids the opportunity to think. He asks us the questions: “What is going on in your heart? Who are you listening to?”
Jesus, God in the flesh, asked many questions, too:
~ “Do you believe?” Many people came to Jesus asking for a miracle, a healing, a free lunch. Like those people, we come to Him with our shopping lists, Jesus said: “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (Matthew 21:22) “Oh, Lord, we do believe. Please help us overcome our unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)
~ “Do you want to get well?” What an odd question to ask of a crippled man. Of course, he wanted to get well, but that man gave excuses why he couldn’t get there. When we complain to God about our circumstances or give Him excuses as to why we are still in the same place, perhaps the question He still aims at our hearts is: “Do you want to go to a new place where God can be your all-in-all?”
The crippled man’s response (and ours) should be: “Lord Jesus, I want You. Open my eyes to see You for Who You are. Open my ears to hear Your voice. Heal my legs so I can follow You. Heal my heart so I can love You more.”
~ “Why are you so afraid?” We know that “ask” was to His disciples. In Matthew 8:26, Jesus asked them why they were so afraid about the wind and waves. After all, He was right there in the boat with them.
If the Son of God was with them, surely, they would know they would get safely to the other side of the lake. AND, you and I have Jesus with us in every circumstance we encounter. He promised to never leave us. (Hebrews 13:5) So, what are we so afraid of? I want my answer to be “Forgive me, Lord, for fearing that anything is stronger than You or outside of Your control.”
~ Jesus asked: “Why did you doubt?” It’s easy to believe in God when we’re asking for our daily bread and for Him to bless our jobs and keep our families safe, but what about when God asks us to do what seems impossible?
Jesus told Peter to come to Him when He was walking on the water. Peter did step out of the boat but “when he saw the wind, he was afraid and began to sink and cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately, Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” He said, “why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:29-31)
Are we still doubting Jesus after what we’ve seen Him accomplish in the Scriptures and in our lives? If Jesus can walk on the water, turn water into wine, and give us living water, surely, He can keep us from the waters that threaten to rock our boat.
When we have questions – He always has answers. And, just like our little ones who ask and ask – we have the answers for them and in time – the right time – they’ll know the answers.
May we come to KNOW our beloved Father God, Who is not only the answer-giver, He’s the answer-maker and in due time, we’ll know His where, when, and how our answers will come. In the meantime, we become children, like He asked us to and we trust Him because He’s a good, good Father. He is perfect in all of His ways – and perfect in His love and timing for us.