Now 7 years old, my son has always thought way outside of the box. Testing his boundaries, he’s quickly realizing that while we want him to ask tough questions, not everything we say is up for discussion. It’s not an easy lesson to learn—for him or for us.
How often do we appear like 7-year-olds to God? Inquisitive, we long to know more. But that same questioning nature that pushes us to search out the mystery of His ways (Proverbs 25:2) can bring us into conflict with His sovereignty. Like a child, we must learn to live with both wonder and trust.
Few of us question the answers God gives when we’re experiencing prosperity and blessing. In heartache and trial, however, the questions tumble over one another and usually resist being neatly tucked away. Later, when we’re met with seeming silence from heaven, we become self-righteous, bold—even defiant. All the while, God remains sovereign and completely trustworthy.
Like us, Job couldn’t see past the natural world. How interesting that God used nature to remind Job of His absolute power and authority over all things. From Job’s experience, we see:
• God is patient with our questions; He too has known suffering (Matthew 26:39; 1 Peter 2:21).
• God’s love for us is greater than any trial we may face (Psalm 31:7; Romans 8:35-39).
• God is more interested in our knowing Him than in our simply getting answers (Psalm 27:8; Jeremiah 9:23-24).
Our questions don’t keep us from God, but our surrender brings us closer to Him.
More:
The Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty Savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With His love, He will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs (Zephaniah 3:17).
Next:
How can creation speak to you of God’s sovereignty? Have you ever wanted to “argue” with God about His decisions? Why?
Michael on October 1, 2010 at 6:55 am
We will always have more questions than answers.
Reirae on October 1, 2010 at 12:28 pm
I just went to a ladies’ retreat where this passage in Job was used as part of explaining God’s measureless love for us. It’s great God is still using things like odj to remind me of what I’ve been learning recently!
Tyla808 on October 2, 2010 at 5:23 am
There comes a time where our questioning is beyond human comprehension and problem solving with logic or reasoning. God’s ways and thoughts are so much higher than ours and He is he only One who can reveal these mysteries as well as gift us with the understanding of these mysteries…our responsibility is to accept His word as absolute truth (intuitively and instinctively because sometimes logical application of God’s word based on human understanding will “logically” prove many things from the bible as fallacy).
That’s when faith steps in. And faith is a guarantee, it is evidence…not based on anything that we can tangibly see/touch/feel.
God is relational and our walk is experiential. With each question we gain more truth, we strengthen our relationship with Him and we have more experiences of His love and power. Hallelujah!