Tag Archives: questioning God

Exactly What You Need

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Job 11-14

Who can blame Job for having a pity party? The man had been handed an incredibly hard pill to swallow. He was sad. He was sick. He had questions. But here’s what I think we can learn from Job’s example: the longer the pity party is allowed to continue, the deeper into despair you go.

Job thought about the unfairness of it all, his personal loss, the fact that he was totally alone in this consumed him. Now, in just a few chapters we will see he realizes the harm in that. But right now, the man is about as low as a man can be.

Some of you may be going through Job-like circumstances. No one is telling you not to be sad. Jesus wept when Lazarus died. No one is telling you not to question. Jesus, on the cross, asked, “Why?” However, we as Christians don’t have to stay in the sad or uncertainty.

We, like Paul, can learn to be content in whatever circumstances we find ourselves because we can trust God who does all things well, who works things out for the good for those of us who love Him.

Whatever it is that is bringing you down, the state of the world, the state of the Church, your home, your physical body, whatever it is, you can confidently surrender it to God. When you do HIs peace, peace the world cannot understand, will guard your hearts and minds now in your present circumstances and right into eternity.

When Christians are the worry-warts, the Debbie Downers, the frightened and paranoid, Satan wins! What kind of witness can you be if the only thing you’re focused on is you? How can you share God’s grace when you only talk about how bad things are? How can you express the joy of the Lord when you ignore the joy-giving Presence of God?

No matter what you are going through, God is still telling you to go and make disciples. No matter how tough life is for you, God is still telling you to be a light.

Do you remember Paul and Silas? They, bruised and bleeding and chained to prison walls, sang praises to God at midnight. And what happened? The foundation of the prison crumbled, their chains fell off, and they were free!

When we choose to fix our eyes on Jesus, God can shake the prison walls of our circumstances, break the chains that bind us to depression and anxiety or self-pity, and set us free.

Is it midnight, so to speak? Are you in the middle of hardship and loss? Have your pity party if you must. But please don’t stay there. Take your eyes off the prison walls and chains, and look into the eyes of Jesus, your advocate, your strength, a present help in times of trouble, your Savior who loves you!

He’s there. He’s listening. And He is exactly what you need.

God Is Good

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Job 5-10

I think if my picture of God was the same as Job’s, I might pray to die, too. He views God as a prowling lion ready to pounce; Big Brother always watching, hoping to catch us doing something wrong. He sees God as the ultimate bully, and says no one is safe from Him.

That’s such a sad way to look at our loving Heavenly Father.

Now, Job’s attitude might be understandable considering everything he went through. But it is not an excuse.

Job, as well as we, seem to judge God by how well we are doing. If I’m healthy, wealthy, and happy then God is a good God. But if bad things happen I question if God is truly good, and maybe wonder if He exists at all. Are we saying God is only worth worshiping in the sunshine?

No matter what our circumstances, God is good. No matter our health, our finances, our relationships, God is good.

As I was reading Job’s speech today I was reminded that it’s not my place to judge God. I can question Him. But in the end I can only surrender to Him, knowing no matter what…

God is good.

A Brave Face

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Job 1-7

Job asks, “Don’t I have a right to complain?” (6:5)

One of my favorite movies and in my opinion one of funniest, is The Great Race starring Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. There is a scene that cracks me up every time. Several people are stranded on an iceberg in the middle of the ocean. Curtis’ character notices the iceberg is slowly melting. Lemmon’s character sees him measuring the iceberg and asks what’s going on.

Curtis whispers to Lemmon that the iceberg is melting. “But don’t tell anyone,” he says. “We wouldn’t want to worry them.” Then Lemmon (and you have to see his delivery of this line) says, “Ok. But when the water is up to my chin, I’m going to mention it to someone!”

Sometimes we think Christians should suffer in silence. We wouldn’t want anyone to think Christians are anything less than blessed and happy all the time, would we? But is that realistic? And does our brave face give a wrong impression to people who are watching us go through hard times?

Job asks another question. “Is not all human life a struggle?” (7:1a) Of course it is. Sin in our world has caused life to be a struggle for all of humanity. So why do we pretend we don’t struggle?

It’s not wrong to cry when you receive a cancer diagnosis, or lose a loved one. It’s not unchristian to admit you are going through a hard time. I don’t believe it’s wrong according to Scripture to be angry in the difficult position we often find ourselves.

But here is what I think God would have us see in Job:

In all this Job did not sin by blaming God. (1:22)

Oh, he questioned. He complained. He expressed anger and frustration. And he admitted he was depressed and wanted to die. But he didn’t shake his fist at God and walk away from his faith.

Job continued to trust God even when he didn’t understand his circumstances.

Are you in trouble right now? Go ahead and throw something. Pound your pillow. Cry out to God. But don’t deny the fact you are facing trouble. There are people who would count it a privilege to pray with and for you.

There are some things you aren’t intended to handle alone. There are some times when admitting you CAN’T do this, is the most freeing words you can say, when you turn the situation over to God.

And God, who does all things well, is able to carry your load. He’s not fooled by your brave face.

September 27; How?

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Joel 3; Malachi 1-4

I don’t know about you, but reading Malachi makes me uncomfortable. Every time God says something, the people question Him. It almost seems like they are insisting God defend His position against them. Just the thought of demanding God explain Himself makes me feel uncomfortable.

But it must not have bothered Israel at the time. God told them He had loved them. “How?” they asked. God told them they were showing contempt for Him. “How?” they asked. And when God said they’d shown contempt by offering defiled food on the altar, the Israelites asked, “How?”

Oh, it doesn’t even end there. The Israelites questioned God when He told them to return to Him, and when He accused them of robbing Him. “How are we to return?” “How do we rob You?”

I might talk like that to a co-worker. It’s doubtful I’d talk like that to an employer. I’m pretty sure I’d never talk like that to my dad. But I can’t even imagine a time when I would be so arrogant to talk like that to a Holy God.

That’s not to say I don’t have questions once in a while. I noticed two key verses in Malachi that tell me how to handle my questions.

(3:7) “Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty.

(4:4) Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel.

If I want to know how I’ve offended God, how I’ve disobeyed, and how I’ve grieved Him; if I want to know what sin is I need look no further than Scripture. Every answer to every question is lovingly written there by God Himself.

So after reading Malachi today, I realize the only “How” I want to come out of my mouth when talking to my Lord is the one followed by, “…can I serve You?”

Inquiring Minds

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Habakuk wasn’t afraid to question God. “Why, God?” he asked. He listened to God’s reply, then went on to ask “What about this?” Habakuk is an example of an inquiring mind, and God made inquiring minds.

I’m not interested in pouring over ancient history to put a time-line on these prophecies. But some people are, and that’s ok. I think Scripture teaches that God wants us to dig, to learn, to be awed by creation, and to love him enough to get to know him. The problem is when we assign human attributes to God, when we try to define him by ways we understand.

We can’t know anything about God that’s not revealed in his Word. Studying history, or reading commentaries (as helpful as they are) to come to an understanding of God isn’t necessary. Reading the Bible is.

God isn’t afraid of our questions. He created us with the ability to think and wonder. But he will reveal only a portion of Who he is, give only the answers we NEED to know this side of heaven.

So go ahead and ask. Then accept the fact that there are some things we cannot know. If we were able to know everything God knows, he’d be us.