Questioning

             Recently, in my devotion time, I read a devotion that said that we should never question God.  The author went on to say that we should never blame God or “shake our fist in His face” or run away from Him.  I agree completely with those last thoughts, but I must disagree with her statement about questioning God.

            Don’t misunderstand.  I think that when you “question God” you are walking on shaky ground, so you need to come into His presence with humility and reverence, and with a desire for an intimate conversation with the Sovereign God.  It’s not something to take lightly.

            I consider the Psalms of David, where he both questions and praises the Almighty.  Contrast Psalm 10: 1 “Why, O Lord, do you stand far off?  Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” against Psalm 8: 1 “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in all the earth!”  Or what about Psalm 13: 1 “How long, O Lord?  Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” and Psalm 18: 2 “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in who I take refuge.  He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”    Finally, consider Psalm 22: 1 “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?” and Psalm 23: 1 “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” 

            Each of those Psalms was penned by the same man, David.  He often questioned God, not to place blame or denounce his Maker, but to cry out to the only one who could save him.  David’s questions were cries for God’s help, for relief from the danger and the pain that he was enduring.  He questioned often but he never dwelled on those questions.  The contrasting Psalms clearly show that he still knew that God was God and that he alone could deliver him. 

            I picture David beating on God’s chest, in agony, and God’s big, loving arms surrounding him in a bear hug.  God knows our pain.  He hears our cries.  He doesn’t deny us our feelings, but He wants us to understand that His plan is so much greater than this one moment in time when pain and sorrow seem to be ripping us apart.  In Isaiah 55: 8, He says it this way: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.”

            Sin, not God, causes pain and suffering in this world.  Blaming God won’t change things, but His love and grace can change our eternal destination.  When we are faced with the trials and pain of this world, we may cry out and even question God momentarily, but His love and compassion bring us back to the realization that no matter what happens in this world, He is still God, and He is still on His throne!  Perhaps, our ultimate answer to all our questions is found in another of David’s Psalms, Psalm 40.  Never forget that He hears our cries, so put your trust in Him.

Psalm 40

All Scriptures are taken from NIV84.

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