A Faith Full Of Questions

“Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking and you will find; knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who keeps on asking receives, and he who keeps on seeking finds, and to him who keeps on knocking, it will be opened."

                                                    --Matthew 7:7-8 Amplified

It's been said that there are only two certainties in life--death and taxes. I can't completely disagree with this notion, as both of these facets of life make their way to all of us without prejudice and without condition. However, being nearly one year away from turning a half century old (or in my kids' gaming world, leveling up), I believe there is at least one more certainty to this world we live in--it's full of questions. 

Questions are peculiar entities. We encourage them in the early stages of growth when our children are learning to stand on their wobbly little legs and take their first steps into an as yet unchartered atmosphere, their eyes wide with wonder and excitement. We delight in listening to them learn and ask about what they see and touch and feel around them and take even more delight in giving them our very best answers or at the least our very best guesses. With every answer comes a new question with a new and another question...

(...and the wheels on the bus go round and round.)

And then somewhere along the line questions are no longer encouraged or moments to take delight in. Questions become irritants, especially when they come with the appearance of being answered in several different capacities. We become frustrated because after all, so-and-so should know this! It's all been explained, demonstrated, __________________________ (you fill in the blank) in every way known to man, why are they not understanding this? Let's face it, the idea behind playing "20 Questions" is to ask twenty different questions! 

Along this same avenue is the notion that questions have the same ranking as Harry Potter's Lord Voldemort--"they must not be named." Somewhere, somehow, at some point we have been led to believe that questions are a road not to be taken, especially in the matter of faith. During those times of struggle when we feel as though our prayers are bouncing off the sky and returning to us void, when we walk through our valley of the shadow feeling more alone than we have ever felt in our lives, we are not to ask why this, that, or the other has happened because to do so means we are questioning God's sovereignty and to question that means we have a serious chink in the armor of our faith. 

Guess what, folks? 

Not only is it NOT a sin to ask questions regarding our faith but Christ Himself answered at least 113 different questions throughout the Gospels!

A man named Taylor Holmes did some research on this very subject and found that of those 113 questions 52 were asked by Christ Himself while the other 61 came in answer to the questions of others. Questions such as:

Are You the coming one or do we look for another?

How can a man be born when he is old?

Where then do you get that living water?

Lord, to whom shall we go?

Who then is greatest in the kingdom of Heaven?

Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him?

Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?

By what authority are You doing these things?

We don't need to be afraid to bring our questions before Him. He neither minds them nor does He shy away from asking questions of His own. Consider these:

Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?

Why do you think evil in your hearts?

Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep?

Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?

Woman, where are those accusers of yours?

Which of you convicts Me of sin?

And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?

When Jesus asked questions they were asked with the purpose of of getting people not only to think but to examine their hearts and lives. David Jeremiah wrote about an English vicar, William Haslam, who in the 1800s had tried to preach the Gospel though he himself had never experienced salvation. He went through the rituals and the motions and all of the outward signs but to truly know Christ? That had not taken place...yet. Little by little the Lord moved and worked and spoke until the day came when Haslam tasted and felt the salvation of Christ. As a result his next sermon was based upon Matthew 22:42--"What think ye of Christ?" As he preached, something stirred inside of him, that inner voice pointing out how he was no better than the Pharisees of old, and his spirit softened and the expression on his face changed. A member of the congregation noticed what was happening and shouted "The parson is converted! The parson is converted! Hallelujah!" Along with Haslam, at least twenty more souls were brought into the Kingdom that day all because of one simple question: "What think ye of Christ?" 

What DO you think of Christ?

Of His questions?

Of His answers? 

What is it that you long to ask Him?

   

                                               Devotional Time

Take a moment to read and reflect on Matthew 7:7-8, James 1:5, and 1 John 5:14. Bring your questions to Him. He not only wants to hear them but He waits to give His answers. Reflect on any answers you may have already been given as well as those you may still be waiting on. Remember some answers will only come when we go to be with Him; however never stop asking! And thank Him always for His answers both in the now and the not yet.