Isaiah 55:8-9 | James 1:5-8 | Acts 17:11 | 2 Corinthians 12:7-9
You, with your hand up…?
Morgan and Joél may have gotten a little off-track thinking that Jesus spoke English. Or maybe it was just Morgan who was off… Despite that, they gave some great answers to some very difficult questions.
Do you have questions about God or the Bible? If you don’t, you are probably not thinking very much about them.
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT
God’s thoughts are nothing like our thoughts, and we can not even imagine how He does things. So of course you are going to have questions!
What should you do when questions arise? First, ask God.
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.
James 1:5 NLT
James tells us that God will give us wisdom, hassle-free, just for asking. But–based on what he says next–we have to have faith in God, even without all the answers.
But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.
James 1:6-8 NLT
We need to believe that Jesus is who he says he is, and that God loves us as he says he loves us. God will give us wisdom because he loves us, and because we ask in good faith.
You may need help from your pastor or another faithful church member. Ask them your question, and to pray with you for understanding. God may use them to give you the wisdom you asked for.
But does that mean you should believe what they tell you in blind faith? Definitely not. It is good to do your own investigation.
And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.
Acts 17:11 NLT
The believers in Berea searched the scriptures to see if what Paul & Silas told them about Jesus checked out. You can do the same. Sometimes when you do, an amazing thing happens: you learn something new that answers an entirely different question!
Have you ever wondered why some things are not explained in scripture? Like what was the thorn in Paul’s flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7-9) he asked God to take away? There has been a lot of speculation on that one…but nobody knows for sure what it was.
It seems that detail is not absolutely necessary to our understanding that God’s grace is all we need, and that His power works best in weakness. We are told enough to learn to embrace our weakness as Paul did, and humbly trust God.
But that should not stop you from asking questions. Keep asking and investigating. One day, you might be the one someone asks for help with their questions.
Questions for Group Discussion
- What kinds of questions have you had about God and/or the Bible? Have you had much success in finding answers? What do you still wonder about?
- Who do you feel comfortable approaching with your questions? Why? Who would you not feel comfortable asking? Why not?
- What do you think James means when he tells us (in James 1:5-8) to ask God without wavering, keeping our faith in Him alone? In some translations, it says ‘doubt’ instead of ‘waver’. Does this sound extremely difficult, or are we just overthinking or misunderstanding the instruction James gives?
Challenge: Your Top Ten
DISCLAIMER: By presenting this challenge, we are in no way requesting that you start your own blog, click-bait, or video channel. Thank you.
For this challenge, you need to write your own top ten list…of Biblical/theological questions.
- Those questions about God or the Bible people ask that you cannot answer
- Questions that you think about when you wake up in the middle of the night
- The question that pops up every time you read a certain scripture
- Questions you would ask God if he were standing in front of you saying, “Go ahead, Slugger, ask away!”
Write those down! (Then rank them 1 to 10.)
BONUS: Share these questions with someone wiser who you trust. Ask them to clear up any they can.
