Honest Questions

We all have questions, and some are for God—questions about how he operates, his plans, his will, and what’s going on in this world.

Big questions.  But be assured, God can take it.  Follow the lead of the Prophet Habakkuk, whose dialogue with God involves heartfelt lament over rampant sin and suffering (“How long, O Lord?”), and leads eventually to a place of quiet trust in the Father’s wise ways.

Don’t be afraid to bring your questions to God.  But also, don’t insist that God must answer all your objections swiftly and on your terms.  You see, the Lord has all eternity in which to disclose to us as much of his sovereign designs as we need to know—so be patient.

Plus, in Scripture we’re given answers to many questions—in fact, to all of the urgent questions about who God is, what he’s like, why we exist, how to live, how we can experience true joy, and more!  So before you raise questions (or repeat other people’s questions), take time to dig in to the Word of God; study, read, listen, learn.  And ask yourself, “Am I willing to accept the answers God gives?”

There’s a wise balance to pursue here:  Yes, it’s good to ask questions (and we want Goshen to be a safe place for sharing your doubts or struggles!).  But don’t wallow.  Don’t let questioning become your “standard operating procedure,” your psychological home-base.  To do so would be to demote God and elevate you as “lord.”

There are professing Christians in our day who valorize the posture of doubt:  “If you don’t doubt many long-held beliefs, you must not really be thinking!”  But that’s a perilous place to stand.  Raise your ques­tions, yes, but then be ready to fall humbly to your knees before God, assured that Judge of all the earth shall do right (Genesis 18:25).

Let me recommend two articles I’ve found very helpful in addressing one of these big questions, namely how a good God could command the Israelites to kill certain population groups:  Justin Taylor’s article at the Gospel Coalition, “How Could God Command Genocide in the Old Testament?”; and Michael J. Kruger’s blog post, “Is the God of the Bible a Genocidal Maniac?”  But beware—if you explore with an open mind, you just might begin to doubt your doubts.