Questioning God

Have you ever questioned God and wondered where He was or what He was doing? I would guess we’ve all had those seasons on one level or another; seasons where we struggle to trust Him and believe what He says is actually true. I definitely have and the truth is, I’m not alone it that.

There was a man named Zachariah who served in the temple in Jerusalem. While ministering, an angel appeared and told him that his wife (who was unable to conceive) was going to have a baby. Despite the fact that Zachariah…

• and his wife had been petitioning Heaven for a child for years AND
• that he was talking WITH an actual angel AND
• that he was a priest,

he asked Gabriel, “How can I know this?“

It was a question that God would indeed answer; but in order to do so, God was going to mess with Zachariah’s world. Zachariah, like many of us, sincerely wanted to know how he could trust God in his situation. None of us want to be hoodwinked. People fail us, but fearing that God could do the same can be overwhelming.

Zachariah knew God. He knew the promises and knew that God was faithful, but sometimes when our faith is tested in light of our circumstances we can easily doubt – We ask questions.

Because of Zachariah‘s doubt, God took his voice, but instead of thinking of that as a punishment, what if it was the way God would answer his question?

“How can I know this?”

Fast forward nine months. Here comes this awaited baby boy and he needed a name. When asked for that name, Zachariah wrote on a tablet: HIS NAME IS JOHN – just as the angel had instructed. It was at that precise moment that Zachariah was able to speak again.  It says in Luke 1:64, “his tongue was set free, and he began to speak, praising God…and all those who heard about him [John] asked, “What then will this child become?“

What if Zachariah’s sudden silence was to draw attention to this unborn baby? Everyone had their eyes on this family, waiting for what was to come. John was known before he knew himself. What publicity! This was the John who was chosen from the beginning of time to prepare the way for Jesus.

I wonder how often God puts us in a place of isolation or silence to draw attention to what He is doing. Times when he uses our doubtful questioning to actually bring glory to Himself.  

God has done it before.

In the Old Testament, when Moses tells Pharaoh that the God of Israel says, “let my people go,” Pharaoh responded with a question, “Who is Yahweh that I should obey him by letting Israel go?” Well, it is that question that God answered with each plague He sent to Egypt. Pharaoh would know who Yahweh was by the time it was all done.

Sometimes, when our lives take unexpected turns, it is to provide answers to our deepest questions. Those twists and turns often lead us to seasons of silence and solitude – even amidst the chaos around us. It is in the quiet that we are forced to listen and wait to see God move. If we embrace those times, He WILL overshadow our doubts and we will learn to trust Him. When we come out on the other side, we will have life-changing and powerful truths to share.

Oswald Chambers in his devotional My Utmost for His Highest says,

Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. — Matthew 10:27

“Sometimes God puts us through the experience and discipline of darkness to teach us to hear and obey Him. Song birds are taught to sing in the dark, and God puts us into “the shadow of His hand” until we learn to hear Him (Isaiah 49:2). “Whatever I tell you in the dark…” — pay attention when God puts you into darkness, and keep your mouth closed while you are there. Are you in the dark right now in your circumstances, or in your life with God? If so, then remain quiet. If you open your mouth in the dark, you will speak while in the wrong mood— darkness is the time to listen. Don’t talk to other people about it; don’t read books to find out the reason for the darkness; just listen and obey. If you talk to other people, you cannot hear what God is saying. When you are in the dark, listen, and God will give you a very precious message for someone else once you are back in the light…But once you hear Him, He gives you the gift of humiliation, which brings a softness of heart— a gift that will always cause you to listen to God now.”

 “HIS NAME IS JOHN.”

And with that, Zachariah’s voice returned. He was now different. He would never be the same. His question had been answered. He not only “knew” that God was faithful, He had now experienced God’s faithfulness.

God had proven He was trustworthy.

That was a nine-month journey for Zachariah. A journey that began with him being honest about his doubt. It began with a question.

The truth is he would have more questions, but with each new question, he would grow more confident in the one who had all the answers.

In the Meanwhile…

What did Zachariah do in his meanwhile? He couldn’t talk. He didn’t have Facebook, Instagram or email. He had no choice but to slow down, listen, watch and trust in all that God had promised him. He had to remain silent.

It’s perfectly alright to ask God when we don’t understand something, especially when we struggle to believe. It’s amidst that vulnerability that we grow and God gets to prove himself. The journey will prove to be unpredictable and it will require us to slow down, listen, watch and trust in all that God had promised – but praise will be on the other side.

So in those dark places of doubt, don’t be afraid to be honest with God. He knows your fears and He will walk with you as He works out His plans for your good.