You Can Ask God Questions, But Don’t Question God
Scripture: 1 Kefa (1 Peter) 1:5–7 (CJB)
“Even gold is tested for genuineness by fire. The purpose of these trials is so that your trust’s genuineness, which is far more valuable than perishable gold, will be judged worthy of praise, glory and honor at the revealing of Yeshua the Messiah.” — 1 Peter 1:7 (CJB)
There is a difference between asking God questions and questioning God.
Asking God questions is part of growing in our relationship with Him. But questioning His goodness, His faithfulness, or His character simply because we don’t understand what He’s doing is something entirely different.
Throughout Scripture, we see faithful men and women asking God questions. David cried out, “How long, O LORD?” Job struggled to understand his suffering. Even Jesus, while hanging on the cross, cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
God is not intimidated by our questions. He already knows our hearts, our struggles, our fears, and our frustrations.
But here is where we need to examine our hearts: Are we asking God because we want to understand His will, or are we questioning Him because His will doesn’t align with ours?
Peter reminds us that our trust in God will be tested. Just as gold must endure fire to reveal its genuineness, our faith is tested through the trials and difficulties we face.
Think about that for a moment.
It’s easy to say we trust God when everything is going according to plan. It’s easy to praise Him when our prayers are being answered the way we hoped. It’s easy to proclaim His faithfulness when life is comfortable.
But what happens when the fire gets hot?
What happens when the healing doesn’t come? When the relationship isn’t restored? When the financial burden grows? When we pray and pray, yet nothing seems to change?
Do we continue trusting God, or do we begin questioning whether He is listening?
Peter doesn’t tell us that trials mean God has abandoned us. Quite the opposite. He reminds us that even in our suffering, we are being protected by God’s power through faith.
The fire isn’t proof that God has forgotten you.
And the purpose of the testing isn’t to inform God of something He doesn’t already know. It reveals the genuineness of our faith and produces something of eternal value.
Faith isn’t proven by how loudly we praise God when life is good. It’s revealed by whether we continue trusting Him when life is hard.
Now, understand something important. There is nothing wrong with crying out to God in pain, frustration, or confusion. Scripture is filled with faithful people who did exactly that. Even a struggling believer can cry, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
God welcomes an honest heart.
But there is a difference between wrestling with God in faith and allowing our circumstances to convince us that God is no longer good.
Sometimes we become so focused on getting an answer from God that we forget the One we’re asking already knows the beginning and the end.
We want explanations. God calls us to trust.
We want immediate relief. God is working toward something eternal.
We want to escape the fire. But sometimes it is through the fire that the genuineness of our faith becomes most evident.
Today’s Reflection:
When your faith is being tested, are you drawing closer to God, seeking His wisdom and understanding? Or are you allowing the difficulty of your circumstances to make you question His goodness?
Ask God your questions. Tell Him about your pain. Seek His direction. Cry out when you don’t understand.
But never forget who He is simply because you cannot understand what He is doing.
You can ask God questions without allowing your questions to become accusations against His character.
And remember, gold is valuable before it enters the fire, but the fire reveals its genuineness.
Your trust in God is worth far more than gold.
— Rev. Carlos Figueroa
TheFreeBible.org
