Sunday, November 1, 2015

Wrong Question

Wrong Question
November 2, 2015
Judges 13:18  "He replied, 'Why do you ask my name?  It is beyond understanding.'"

In our efforts to understand our lives and the place where the Lord has set us, we ask questions.  Being inquisitive is OK; it is in our DNA.  Children from an early age ask so many questions; they want to understand and learn.  Sometimes children ask too many questions, the answers to which they cannot handle.  As a parent, I have to decide when they are ready to handle the information. Information is so important and the more questions we ask the better the outcome.  Tough decisions are made based on critical information.  If you don't ask questions then you might make a poor decision without the proper knowledge.  We should always be seeking information and truth; man's quest for knowledge will never be complete.  But when it comes to things of the Lord and the world outside of our own, that information is not so available to us.

Before Samson was born an angel appeared to his parents and foretold of Samson's life.  His parents were excited about the idea and asked the angel many questions.  I encourage you to read the full account in Judges 13.  Some of the questions the angel was willing to answer and others the angel refused.  The angel wanted to equip them with enough information to do the job the Lord had for them as Samson's parents.  But the angel was not willing to answer questions for which they could not handle.  The question the angel refused was a simple one; they ask him his name.  He denied it, telling them they couldn't understand the answer.  I know if Samson's parents continued in their pursuit of other information from this angel, he would have denied many requests.  Just like my children cannot handle information based on their level of understanding, mankind cannot handle spiritual information because it just would not make sense.  It would only lead to more questions and a larger quest for knowledge, knowledge that we cannot handle.

The Lord requires us to come as a child, with innocence of heart and sincerity of faith.  The sincerity of faith must be rooted in a place of acceptance.  We must accept that the Lord is in charge, that He cannot fail, that He knows better than we can ever fathom, that He has our best interests at heart, and that He will equip us with just enough information to do the job He has required of us.  No where in Scripture does it say He will ever answer all the questions we have or that we will even understand the answers to the questions.  The Bible never says we will have an answer to all the questions of WHY.  It only says He will send His Spirit who will guide you to the truth.

I suspect you have many questions in your life right now but you aren't getting the answer.  You've been searching Scripture, asking it of sage advisers, petitioning the Lord but to no avail.  Well, I have an answer for you but you might not like it.  Here is the answer; the same one the angel told Samson's parents: "Why do you ask that question?  It is beyond your understanding."  Frustrating as this might sound, it is for your benefit.  The Lord knew that Samson's parents didn't need to have that questioned answered in order for them to do their job; it just would have made things more difficult.  If you don't have an answer after an appropriate amount of searching and seeking, then the answer is one you are not able to handle just yet.  Either you're not ready for the answer or it isn't necessary to do you job.  It is quite possible that having the answer would make the situation worse.  Either way, you must trust the Lord.  If you don't have an answer to an important question, then maybe the information isn't really that critical right now or maybe you are asking the wrong question.  Find satisfaction in the Lord's sovereignty and let that be answer enough.

Don't take my word for it; look it up:  Judges 13, Mark 10:13-15, John 13:33-34,  John 14, John 16:12-15

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