My very wise Bible Study leader, Cheryl, sent us an email this week.  I have been thinking about it off and on all week and decided to share it with all of you…

 

Unresolved Questions

by Cheryl Poole

 

I emphasize nearly every week in our group discussions how much I love for us to have probing, unresolved questions before the Lord.  I pray for God to bring more questions to our hearts.  Why?  It makes us watchful and alert to see what He will say.

 

Often as I am reading through Scripture, I will interact with the Lord. 

• What does this mean? 
• Why is this here in Your Word? 
• I don’t understand how this relates with the theme of this chapter.  Please show me the connection.  
• This verse is standing out to me, but I don’t understand why.  What do you want me to know?
• Why do I feel so troubled as I read through this passage?
• I didn’t expect You to act/respond that way.  Show me Your ways because there is something here I didn’t know about You.

                               

Often I will walk away from my Bible reading with the questions still in my heart, but I have found that the questions prime me for listening.  I notice that I am looking for God to answer me as I go throughout the day.  I am more alert to things I hear on Christian radio that pertain to my question that I might have otherwise missed, or a sermon at church, something said in my small group, a passing word from a friend.  God has even used newspaper articles to give me illumination. 

 

First He gives me a heart to seek Him on some particular issue.  The questions make me more attentive to listening for His answer.  I think many of the questions that come to my mind come from God because He is desiring to talk to me about that particular thing.  

 

 

Mark 9:31-32  He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men.  They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.”  But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.

 

Don’t you think He desired that they seek Him about this?  Don’t you think His comment begged a question from them?  Do you think it broke His heart that they didn’t care enough to probe further?

 

Do I have a seeking heart?  Am I seeking questions from the Lord that would cause me to pursue Him, wait for Him, station myself to listen for an answer?  When I read something in Scripture that I don’t understand do I just keep on going or do I stop and ask Him questions?

 

 

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As you read His Word this week, don’t hesitate to ask Him these questions.  He is our Rabbi — our Master Teacher.  And like any teacher, He must take great delight in searching questions and teachable hearts.