God Is the Expert Question Asker

Kathy Collard Miller's passion is to help Christians trust God more and help others know how much He loves them. In this Relationship with God UPGRADE, she invites us to explore God's intriguing questions.

Kathy asks: "Do you sometimes wonder if you’ll ever figure out God? Just look at His questions for help."

This past week, I (Dawn) read with sadness about  a Christian leader who says he no longer believes in God. He says there are too many questions about God that are unanswered. But Kathy has an interesting perspective: What about God's questions?

Kathy continues . . .

Some time ago I began to notice how many questions God asked in the Bible—in fact, more than 300 of them! The more I noticed, the more I saw how His questions revealed who He is.

He is working in our lives—motivated by love, care, and goodness.

During this horrible time, we’d love to know the “why”s of what God is doing or allowing. Some clues might be in the questions He asked.

(1) God asked Adam and Eve, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9).

They felt ashamed, yet God pursued them, calling out to them. He didn’t shame them or even get angry at them. He calmly inquired with the purpose of helping them see their distrust of Him and their need of a Savior (Genesis 3:15).

The First Couple thought He wanted to destroy them, but He actually wanted to restore fellowship with them.

God spotlighted His forgiving and kind nature.

(2) God asked Joshua, “Have I not commanded you?” (Joshua 1:9).

My husband, Larry, talks about how, if it were up to him, he would have chosen Caleb to be the new leader of the Israelites, because Caleb had natural leadership skills.

But God chose Joshua and had to emphasize, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.” God wasn’t looking for a leader who might depend upon his own strengths.

He assigned Joshua as leader because Joshua knew he needed to look to God—who would then demonstrate His own power.

God asks His question to draw attention to Joshua and the Israelites’s need of God’s characteristic of strength to carry them through.  

(3) Jesus asked the Samaritan Woman (in a telling kind of way), “Give me a drink” (John 4:7).

 Most commentators believe this statement can be regarded as a question, because Jesus gave her a choice.

Jesus reached out to a person most despised by the Jews. Jesus broke the mold of the typical prejudiced Jew and showed compassion for a woman who is the least of the least.

Little by little, He breaks through the walls of her many defenses until she is so thrilled to know the Messiah, she leaves her water pot behind and runs to tell her fellow villagers—who hate her—she has found the Messiah.

Jesus spotlighted His compassion and mercy.

(4) Jesus asked, “What do you think, Simon?” (Matthew 17:25).

Peter (Simon) had just talked with the tax collector, and Peter lied. The disciples hadn’t paid the tax, but Peter said they had.

He was distressed. Jesus addressed his swirling, fearful heart, and helped Peter work through His tumultuous thoughts.

Jesus, a wise counselor, knew the inner workings of Peter’s heart and mind—and ours also.  

In each of these examples—which are only a few of the many in the Bible—God and Jesus reveal their unified nature which includes a multitude of amazing attributes.

• Every single one is in sync with the others in an intricate tapestry of holiness.
• Every question and every interaction with men, women, and children, points to the wonder and awe of God's love, knowledge, power, creativity, faithfulness, and so many other characteristics.
• And each one assures us He is working in our lives—motivated by love, care, and goodness.

What is your favorite quality of God and why is it important to you?

Kathy Collard Miller loves to help women trust God more through her 58 books and her speaking in more than 30 states and nine foreign countries. Her website/blog is www.KathyCollardMiller.com. Kathy’s newest book, co-written with her husband, Larry, is God’s Intriguing Questions: 40 Old Testament Devotions Revealing God’s Nature. Book two in the series is God’s Intriguing Questions: 60 New Testament Devotions Revealing Jesus’s Nature. Check out Kathy’s Amazon author page. 

Graphic adapted, courtesy of Brightside Creative at Lightstock.

Let's Change Friday the 13th

I (Dawn) have never liked the superstition involved around a simple Friday—Friday the 13th.

Secularists give lots of possible reasons for mankind's fear of that day and why people think it's so "unlucky."

Two examples:

• On Friday the 13^th in 1307, a raid on the Knights Templar took place, essentially wiping them out.
• Judas was supposedly "the 13^th person at Jesus’ table" at the Last Supper before Good Friday when Jesus died. (That’s a stretch, right?)

Crazy, huh?

I say, let’s turn this “unlucky” day into a day of “Unparalleled Praise.”

Stop right now and think of 13 character qualities of God—the members of the Trinity—and offer praise for them.

Worship Father God, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit for WHO THEY ARE!

Ponder their matchless:

• wisdom,
• mercy,
• kindness,
• power,
• presence,
• love, etc.

Scientists tell us what we think about will color our actions.

Dr. Caroline Leaf, in her book, Switch On Your Brain, wrote, "When you objectively observe your own thinking with the view to capturing rogue thoughts you in effect direct your attention to stop the negative impact and rewire healthy new circuits into your brain."

With directed—or rather re-directed—thinking, we can change our behaviors.

It's the concept of bringing into captivity every thought (2 Cointhians 10:5) and renewing our mind (Romans 12:2) so we will not conform our lives to the sinful and superstitious patterns of this world, but rather to God's will.

Consider these scriptures:

1. Whatever you sow, you will reap (Galatians 6:7-8). What are you sowing in your thoughts?
2. Turn away from foolish, evil thinking—don't be reckless and careless with your mindset (Proverbs 14:16)—if you want to please the Lord.
3. Don't feed on folly (Proverbs 15:14).
4. Take your thoughts "captive" to the Word of God (2 Corinthians 10:5), and stand against opinions that rise up against "the knowledge of God."
5. Make the best use of your time as a wise person, not "unwise" (Ephesians 5:15-16).
6. Don't waste time on Friday the 13th fears. God has not given His children a spirit of fear, but rather a "sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7) of power, love and self-control.

So forget about all the supposed "unlucky" superstitions. Don't give in to the mindless fears of Friday the 13th.

Instead, take time today to focus on and honor God.

It's a far better, far wiser and certainly more God-honoring way to use your thoughts and time.

Have you feared Friday the 13th in your past? Try the challenge to focus on 13 things about God's character today and watch this praise challenge feed your faith, not your fears!

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is a speaker and author, and the creator the blog, Upgrade with Dawn. She is a contracted researcher/reviewer for women's teacher and revivalist, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, at Revive Our Hearts, a blogger at TrueWoman.com, writes wiki-type posts at  Christianity.com, and is a regular columnist at Crosswalk.com. She and her husband Bob live in sunny Southern California, and she has traveled with Him in Pacesetter Global Outreach. They have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Struggling? 5 Things God Won't Say to You

Cindi McMenamin has tremendous insight into women's needs and struggles, and she writes to encourage and strengthen them. In this Relationship with God UPGRADE, Cindi writes about what God will never say to the hurting, confused or frustrated heart.

She asks, "Are you struggling right now? Wanting to hear from God? Hoping that when you finally do, it will be something encouraging?"

As a matter of fact, as I (Dawn) received Cindi's article, I was hoping for that. I was eager for an answer "right now"—but God nudged me to pause and think biblically. That's exactly what Cindi is helping us do here.

Cindi continues . . .

There are a few situations in my life right now that could really stress me out. My husband is waiting to hear about three different job opportunities, and to be honest, he needs at least two of the three!

Now, I can pull out my hair, and lose sleep at night, and keep calculating what we'll do if he doesn't get any of those jobs. Or, I can realize it is ludicrous for me to worry that God isn't aware, or doesn't care, or won't provide for us in time.

I choose to not be ludicrous.

So I thought of five good reasons not to worry about that or anything we tend to worry about. Those five good reasons come down to five things you and I will never hear God say as we hand Him our worries and concerns.

So here they are. You never have to fear any of these responses when you trust God with what is on your heart.

1. You've got this yourself.

Instead of putting it back on us, God tells us in Exodus 14:14: "I will fight for you; you need only to be still."

2. I really don't want to hear about it.

To the contrary, God wants a relationship with us in which we tell Him all that is on our hearts and minds. Not because He doesn't know, but because He wants the intimacy that develops as we share our hearts with Him. Intimacy is developed through communication.

We are told in Psalm 62:8, "Trust in Him at all times...pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us."

3. You don't need Me. 

Even if we think God has abandoned us because we've acted independently before, God knows better than we do how very much we DO need Him.

In Philippians 4:13, we are told we we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. The key is Christ's strength.

So don't worry about Him thinking you don't need Him.

Even when you THINK you don't, you really do.

4. Sorry, it's impossible.

Jesus, Himself, said in Matthew 19:26: "With God all things are possible."

5. I don't want to do anything for you.

Sometimes we don't tell God what worries us, or even ask for something, because we fear He doesn't want to give us anything.

If you're a parent you know how far from the truth that is.

Jesus said in Matthew 7:11: "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!"

There you have it.

Does God care? Oh yes.

Can He handle it? You bet.

Give to Him all that is worrying you today and experience the wonder of His peace.

What is it that you are struggling with alone that God is waiting to help you with?  

Cindi McMenamin is a national speaker and author of 15 books including When God Sees Your Tears, and her most recent, 10 Secrets to Becoming a Worry-Free Mom.  For more on her books and ministry, or to download free resources to strengthen your walk with God, your marriage, or your parenting, see her website, Strength for the Soul.