Finding Comfort in the Question
By James Christian
March 23, 2008

All Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise indicated.

Have you ever noticed how many questions are in the Bible? So much of God's Word is filled with men and women asking questions and seeking answers. Perhaps you have many questions you are asking today. You may be wondering about a job, a relationship, or the future. If so, you are in good company:  the saints throughout the ages have asked these same questions.

The Biblical writers were often dismayed over horrible events, and they couldn't understand how God could possibly be at work. They could do nothing but ask, "What? Why? How?"

• "How long, O LORD, will I call for help, and You will not hear?" (Hab. 1:2)
• "O Lord, why have You brought harm to this people? Why did You ever send me?" (Ex. 5:22)
• "Tell us, how did this wickedness take place?" (Judg. 20:3)
• "How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" (Rev. 6:10)
• "Why do You stand afar off, O LORD? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?" (Ps. 10:1)
• "Why has the way of the wicked prospered? Why are all those who deal in treachery at ease?" (Jer. 12:1)

Other times in Scripture people were so overwhelmed by goodness, mercy, and joy that they simply had to ask how such wonderful things could happen:

• "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?" (Jn. 4:9)
• "Why should the king compensate me with this reward?" (2 Sam. 19:36)
• "What is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him?" (Ps. 8:4)
• "O Lord GOD, how may I know that I will possess it [the land He promised]?" (Gen. 15:8)
• "What shall I render to the LORD for all His benefits toward me?" (Ps. 116:12)
• "And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me?" (Lk. 1:43)

Sometimes the events were not necessarily positive or negative, but the writers simply wanted to know something:

• "What are these, my lord?" (Zech. 4:4)
• "How can I go?" (1 Sam. 16:2)
• "How can these things be?" (Jn. 3:9)
• "What shall we do?" (Lk. 3:12)
• "What am I still lacking?" (Matt. 19:20)
• "My lord, what will be the outcome of these events?" (Dan. 12:8)
• "Why do You speak to them in parables?" (Matt. 13:10)

In the examples above, people sometimes asked why something negative happened. Sometimes people asked why something wonderful happened. Sometimes people were just curious. Whether positive or negative, all of these questions point to one simple truth:  We don't know everything.

We do not know why calamity strikes, and we do not know why good fortune comes. We do not know why small events happen, and we do not know why great events occur. We do not know what tomorrow will bring, and we do not know what the future holds.

Why has God designed the world this way? (Another question!) There are at least two reasons I see in Scripture:

1. God wants us to acknowledge His sovereignty. Solomon writes, "In the day of prosperity be happy, but in the day of adversity consider--God has made the one as well as the other, so that man will not discover anything that will be after him" (Ecclesiastes 7:14). God is truly sovereign. He allows both prosperity and adversity, and we do not know what the future will look like. As soon as we get caught up in our own plans, He has a way of reminding us that He is in charge. Of course, we should certainly set goals, seek wise counsel, and plan ahead, but we must always remember that God is above our plans. "A man's heart plans his ways, but the LORD directs his steps" (Prov. 16:9, NKJV).
   
2. God wants us to seek Him.  David wrote:  "And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You" (Ps. 39:7). David was seeking and waiting for God. The result of waiting on God was that he would obtain God. David may have had many questions about many things, but his hope was in God, not in anything else. What are you waiting for now? Are you waiting for direction regarding a job? A ministry, perhaps? A new home? Your marriage? James says, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you" (James 4:8). Be encouraged! God is your hope! As you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you!
   

Many times in life we are searching for answers. We know God is at work, but we don't understand what is happening. We are seeking, but we have yet to find. In life coaching, this searching is called "being in the question". At different times, "the question" may be different for each of us. Sometimes we may ask, "Why is this happening?"  or, "Where will the money come from?" or, "What should I do next?" or, "How is this going to work?"  When we find ourselves asking such questions, we know that we are "in the question".

Simply knowing that we are in the question can bring great comfort, because God "is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine" (Eph. 3:20, NIV). When we are at the point where we are asking and can't even imagine how the answer will turn out, we can find comfort in the fact that God has something wonderful in store. When certain aspects of life seem uncertain, pause for a moment and ask yourself, "Am I in the question right now?" There's a good chance that you are, and simply acknowledging that you are in the question will help you seek God in the midst of it.

Here are five things you can do to find comfort in the question (or questions):

1. Clearly define the question (or questions). (You may even want to write them down. Identifying the real issue will help you know how to pray and move forward.)
2. Acknowledge God's sovereignty over the situation--i.e. recognize that He is allowing you to be in the middle of the question for this season in your life.
3. Wait patiently before God.
4. Take the necessary time, however long it may be, to go through the process of seeking answers to the question.
5. Be ready to take action when the answer comes.
   

These steps may sound simple, but most people find this process very difficult to do on their own. People usually don't like being in the question--they want to get out of the question! The process takes time, and most of us rarely take the time for ourselves that we need. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix. Comfort and peace will always seem elusive until we submit to the process. As a life coach, this is what I am trained to help people do, and I have seen how valuable it is to my clients. I can testify that, if you will truly open yourself to the process, there is great comfort in the question. As you proceed, you will learn to more fully acknowledge God's sovereignty and seek Him in all areas of life. Ultimately, the process of being in the question will be just as rewarding as the answer.

To summarize:  It's important that you do not merely recognize the fact that there is a question, but to be in the question. When we can truly surrender to the Lord and be content to live in the question, trusting that God will bring the answer in His timing, then we can have true comfort and rest.

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Are you in the question right now? Do you know someone in the question? Perhaps you'd like to talk with someone about it. At Professional Christian Life Coaching, we help people every day to understand where they are in the question and to enter the process of discovering the answer.
If you are in the question, please feel free to contact us for a free initial inquiry call.