A Question Can Be an Act of Faith… Hello weekend readers. This past month I have enjoyed reading the Psalms, one of my favorites in all of Scripture. In my reading, I encountered a lot of questions—those asked and those not asked. It got me musing on why we struggle with asking…so here’s your weekend musing on why we do or do not ASK!

One of the joys of the Psalms is that they are the most “human” part of the Scriptures. The writers were real about life; they had an ‘earthiness’ to them that reminded me to realize how God cares about us—even when we wonder if God is even listening to us; or that plea we shout out in hard times, “God, where are You?!”

So, that beckons the question: why are we afraid to ask? What makes us afraid to ask a question that the Bible does? For instance, in Psalm 10:1 accredited to David (using the Voice translation), we hear David’s cry: “Why, O Eternal One, are You so far away? Why can’t You be found during troubling times?” Have you ever cried out to God in the same way?

This question isn’t a one-time call; we find this throughout the Bible and especially in the Old Testament and the Psalms. David asks it in Psalm 55, 44, 88, 89 and more. Habakkuk opens his writing the same way, as did Jeremiah and God’s people. They were bold in asking “Where are you O Lord?” Interestingly, the Pew Research Center collectively sent out feedback across America about this and what came back surprised them. Unlike the prophets of the Bible, most people do NOT cry out to God. The reason? — they are afraid!

After I read this I was shocked. What makes us afraid to ask a question that the Bible does? Somehow, we have absorbed the belief that to question God in any way is wrong. Perhaps we have listened too often to the hell and brimstone preachers who shouted from their pulpits saying: “Questioning God is the slippery slope to apostasy. It means that if you ask you are a doubter and there is no room in God’s heaven for doubters. Hell will be your eternity.” That always hits home with me because my paternal grandmother believed that and told us we have to believe it—I refused!

Instead of asking God who has all the wisdom in the world, we fear questioning God as if our faith is in jeopardy if we do so. However, there is nothing in Scripture that says this. The joy of Scriptures teaches us and shows us. It points us to a bigger and much better reality and a deepening faith and friendship with God. The Psalms and prophetic writings in Scripture point us to the truth that it is safe to ask! More than that, they encourage us to ask! Why is this important—because to ask is itself an act of faith-AMEN!

Like the Psalmist, we too can be at the end of our rope. And, like the Psalmist, we have been taught that God has everything we need to hang on. From Genesis to Revelation God has spoken about justice, mercy, and compassion. God says “ask, come to me, I can do the impossible.” Yet, for many the idea of questioning God is a no-no. Oh what they miss out on.

We’ve all felt disheartened and deflated and wondering where God is in all this mess. It’s OK to shout it out “God, where are you?” Read these words of wisdom from Pastor Tony Evans: “But here’s what makes the question an act of faith. Buried within it is the assumption that God is good…just…and cares about what is happening to the oppressed. And more than that, God will act on their behalf. That’s what makes this question good and right and true. It’s not rooted in unbelief. It’s based in the Psalmist’s knowledge of God’s character, nature, and promises. God cares for the oppressed. God is a father to the fatherless, a mother to the motherless, a friend to the helpless and the defender of the defenseless.”

So, don’t be afraid to ask God, “Where are you?” When the world is on fire, we need to act in faith. The best thing any of us can do is to be honest and turn to God and ask “Why do you stand far off—will you act?” We can say this because we are confident that God will act in all of our situations. We know the end of the story. We know that sometimes, acting in faith means asking a question! AMEN.