Ever Wonder Why? Sample

Ever Wonder Why?

Most of us cling to certainty because it provides security. We like knowing all the right answers. We like the safety of making plans, and most of us crave the desire to control our lives. 

Yet following Jesus is about surrendering our lives to a God we can’t see and a future we can’t predict. So it’s only natural then, that we’d experience some tension and doubts along the way. 

The problem is that most of us try to hide our questions, believing that our doubts disqualify us from following Jesus. 

But what if we’ve gotten it backward? What if faith is less about knowing all the answers and more about being willing to ask hard questions? 

It’s likely that if you’ve followed Jesus for any length of time, you’ve encountered some questions. Have you ever wondered why …  

• You can’t always feel God’s presence?  
• God answers some prayers, but not others?  
• God doesn’t seem fair?  
• A loving God would create hell? 

Those are all valid questions, and there are millions more you could ask. And the amazing thing is that God gives us permission to wrestle with these hard concepts. Your doubts don’t disqualify you, and your unanswered questions don’t create an unfounded faith. 

Throughout the Bible, we see countless characters—who all had real thoughts, fears, and feelings—question God. David, the guy who defeated a giant as a kid, became one of Israel’s greatest kings, was known as “a man after God’s own heart,” and wrote a lot of the Psalms, expressed deep doubts. Just look at what he wrote in Psalm 13:

O LORD, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? Psalm 13:1 NLT

John the Baptist—the man called to prepare the way for Jesus—questioned Him, too. After doing all the things God had called Him to do, John ended up in prison under unjust circumstances. From his cell, he sent this message to Jesus: 

“Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” Matthew 11:3 NLT

We see in Matthew that even after witnessing Jesus rise from the dead, some of His early disciples doubted Him. And even Jesus Himself asked God why He had forsaken Him when He hung on a cross. 

So the enemy of faith isn’t doubt. Often, the enemy of faith is pretending we have everything all figured out. 

After all, Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is evidence of things unseen. Faith isn’t some neat concept we can wrap with a bow. It’s more of a mystery we marvel at than a puzzle we solve. 

And yet, our faith is still solid. It’s simply less about the knowledge we figure out for ourselves and more about trusting in the One who formed us. Because if we believe Jesus is who He says He is—that He really rose from the dead to defeat the power of sin and death—our future is secure in Him. 

It doesn’t mean following Jesus is an easy road. In fact, Jesus Himself—after being confronted with John the Baptist’s doubts—said that blessed are those who don’t stumble on account of Him. 

So faith isn’t easy, and there will be questions along the way. But God isn’t afraid of our doubts, and on the other side of our honest questions, we might just find a deeper sense of security than we ever thought possible. 

Pray: God, thank You for giving us permission to wrestle, to doubt, and to present You with honest questions. Today, I’m really struggling to believe ____, but I know that even in my doubts, You are good, You are faithful, and Your Word is true. Reveal Yourself to me in a new way today, and open my eyes to where You’re working. I trust You. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Challenge: Over the next few days, we’re going to talk about common questions people wonder about God. Today, take some time to think about what questions you have for God. How could you bring those before Him? Who could you bring alongside you as you wrestle with them?