Is it Right to Question God?

Creating an article, blog, or Bible study stems from a divine prompting to align my life with God's will. We naturally wonder why life unfolds as it does; we all grapple with challenges. Some face significant health issues, while others, like me, may require surgery as our bodies age. It is very disheartening that I have struggled since my surgery with the pain and anemia. Many are born with what society labels imperfections, yet they possess their own unique beauty. It's easy to feel disheartened when we struggle while others appear to glide through life effortlessly. We often perceive that some receive better treatment in various aspects, such as family, relationships, or careers. Despite being Christians, we sometimes find ourselves caught up in worldly concerns that pale in comparison to the eternal glory awaiting us. My question to each of us is: is it right to question God? 

Moses questioned God after God gave Moses a task: Exodus 3:1-12 “Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.”

Once again Moses chooses to question God: Exodus 3:13,14 “And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you.”

  Moses questions God again in Exodus 4:1-9 “And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee. And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand: That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee. And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow. And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh. And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign. And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.”

Here again, Moses chooses to question God: Exodus 4: 10-12 “And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth , and teach thee what thou shalt say.”

God gave Moses the necessary tools to complete the task God has placed upon him. Yet Moses questions God a final time: Exodus 4:13-17 “And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God. And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.” “And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses…” Questioning God's intentions seems to go against His will. I can relate to Moses' struggles, as I often deal with self-doubt, a challenge I've faced for years. Teaching Bible Study makes me anxious, so I prepare my lessons in advance. I often feel unqualified for this role. However, I've heard a saying that resonates with me: "God doesn't call the qualified; He qualifies the called." I felt a strong urge to lead a Bible Study for some time but was unsure how to begin or who would attend. When I was invited to help with Bible Studies, I could have responded like Moses, despite knowing God was guiding me to teach. Yet, I felt such a strong pull that I didn't hesitate. Still, I recognize that I react like Moses in other aspects of my life, reminding me that I am just as imperfect as anyone else.

Isaiah 29:15,16 “Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us? Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?” Sometimes we question why certain events occur and wonder about God's role in them.  Before I found deliverance, I often questioned God. My life has been filled with various types of abuse since I was a child. Some experiences stemmed from my own choices, while others were due to the wrongdoings of others. At the age of 12, I dedicated my heart to Jesus after being inspired by Corrie Ten Boom’s The Hiding Place. During a women’s Bible Study, I shared how I once believed that getting a divorce would lead me to hell, a notion I no longer hold. Feeling defeated, I thought that if I was destined for hell, I might as well enjoy life while I could. Living in sin creates opportunities for Satan to strike. Although I wandered from my faith, I continued to pray and felt a longing to serve Him. While some of my circumstances were consequences of my own actions, it's important to recognize that my past experiences have equipped me to assist others facing similar challenges. So I praise God in spite of those storms! I am grateful to God for His protection over me and for sparing my life many times. The metaphor of a potter and clay illustrates God's sovereignty beautifully; just as the clay cannot dictate its form, we too should refrain from questioning the Creator's design. True contentment comes from within and merely asking God to change our circumstances won't bring peace. Instead, embracing God's sovereignty, love, and forgiveness allows us to cultivate inner happiness. When we accept and fully embrace God's forgiveness, we shift our focus from external situations to a more profound sense of joy within.

Isaiah 45: 1-10 “Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it. Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth?” We naturally question God at various points in our lives, but is it right to do so? After all, God has accomplished so much, including our very existence and everything around us. What gives us the authority to challenge Him? Observing a potter at work illustrates this well; the clay starts as formless until the potter skillfully shapes it into something beautiful. This is shown in our next verse: Isaiah 64:6-9 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities. But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.”

  Our society places excessive importance on physical appearance. In the past, I often found myself preoccupied with how I looked. There were moments when negative thoughts would creep in, and I felt overwhelmed by fear and stress. This is a tool from the enemy. But look at this scripture: Psalm 139:13-18 “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.

Jeremiah 18:1-10 “The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel. At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.” Establishing rules for our children is essential, as we naturally expect them to follow them. When they inadvertently stray from these rules, we gently guide them back to ensure their safety. Our love for our children drives us to shield them from harm, much like our heavenly Father, to whom we submit our will in obedience. He guides us to steer clear of sin, which only leads to darkness and heartache. We are grateful for a Lord and Savior who intervenes in our lives, redirects us with love and care, and prioritizes our protection.

Matthew 20:1-16 “For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.  Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen” Ouch. This may feel unjust to our human minds, but we cannot fully grasp God's complete plan, and His ways surpass our understanding. He loves us so much. Because sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, we have a sinful nature. Jesus willingly came to earth to be our sacrifice for sins. When we submit to God, He will mold us into what He wants us to be. It might be challenging and unlike what others experience, but who are we to question Him? 

Romans 9:14-26 “What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.” Look at how much Israel has had to endure because of their disobedience, and they were God’s chosen people. Yet now God has made everyone who believes in Him and submits to His will His chosen people. We must be obedient to His will and not question Him.