My wife and I went on our honeymoon to Branson, Missouri. We visited a few tourist spots there, among which was Dixie Stampede. We decided to purchase a coffee cup there as a momento. When we arrived home we were surprised to see something that we had overlooked. The cup indeed said Dixie Stampede, but underneath that it had written Pigeon Forge, TN. Well we didn’t go to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, we went to Branson, Missouri. We knew this although the evidence was telling us otherwise.
We will be faced in life with things that will test our faith. Things that will try and make us not believe God and His promises. Things that men will tell us. Things the enemy will tell us. You may here. That’s not real. That’s just fantasy. You didn’t really have an experience with God, it was just your emotions. They may try to present evidence. We must decide what we believe. Will we believe our experience with God? Will we believe the Word of God? Or will we believe the testimony of men? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar (Romans 3:4 KJV).
1 John 5:9-12 NET 9 If we accept the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, because this is the testimony of God that he has testified concerning his Son. 10 (The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has testified concerning his Son.) 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 The one who has the Son has this eternal life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have this eternal life.
There will be things that happen that will test your faith. Trauma, hardships, tragedy, etc. In our human nature we often tend to question God in these things. Know that it’s okay to question God as long as you do it in the right way. We can learn this from Martha and Mary.
Martha and Mary’s faith were tested when their brother Lazarus died. In John 11 the story unfolds. Martha comes to Jesus first and questions Him.
John 11:21-27 KJV 21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. 23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. 24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? 27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
If you read this like I do, this doesn’t seem like a pleasant conversation, but more like an intense exchange. Especially when you get to Jesus saying Believest thou this? You see Martha came accusing Jesus and arguing with Him. But what happens when Mary asks the same question?
John 11:32-34 KJV 32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, 34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
When she arrived she fell at His feet. She humbled herself not putting herself in an argumentative position. She then asks the same question, but Jesus doesn’t argue with her. He asks Where have ye laid him? They then receive the miracle of Lazarus being resurrected.
So what’s the take away from this. It’s okay to ask Jesus why, as long as you do it in a humble spirit, sincerely trying to understand. God may show you scriptures. He may open your understanding. He may just comfort you. But He will establish your faith. So when your faith is tried and it will be. Know that it’s okay to go to God and ask questions. We must though continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel (Colossians 1:23 KJV). In short we must decide what will we believe.
1 Peter 1:7 KJV That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: