What do you do when God doesn't answer?
Deuteronomy 29:29
There are times of uncertainty in our lives when we search for answers but feel that God doesn't hear our prayer or doesn't answer. It is easy to come to such conclusions when God doesn't respond when or how we want, above all, when He answers with silence. What are we to do when God doesn't give us all the answers to all our questions?
I. We all have questions
A. We all have questions. "What is the point of life"; “Why does life have to be so unfair?”, "Why did I have to get sick?", "Why was I born this way?", "Why did he or she have to die?", Why do I have to go through this pain?, “How can I face the future? Why does God allow such terrible things to happen?
B. Even the wisest human being that ever lived, Solomon had questions about life and God. In Ecclesiastes 1:3 he asked, " What does a man gain for all his efforts that he labors at under the sun?" In other words, "What's the purpose of life?"
C. David questioned in Psalm 10:1 "Why do You stand afar off, O Lord? Why do You hide in times of trouble?"
D. Elizabeth Elliot speaking on this matter said, " "Now is it a sin to ask God why? It's always best to go first for our answers to Jesus Himself. He cried out on the cross, 'My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?' It was a human cry; a cry of desperation springing from His heart's agony at the prospect of being put into the hands of wicked men and actually becoming sin for you and me. We can never suffer anything like that, yet we do at times feel forsaken, don't we? It's quite natural for us to cry, 'Why, Lord?'" - Gateway to Joy, Asking God Why, Back to the Bible
E. Asking why or what is not wrong?
F. James 1:5 " Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him."
G. Matthew 7:7 " Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."
H. But understand there are times when it seems as though God has not heard us or has refused to answer our questions. There are times when God just doesn't not give us the answer.
II. God doesn't give us all the answers to all our questions
A. Deuteronomy 29:29a "The secret things belong to the LORD our God..."
B. The Hebrew words for" secret things" might be translated "clothed things, hidden things, things which are, but before which a covering is, so that we cannot see them, or touch them, or handle them, or weigh them."
C. Remember He is God, infinite in wisdom and power. He is infinite and we are not. Therefore, He doesn't give us answers to all the “whys” of His ways. Some things just belong to the Lord we have nothing to do with them.
D. He is infinite and we are not.
E. Thomas Edison pointed out our finiteness when he said, “We do not know one-millionth part of one percent about anything.”
F. Isaiah 55:8-9 "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."
G. Therefore, He doesn't give us answers to all the “whys” of His ways. Even if He did we couldn't comprehend them.
H. Isaiah also speaks of God's infinite greatness and wisdom in Isaiah 40:26-28 "Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things, who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, by the greatness of His might and the strength of His power; not one is missing. Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel: “ My way is hidden from the LORD, and my just claim is passed over by my God”? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable."
I. Often a book has a blank page, we come to one of two conclusions: 1) there was a printing error or 2) the author meant to leave the page blank. Because seeing a blank page where you would otherwise expect to see information can lead to confusion, publishers often print the words “this page intentionally left blank.” The information God hasn't given us is analogous to a blank page in His revelation. Yes, it’s important to understand that Christians don’t have all the answers, but it’s just as important to clarify that our incomplete knowledge is not an error on God’s part. God is perfect. He knows exactly what information we do and don’t have. When we are faced with uncertain or missing answers, we can be confident that those pages were intentionally left blank. - adapted from Natsha Crain, Inspiration for Intentional Christian Parenting, July 2013
J. When the future is dark and we can't see what's next,
Of the Lord we make childish demands;
We cannot know all, our minds are too small,
We must leave all our "whys" in His hands. —Carbaugh
III. God has given us what we need to know
A. Deuteronomy 29:29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law."
B. The Hebrew word for "things that are revealed" literally translated means things that are denuded, things that are made visible, things that can be seen, things that can be touched and felt, appreciated by the senses, and comprehended.
C. Just as the secret belong to the lord, the other things (the things He has revealed) belong to us and to our children, and our definite duty and relation to is to see that these are realized in all their meaning and purpose. - Parker
D. In Deuteronomy Moses is preparing the children of Israel to go into the Promised Land. When they do they are to live for God and not adopt the customs of the people they will encounter. In Deuteronomy 29, Moses makes it clear that they have all they need to live for God. In Deuteronomy 29:29, Moses told them that while they had no idea what the future held the Sovereign God of the universe knows. And that Sovereign God has revealed what they needed to know. They had His Word. God had told them what exactly they needed to know.
E. Like Israel God may not answer the why's of the past, the present or the future, but we have God's Word and it tells us how we are to live.
F. 2 Peter 1:19 "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts"
G. 2 Timothy 3:15-17 "...from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."
H. We have a Bible full of promises, commands, prohibitions, principles and instructions which we can apply to our lives.
I. God doesn't give us answers to all the “why's” of His ways. He has revealed however, how you can know Him personally by placing your faith in Jesus Christ and trusting Him as your Savior and Lord. We have the inspired infallible Word of God to tells us how we are to live. Our responsibility is to simply follow His instructions.
J. While there are many things about tomorrow and the future that we do not and cannot know, we can know Him, who holds the future.
IV. What do you do when God doesn't answer? We need to trust and obey
A. When God doesn't answer and tell us what, why or how, we need to do what He already has told us to do.
B. The children of Israel were told by God what they needed to know. Now they simply needed to follow His instructions to trust and obey. Like the children of Israel we too need to trust and obey.
C. Jesus Christ said in Luke 11:28, “Blessed...are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
D. Bill Bright in writing on knowing what God's will for your life wrote:
"Have you ever wondered what God's will is for your life? Have you needed to make a difficult decision and wondered what God wanted you to do in that situation? We all struggle with questions about our future. Questions like: How can I know God's plan for my life? Which job should I take? Is this the person God wants me to marry? Is this a good investment to make? Should I share the gospel with my boss? You probably have questions you could add to that list. The greatest discovery I have ever made concerning how to know the will of God involves the following:
1. Fully surrendering my life to the Lordship of Christ
2. Living a life of obedience in the power of the Holy Spirit
3. Maintaining my first love for our Lord - Adapted from The 10 Basic Steps Toward Christian Maturity, by Bill Bright
E. When don't see the way he has planned, when the future is looking dim, when you can't feel the touch of His hand , trust His love.
F. Romans 8:28-29 " And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren."
G. The Divine Weaver
My Life is but a weaving
Between my Lord and me;
I cannot choose the colors
He worketh steadily.
Oftimes He weaveth sorrow
And I in foolish pride,
Forget that He seeth the upper,
And I the underside.
Not till the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly,
Shall God unroll the canvas
And explain the reason why.
The dark threads are as needful
In the Weaver’s skillful hand,
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned.- unknown
