Tag: seeking

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Trusting God With Our Questions

Front of an Amtrak train from the outside
Psalm 73:16–17 (NLV)—It was too hard for me when I tried to understand this, until I went into the holy place of God. Then I understood their end.

The announcement for quiet hours on the Amtrak had come and gone. Noises like coughing, snorting, and nose-blowing filled the coach car with the world’s worst lullaby. Still, I nodded off—until the talking began. I jerked awake to the words of a couple disembarking for a fresh-air break and to the phone conversation of a new passenger settling into her seat. Why did they think they could ignore the rules?

We may find it hard to understand why we follow the rules, especially when those around us are breaking them and not being reprimanded. For the psalmist Asaph, he questioned why he followed God when the sinners around him prospered.

Finding answers to God’s ways means trusting God with our questions. When we ask questions, he doesn’t just state the rules but also explains them. He gives us answers that show us our purpose in his plan.

One way we can seek God’s answers is to set aside an hour and go to a quiet space. Here, we can tell God what’s bothering us and write down his response. In the next day or two, after thinking about his answers, we can write about our change in perspective.

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Seeking God

Psalm 27:8 (NLV)—You have said, “Look for My face.” My heart said to You, “O Lord, Your face will I look for.”

The store clerk welcomed me in with a bright smile and a hello while I began my search for the perfect Arizona souvenir. I entered the shop full of confidence I’d find a decorative item for my home. I left disappointed that the shop’s shelves held mass-produced items made in China, rather than artisan creations.

That’s one thing about souvenir shopping: I’m invited into the store, but I do not know if I’ll find mass-produced items or a unique, handmade creation. God’s invitation to seek him is different—one of a kind. I know what I’ll find: a real relationship without the guesswork. I call and he answers. Over and over again.

In this, our relationship with God, we can leave our troubles in his hands because we have a record of his goodness. We called and he answered. He used our troubles and did something good.

Today, we can trust God as much as the psalmist did. Writing a list of what he’s done and is doing is a reminder of his goodness. We can read it and remember that he values us.

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Being a Witness

A toucan with its beak open, perched on a branch.
Photo: RAFAEL BARRETO from Pexels
John 20:18 (ESV)—Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

A clack traveled through the Costa Rican rainforest. Where is it? I wondered. Minutes later, the sound came a second time. The toucans were speaking to each other.

Like toucans use calls to communicate with their flock, Mary Magdalene sought Jesus with her cries. In John 20, she thrice asked about Jesus’ missing body. She spoke to the disciples, to two angels, and to the supposed gardener, but the only answer came from the gardener—her Teacher, her Rabbi, whom she recognized when he spoke her name. The risen Jesus replied to a member of his flock when she called—and she became the first witness to the Risen King.

Did you hear that? When Mary called, Jesus responded! First, he spoke her name and then replied with the command to “tell them” (John 20:17).

This scene assures us that when we dialogue with Jesus, he’ll respond. In our devastation or joyfulness, Jesus has an answer and, when he speaks our name, we become witnesses of our God who listens and responds.

How awesome is that?! Seeking God and listening for his response begin our journey to becoming a witness for Christ. His response becomes our account of his love, the substance for our witness. Today, let us go and announce words similar to Mary’s: “I have [heard] the Lord” (John 20:18).