Last night I got to bed way too late, for various reasons, and as I turned on the radio after getting in bed I heard one of the best messages I have ever heard by Dan Olinger. I found it online here. It basically has to do with dealing with doubts. I appreciate not only what he said but how he said it.
I like that he says “God is able to handle our questions.” He doesn’t always answer them the way we’d like. But He’s not intimidated by them.
I also like the understanding that it is good to make the faith one has grown up hearing one’s own. I know as my own children have asked questions as they’ve gotten older it can be scary, yet I think it is a necessary process for them to think through and accept the Word of God and the truths of Christianity for themselves. I think, sadly, that there are too many people who grew up with a kind of positive peer pressure who go along with the flow but who haven’t internalized what they’ve heard all their lives.
I’m not saying you have to question in order to believe. But I think most people do to some extent at some times.
Sometimes when those kinds of thoughts come, I’ve prayed that the Lord would lead me to the answer if there is one and to acceptance it if there is not one I would understand. After a while you develop enough knowledge of and experience with the Lord that you can trust Him with all those things you don’t understand without it shaking up your faith, but it’s amazing how often, after I’ve prayed that way, He will lead me to a sermon of book or chance remark that exactly answers what I had a question about.
I hope you’ll give that sermon a listen. I plan to listen to it again soon.
Stray Thoughts 
This is a great post Barbara.
Recently our family’s 3 year old beloved dachshund came down with severe back problems. Our vet gave us the choice of surgery ($6,000+ ~not possible) or putting him down. I decided that I would take God’s option and put Rudi on strict bed rest (so hard with a dog) and prayer for his healing. I had complete faith ~no doubts. I knew what an important lesson in prayer this would be for our children and also the vet, who in her own words had “No faith.”
It is now 30 days later and our dogs has been “miraculously healed”.
I believe in praying about everything. Of course sometimes I don’t receive an answer until years later and it may not be the answer I was originally seeking, but God hears us. He truly does want the best for his children.
Have a blessed day!
Thanks for the sermon suggestion. I just finished listening to it this morning. Very much a blessing. Dan has a great rapport with the students and a great ministry.
I’ll try to get back and listen to the sermon. Sounds like a really good one.
Thanks for visiting with me on my retirement celebration day. It was a good day and I really enjoyed the family party in the evening. I am looking forward to not getting up at 5:00 on Monday morning!
Your mom must have really loved her job. If my last 5 years had been as pleasant as the first 10, I would probably have lasted until 65.
I surely will! Not right this minute — but I’ll come back to it in the next day or two! Sounds like a great message! Right now I just wanted to pop in and say HI! And… I want to go see what you’ve been up to!
By the way… I’m BACK!
I must say questioning has led me to greater understanding and revelation of the truth. Doubt opens the way for revelation (if we care to look for answers). And yes, God has never fail to answer my questions. Great post, Barbara!