In Numbers 14, Moses talks with God and "changes his mind" about destroying the Israelites. God said, "I will do this," and Moses reasoned with the Lord that such a thing was out of His character, and that doing it would cause the Egyptians to taunt His name. So the Lord changed His mind, "for Moses' sake." I think this says a lot. I think that we are to bring our petitions to the Lord. If our reasoning is off, is incorrect, and is not in line with His perfect will, then it won't matter. But we are to remind the Lord and say who He is. Will He forget if we don't? No. But He wants us to ask for His mighty arm to do what is ultimately right. The hand of God is the church. He is the brain, but He only operates through the actions of those who belong to Him. I believe that part of that is calling out what we (with the mind of Christ) see as not right, and compel Him to make it right. Is that the same as questioning God? LOL
No, I don't think that is questioning God. I think that is intersession, asking him to do something on behalf of someone else and God agreeing to it.
Intercession. God sees it all, but...well, you know that common phrase: pick your battles? I don't know that God "changes his mind" as much as when one of His children petitions Him, that is, says that he really cares about a certain situation, God is able to show His mastery and His grace, because if He just did it without a petition, who would say He did it and not that it was just chance? Who would acknowledge His work? Perhaps, in this case, God was prompting Moses' compassion so he would ask Him to handle the situation differently than God said He could.
I have had a really hard year. It was like listening to two stand up comedians with one telling about all these things that happened and the other alternately saying "Oh, that's bad" and "Oh, that's good." Last spring my husband was injured while on vacation and was out of work for 4 1/2 months. Oh, that's bad. No, that's good. We learned we could live on less money and he got really serious about giving out of debt. Oh, that's good. No, that's bad. His next evaluation at work was very bad and he got fired. Oh, that's bad. No, that's good. His medical leave fell in the six month he was evaluated for, so when they fired him they could not do it on performance like they were doing to so many other employees and he received his full severance package. Oh, that's good. No, that's bad. He got fired just before the holidays and could not get a job for quite awhile. Oh, that's bad. No, that's good. Because we really relied on God as we never had before. We spent that time to get closer to Him and have a deeper faith in Him. Oh, that's good. Yes, that was good! The best part was my husband got a job as God had promised me: before the severance money run out. On the very last week, after months of interviews and no offers, this job was just handed to him. He did not even apply for it--God just provided! He was recommended by a few employees and they called him out of the blue. His boss was not even going to interview anyone else unless he declined it and, although it was less money, it was exactly the amount we needed to keep our house and make our bills. Besides, we had learned to live comfortably on less and still work on our debt because it was more than what he made on medical leave. It all was very good! All that time my husband was at home with us was good because now he is away for five days out of the week nearly every week, but it will not always be this way, God has also told me that he will be promoted in this company when he had no chance of that in the previous one. Do I question God? Yes, mostly when I don't know His plan. Do I trust God? I felt I always have, but being put to the test, while uncomfortable, assured me that I have every reason to trust Him. Do I challenge Him? I think I have always been a challenge for Him! :wink:
((((hugs to you, seekingmyLord)))) Sitting here this morning, grinning after reading your post, and knowing in my heart I have always been a challenge for Him, too... I am enjoying this thread very much. Hoping the orginal question is being answered for you, twosets.
seekingmyLord Your story was inspiring. I want to be careful not to become presumptuous in my taking God for granted; or jeopardizing my relationship with him. I was just so bewildered though, to find that there are those who think that I should just shut up and be a Christian. And NEVER dare question God. Thanks Everyone! Your responses were and are sobering. It is definitely refreshing to know that the King of the Universe can be reasoned with. That He can be a just Judge: That He can be defend me as a fair Lawyer. Oh What a Savior! O hallelujah! ... I feel like preaching... :angel:
God has to allow certain things to unfold, take place, happen as the great controversy between Christ and satan unfolds. I don't think we, as humans, will ever understand why He allowed certain things to happen, prevented others from happening, seemed to answer right away for some things, and took years or never seemed to answer other things. It's all too complex for our little, though amazing, minds to comprehend! But that's where faith comes in. We need to have faith that what He says is true, even when things don't go well at all for us, even through the hardest of times when it SEEMS God isn't listening or answering or following through on His promises! COntrary to what many say when things go wrong, it's not GOD making those bad things happen. He'd much rather us all be in Paradise with Him! As in the story of Job, things have to play out. Sometimes God can't intervene, just because He'd be accused of being unfair or kinder to Christians, so no wonder they're following Him! I think God appreciates us questioning how things are going, what's happening, etc. But I don't think we, as some others said, should do it beligerantly. "Look God, you said you'd pour out the windows of blessing if I tithed. I have tithed faithfully for years, and I don't see those amazing blessings you promised! Did you forget that? Comeon now, pay up!" No, that would be wrong! How do we know exactly what is meant by the blessings He has promised? Maybe we think He should be giving us money, and cars, and THINGS tht we want, or healing us from some condition. But maybe HIS plan was to help us learn to trust Him, and His blessings were family, being alive, being able to help others in some way, knowing Him....... There's often a big discrepancy in what we THINK He might mean and should do, and what He MEANT when He said something! Ther comes the faith thing again. We need to just trust that God is working things out for the best of everyone, and that if we trust Him, and follow Him, despite what's happening around us, we will be able to go home with Him. Like the old song says, "This world is not my home, I'm just a-passin' through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue..." God never promised that if we would follow Him that nothing bad would ever happen to us. But He DID promise to ALWAYS be with us, despite what does happen! And we have this hope in the coming of the Lord to look forward to, so what happens here is of little consequence, though it may be painful now, ALL WILL BE RIGHT IN THE END!!!
