We sometimes think of the Bible as a book of answers, and it does reveal a great deal about life’s deepest problems. The Bible is also, however, a book of questions, and there are times when God does not speak to us if we will not live with questions. There are not answers for questions we are unwilling to ask.
Jesus often asked questions. There are 307 recorded questions of Jesus. These questions often probed into the heart of the listeners. Jesus only answered 3 of those questions.
One day Jesus’ disciples found themselves spiritually ‘blah’. It is hard to believe since they were in Christ’s presence everyday but, none-the-less, they found themselves in a state of dullness. After being witnesses and doers of miracles, they still are deaf, dumb and blind to spiritual truth. How patient Rather than blasting their stupidity, He asks a series of nine questions in Mark 8:14-21 designed to help them snap out of it. We’ll look at five. Maybe the exchange Jesus had with His disciples will help charge your batteries.
1. Do you still not see and understand?
When you find yourself in the doldrums or living like the disciples were you may want to stop and meditate on the significance of this question for a while. Stop and think about where you are, about what is happening to you and why it is happening. Analyze it. Read what the Bible has to say about it. Study God’s revelation to you. Chances are that it will exhilarate you and you will find yourself once again sensing the fellowship and the freedom that comes from God.
2. Are your hearts hardened?
This is a hard question for us to face. But it is essential if we are to have the communion with God that we and He desires. Beware of (and be aware of) the development of a hard heart. The heart is the center of of our life – our thoughts, emotions, and desires. It can be soft (responsive to God’s will). It can be hard (determined to pursue its own inclinations) … even to the point of being hard as a rock.
Take a serious inventory of your heart. Are you dull inside or do you still respond positively to the truth? If the heart does not respond to what the mind has understood, then it is because you have not really believed it. God’s truth always grips us and moves us when we believe it.
3. Do you have eyes but not see and ears but not hear?
There is always more going on in life than we can see. Pause to seek the deeper activities of life. Don’t look at the events you are seeing and think that is all there is to it.
Jesus warns His disciples of the ‘leaven’ of the Pharisees & Herod. But all they could think was they only had one loaf of bread. While Jesus was dealing with spiritual truths, they were worried about food.
But the recent miraculous feeding 5,000 and 4,000 with a few loaves and fishes should have taught them some lessons. First, you are in the presence of the living God. Their failure to understand this made them incapable of envisioning anything more happening. Second, God’s supply will always equal or exceed your needs. Third, since God is here and will meet your needs, you can focus on more important matters than food.
Are you only looking at life through limited eyesight? Do you see the big picture? God’s picture?
4. Don’t you remember?
Often we need to spend time reflecting on God’s past goodness. The Psalmist did this frequently and for good reason. It is hard to remain spiritually dull when you meditate on God’s goodness. Jesus calls these two feedings to their memory and urges them to rediscover the meaning of these events.
Ask yourself questions like: What has God taught you in the past through times like this? In what ways has God shown himself faithful? What promises have you found in Scripture that God has kept … even when it seemed that circumstances would not permit them to be kept? Do you remember the times He has shown His love and care for you during difficult times?
Remember those times now, and always remember that you are in the hands of a loving Father. Learn to lay hold of His truth for your life and rejoice!
5. Do you still not understand?
Jesus now comes full circle. He asks a similar question to the first. But as we work through these questions, there is more understanding and our answer should be different than the first time. Will you allow yourself to be renewed?
You can read other similar articles: 4 Great Coaching Questions, 4 Questions of Reflection, 15 Questions to Ask Yourself When Making Decisions
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