Question 1

What does it mean to wrestle with God?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 32:24-29This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break. When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket. Then the man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” “What is your name?” the man asked. He replied, “Jacob.” “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.” “Please tell me your name,” Jacob said. “Why do you want to know my name?” the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob there.Jacob physically wrestled with God. And he was persistent, wrestling all night until he received God’s blessing. We probably won’t have a physical confrontation with God, but he invites us, like Jacob, to be persistent with our questions and requests. In fact, Jesus told the following story to make that very point.Luke 18:1-8One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’” Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”

Question 2

What can I talk about with God?

Accepted Answer

The examples of people bringing their concerns to God abound in Scripture: Hannah asked God for a son (1 Samuel 1:9-11); Job argued his case before God (Job 12:13–14:19); Daniel pleaded with God to show mercy toward his people (Daniel 9:4–18); Habakkuk complained about the success of evil people and asked God for justice (Habakkuk 1:2-4, 12-17). The psalm writers (especially David) expressed their deepest feelings to God, including anger fear, sorrow, bitterness, and repentance. See, for example: Psalm 4:1; 5:1; 6:1–7; 7:1; 10:1-18; 12:1-4; 13:1-4; 17:1-2; 22:1-21; 25:16-22; 26:1-12; 27:9; 28:1-3; 31:9-18; 35:17; 38:1-22; 39:12-13; 44:9-26; 59:1-5; 74:1-11; 79:5-13; 83:1-2; 88:12-18; 89:46-51; 94:1-7; 102:1-11; 108:10-12; 119:81-88; 142:1-2.Genesis 18:23-25, 32-33Abraham approached him [the Lord] and said, “Will you sweep away both the righteous and the wicked? Suppose you find fifty righteous people living there in the city—will you still sweep it away and not spare it for their sakes? Surely you wouldn’t do such a thing, destroying the righteous along with the wicked. Why, you would be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same! Surely you wouldn’t do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?” . . . Finally, Abraham said, “Lord, please don’t be angry with me if I speak one more time. Suppose only ten are found there?” And the Lord replied, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.” When the Lord had finished his conversation with Abraham, he went on his way, and Abraham returned to his tent.Afraid that God would destroy godly people along with the ungodly in Sodom, Abraham boldly questioned and bargained with God, pleading that God would spare the city.Exodus 33:12-14One day Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Take these people up to the Promised Land.’ But you haven’t told me whom you will send with me. You have told me, ‘I know you by name, and I look favorably on you.’ If it is true that you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favor. And remember that this nation is your very own people.” The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.”Moses wanted answers and to be assured of God’s presence with him as he was about to lead God’s people to the Promised Land.Judges 6:13“Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn’t they say, ‘The Lord brought us up out of Egypt’? But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.”Gideon was almost brash in his asking God for clear direction and strength to face Israel’s enemies. He was also forthright and honest.Jeremiah 14:9“Are you also confused? Is our champion helpless to save us? You are right here among us, Lord. We are known as your people. Please don’t abandon us now!”Here we see an angry prophet, Jeremiah, pleading with God.Jeremiah 15:18“Why then does my suffering continue? Why is my wound so incurable? Your help seems as uncertain as a seasonal brook, like a spring that has gone dry.”Jeremiah honestly looked to God for answers and for relief.

Question 3

What does God think about our honestly expressing doubts and questions?

Accepted Answer

The Bible records many people questioning God, clearly voicing their deepest feelings and most troubling questions: Abraham, Job, David, and Habakkuk to name a few. In every case, God did not rebuke them for this—even when their thinking was way off base.Jeremiah 29:12-14In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord.God promises his people that he will listen when they talk with him and that they will find him when they seek him.Matthew 7:7-8“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”Jesus tells us to be persistent as we seek his answers. He promises to listen.Philippians 4:6Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.1 Peter 5:7Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.Because God loves and cares for us, he wants us to bring all our concerns, questions, and needs to him. We can talk with him about anything.James 1:5-6If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.Our greatest need is for wisdom, especially when we doubt or wonder which way to go, what decision to make, or how to live. God says we should simply ask him. But our asking should be done in faith; that is, we should trust in him alone for the answer.Psalm 139:1-4O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.God knows everything about us, even all our thoughts, including doubts. So he is never caught by surprise when we ask or question him. We can, and should, tell him everything, to remove any barriers that we may have erected between us.

Question 4

What should we do with our doubts?

Accepted Answer

God does not expect us to stop thinking or questioning after we step into a relationship with him. In fact, Scripture speaks often about our minds and thoughts. We are to love God with all our “mind” (Mark 12:30), to change the way we think (Romans 12:2), to focus on “the things of heaven” (Colossians 3:2), “to destroy false arguments” (2 Corinthians 10:4), and to “think clearly” (1 Peter 1:13). But no matter what crosses our minds, we can always bring it to God so he can help us figure it out.Matthew 28:16-20Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted! Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”In one of his last interactions with the disciples, Jesus commissioned them to spread his message, the gospel, throughout the world. Matthew reports that “they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!” Obviously, doubting is natural, even during worship and even for those most committed to Jesus. How we deal with doubt is most important. Some people wallow in doubt and become skeptical of everything; others become discouraged or depressed; some turn from the faith entirely. These doubting disciples of Jesus, however, became courageous proclaimers of God’s Good News and helped to change the world.John 20:24-29One of the disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.” Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”The disciple most known for doubting is Thomas. We know he was someone who was not afraid to speak his mind, to ask the tough questions (see John 14:5). Because Thomas had not yet seen Jesus after the resurrection, he found great difficulty believing the story to be true. Note that Thomas honestly expressed his feelings of doubt to the others. Then, when confronted with the facts, Thomas affirmed and proclaimed his faith in Jesus. Like doubting Thomas, we should use our doubt to motivate us to look for answers.Mark 9:23-24“What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”God wants us to be open and honest with him. This loving father wanted Jesus to heal his son. He asked for help and honestly admitted his faith-struggle. When we struggle to believe and even harbor doubts, we should express those feelings to God, asking him to overcome our unbelief.

Question 5

With what issues does God want me to wrestle?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 6:33“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”The most important issue with which we should wrestle is how to “seek the Kingdom of God above all else.” Knowing God and living his way should be our highest priority.Mark 12:32-34The teacher of religious law replied, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other. And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.” Realizing how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.We see here and elsewhere (for example, Matthew 22:37-40) Jesus affirming the Old Testament teachings about how God’s people should live (see Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18). In addition to focusing our attention on loving God and seeking first his Kingdom, we should think through how we can love others.James 1:22Don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.Knowing what the Bible says is not enough—even understanding what it means. We also need to obey the Word, to apply it, to put it into practice. We should wrestle with this whenever we read the Bible, listen to a sermon, or participate in a group study. We should constantly strive to answer the question, “What does this mean for me, for my life, and how I should live?”

Question 6

When will we get it all figured out?

Accepted Answer

1 Corinthians 13:12Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.All humans are finite, imperfect, and sinful, and we live in a fallen, sinful world. Thus, our vision and perspectives are limited. So we will never get everything figured out in this life. After death, however, when we are with God, we will “know everything completely.”1 John 3:2Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.When we finally see Jesus, we will know him and ourselves fully. Until that day, we need to live by faith.

Wrestling with God