Lighting Up Our City Video 6: Dealing With Hard Questions and DoubtsНамуна

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (James 1:5)

Let’s be honest: there are many things in the Bible we struggle to understand, particularly the Old Testament.

When thinking of the God of the Old Testament, all too often, people think of a vengeful God who strikes plagues upon the Egyptian people, or who strikes down those who are unfaithful to Him. They see God as harsh and judgmental. How do we respond to these accusations about God’s character?

When we read through the Old Testament, we do see examples of God’s judgment and wrath. But we also see a God who is compassionate, long-suffering (patient), righteous, and holy. And He desires that His children would follow Him and Him alone. That doesn’t seem so unreasonable. Does it?

And yet, we read that these same children rebel time and time again, provoking God’s anger, but then He relents and gives second, third, fourth, and fifth chances.

Abraham’s conversation with God about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah provides an example of God’s patience with Abraham and His mercy on His children. In this story (in Genesis 18), God sees the extreme sin in these cities and hears the cries of the victims, so He plans to destroy both cities. Abraham asks God if He plans to wipe out the righteous with the wicked (v. 23), then proceeds to ask if God would spare the cities for 50 righteous people, and God says He would spare Sodom for the sake of the 50 righteous people. Abraham then counts down to 45 righteous, then 40, then 30, then 20, then 10. We see God’s willingness to extend mercy to even a handful of righteous people.

For a new believer or someone who wants to know more about God, the Old Testament stories of God and His character can produce doubts and questions.

So, how do we handle these? James 1:5 instructs us: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” So, we pray and trust that God will give us wisdom in answering these hard questions.

By Teresa Baumbach