Isolation and So Many Questions

Hello Friends! I can’t believe it’s been so long since I’ve written a blog post. However, if you follow me on Facebook, you will have seen my thoughts on a few things I’ve read or heard. That is what I want to do today. Instead of posting on Facebook alone, I thought I’d blog.

On Sunday I started a devotional plan from the YouVersion App titled Come Alive: Easter in Everyday Life, by Patreeya Prasertvit. Patreeya writes the inspirational blog The Walk Home. Check it out to read some of her blogs and find out about her.

I sat down to read day 3 of the devotional plan, the scripture references were Luke 20 and Matthew 27:46. I expected to read about Holy Week, and yes, she got there. But first Patreeya talked about asking God questions. I didn’t expect that! She laid out 3 types of questions we tend to ask God. 

Here they are:

• 1. “Questions where we want the answer.
• … we lean towards in times of confusion or curiosity. 
• …We want clarity, information, and knowledge. We rely on it to move forward or to shape our choices — or simply to shape our theologies”
• 2. “Questions where we want a specific answer.
• … They are the questions we ask when we know what we’d like the answer to be. They are the questions we keep asking until we hear the answer we want. …
• Jesus immediately spotted these sorts of questions — they were intended to trap Him. Although we may not be as malicious as the teachers of the law who were trying to trick Him into a condemnable answer, we want to force His hand”.
• 3.“Questions where we just want an answer. Any answer.
• … the one that takes the most faith to ask. They are the questions that feel as if they fall on silent ears. 
• …the ones that others often try to answer for you with a platitude or a Bible verse — even with an example from their own experience. To resolve your discomfort. To resolve their own.”

In Luke 20 Jesus is teaching in the temple. I imagine there were some people who asked honest questions of Jesus. How did “this” happen? What do you mean by “that”? Questions like type #1. 

When the Pharisees came in, they weren’t interested in honest answers, they wanted to trap Him, find fault in His answers. They asked questions like type #2. Like the Pharisees, if we don’t get the answers we want we usually quit asking.

If we look at David in Psalm 22, we find him crying out to God and asking questions like type #3.

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Why are you so far from saving me,

so far from my cries of anguish?

My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer

by night, but I find no rest."

Psalm 22:1-22 NIV

As I read through this, God reminded me of a few things. Nothing profound, but I hope they are things that will help you through this Easter in Isolation.

• I may be in isolation but I don’t have to be lonely! - There are tons of ways to reach out to friends and family: phone calls, texts, video calls, emails, snail mail (yeah it still works and people LOVE to get a card in the mail), etc. 
• If I have a question (usually type #1) about the pandemic, the best resource is the CDC's website. You can even link to information about your specific US State from here by scrolling down to the map of the US and clicking on your state.
• Keep praying! God wants us to be persistent in our prayers! Take a look at Romans 12:12 NIV “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Now let’s see how it’s worded in The Message. “Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.” Romans 12:12 MSG. Isn’t that cool! Are we praying “all the harder”? Can we “ … be inventive in hospitality”? Place some cookies on someone’s front porch? Virtually play games? There are ways, we just have to put some thought into it.
• Even though we may not be hearing answers right now, we know that God is here and He is working. I’ve seen his hand because he’s kept my husband and children and grandchildren safe.

How have you seen God work even if you haven’t heard him answer your specific prayers yet?

I hope you all have a blessed Easter!

Living in Grace,

Angie

If you would like to read Patreeya's set of devotions on YouVersion here is the link Come Alive: Easter in Everyday Life