Is it Proper for a Believer to question God? - Psalms

[JTC]

What I'm thinking is it's fine to question God so long as you don't do it in a full of pride way. I mean you can do that, but don't be surprised if He doesn't answer you.

[ayin jade]

I pondered the title of this thread all day. I think it simply comes down to this: Questioning (querying) Him with the outcome of submission to Him is fine. Questioning Him with judgment towards Him and rebellion towards Him, not fine.

[ayin jade]

Is there a difference between asking God questions and questioning God's authority?

God bless,

GE

Yes, see above post by me.

I really should read an entire thread before responding perhaps lol.

[Jayyycuuup]

Isaiah 45:9

" Woe to him who strives with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth! Shall the clay say to HIM who forms it, "What are you making?" Or shall your handiwork say, "He has no hands?"

[Sevenseas]

Here is a question. Do we approach God with who we really are or who we think He wants us to be?

I have no problem questioning God because the Bible (Psalms) tells us to pour out our heart to Him and how can we do that

if we tell ourself everything is fine when it is not?

But as has been pointed out, David always came back to trust in God and I believe a heart honest before God will come back to

Him at the end of the questioning because, well, is there somewhere else to go? I am glad He knows my heart and therefore

I know I can trust in Him....sometimes people will not acknowledge what is in their heart and they are like a rock skimming the

surface of the water.

How can we know what we are made of if we cannot be honest before God who knows everything about us anyway?

He is the only really safe place to go and I think part of trust is being able to question and know that He knows anyway

[other one]

I don't see a problem with it as long as it is done respectfully and from my personal viewpoint in a manor that you don't understand why. Just about every time I have done so I've gotten answers and have learned from them. I would say that sometimes the answers were not pretty, but they were for my benefit.

Scripturally I think more of Job than Psalms.

[Jayyycuuup]

I've been considering this question, and one chapter that seems to be very interesting to me is Jonah 4. It's not in Psalms obviously so I apologize if this is off topic. Jonah questioned God's judgment pretty severely, and the interesting thing to me was, not that it was brought up as something to emulate, but that God tolerated it. In fact Jonah was called as a prophet. And, God bothered to answer him in a very interesting manner.

What do you guys think of that?

Could you reference the verse and give your thoughts? I read over Jonah 4 and didn't really see your thought completely. .please and thank you.

[sheya joie]

I agree -- the story of Jonah is very extraordinary.

I think part of the reason that Jonah gets so angry with God is the fact that God sent him to cry against the city that it would be overthrown in 40 days -- and notice, no mention of repentance there, only a message of judgment -- but because the people repented and turned from their sins, God revoked the judgment.

Meaning Jonah's prophecy didn't come to pass. In those days in Israel, a man who gave a prophecy that didn't come to pass could be executed as a false prophet. I think Jonah was angry because his reputation as a prophet was sullied and his life in danger.

Now, why God chose to answer him the way He did, I don't know. Perhaps He wanted Jonah to have compassion on the people?

[sheya joie]

Another thought about Jonah -- notice that when he's yelling at God, he says that he knew from the start that God would have compassion on Nineveh, and that's why he tried to run away and not obey.

[GoldenEagle]

Is it proper for a believer to challenge or question God?

What if we were to have a discussion of a Psalm where the writer challenges God or is skeptical of him... And we were to end our post with how the author closes the matter. What is your favorite Psalm applicable to this question?

God bless,

GE

(IMO) I don't think it is "acceptable" to question God, to me, it is a lack of trust. If you knew the direction God had for you, and FULLY trusted Him in every aspect of your life, then why would you ask why, or when. Why did this happen, or when will this end, how long will you keep in silence etc. Apart of this "abandonment" is patience, and that is a very hard thing to cope with, having it in His will and not in ours can be quite devastating to cope with, and takes a lot of trust in Him. Like I said earlier, I don't think it can really be avoided, no matter how strong your faith is, the "why" is just something we think we need to know.

<snip>

Perhaps there is a difference between asking God questions and questioning His authority? The first is okay. The second is not proper?

Thoughts?

God bless,

GE