Can we really ask – God where are you?

Can we really ask – God where are you? Not only can we ask, someone already did. Someone from a long time ago. We even have God’s answer.

Can we really ask - God where are you? is article #1 in the series: God where are you. Click button to view titles for the entire series

I’m sure lots of Christians, let alone people in general, would like to ask this question: God where are you?

I’ve asked. And not always so politely.

And whether we believe it or not, there’s nothing wrong with asking.

What could possibly be wrong with actually asking? It’s not like God doesn’t already know the questions in our minds before we ever put them into words. He knows it’s in our minds before we even fully form the thought!

So ask! Ask away.

When we ask, God where are you, we aren’t the first.

The Old Testament gives us an example of one person who asked. It’s in the Old Testament, so many people might not have read it. It’s a small book, only three chapters. But still, many probably haven’t read it.

It’s written by one of the so-called minor prophets. Not by one of the famous ones. It’s not written by one of the more famous people at all. Unless you’ve read it, you may not even know it exists.

However, since I’ve asked the question so often, and since I have read it, I can say it’s one of my favorite OT books.

How might we ask the question today?

Before we get into the text of the Old Testament book, or even identify the author, let’s see how it might look using today’s English. Some people think the Bible’s not relevant today. Do the things below look relevant?

“How long must I keep telling you that things are terrible?
 Why don’t you save us?
 Why do you make me watch while people treat others so unfairly?
 Why do you put up with the wrong things they are doing?
 I have to look at death.
 People are harming others.
 They are arguing and fighting all the time.
 The law can’t do what it’s supposed to do.
 Fairness never comes out on top.
 Sinful people surround those who do what is right.
 So people are never treated fairly.”

That sounds pretty relevant. It’s a comment anyone could make after watching just a few minutes of the evening news. And it is asking our question today – God where are you?

Or, Google a few of these and see what you get.

Like –

• “call for help” will return things like domestic violence, agencies for people in need, police, fire, Etc.
• “Why don’t you listen” returns many links to songs – so this would seem to be a popular topic today.
• “Things are terrible” returns over 1.5 Million links!

Feel free to look up others – but there’s no doubting that the questions are quite relevant today.

Who is the minor prophet whose words gave us the translation above about the state of the world he lived in?

The thing is, those lines above, in orange text, were written about 2,700 years ago! Yes – about 700 BC.
They are from Habakkuk, considered a “minor” prophet (because his book is short – only three chapters), who gets to do something pretty major – talk to God and get an answer! Ask Him – God where are you?

The lines above are from the NIRV, which is more in line with styles of writing/speaking today. I normally prefer to use the NIV which is:

Habakkuk

Hab 1:1 The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet received.

Habakkuk’s Complaint

Hab 1:2 How long, O LORD, must I call for help,
but you do not listen?
Or cry out to you, “Violence!”
but you do not save?

Hab 1:3 Why do you make me look at injustice?
Why do you tolerate wrong?
Destruction and violence are before me;
there is strife, and conflict abounds.

Hab 1:4 Therefore the law is paralyzed,
and justice never prevails.
The wicked hem in the righteous,
so that justice is perverted.

Habakkuk asked – God where are you?

Habakkuk asked the questions lots of us would like to ask. Maybe we have asked. And while we may have other reasons for asking, many of us have asked similar questions as well.

In any case, regardless of the Bible translation we read, this is someone who is clearly not happy with what’s going on around him. Habakkuk’s also clearly not happy with what he thinks God isn’t doing about these things.

Both of these are situations that many of us feel we are in all too often. It sounds pretty relevant to me. 2,700 years and things haven’t really changed all that much.

There’s still death and destruction, although we can now carry it out on a much grander scale than ever before. There’s still injustice, strife, and conflicts in the world, but thanks to the Internet we can see more of it and see it so much quicker than ever before. There’s still too much violence.

The law isn’t always followed or is perverted to the point where it isn’t recognizable anymore and true justice often does not prevail – but thanks to 24-hour cable news we can constantly be reminded of all these failures on a scale never seen before.

And there’s no shortage of people willing to tell us that they know how to “solve” all these problems. That they can bring order and justice and resolve all these conflicts, if we will only put them in power over us.

For most of us though, we don’t claim to be able to fix all of these problems. Just some of them, if we were in charge of these things. And we wonder why God can’t seem to take care of even our “little” problems. Some wonder if God even exists. Some claim He is dead. Some claim He never existed.

No matter which group we’re in – the “I can fix everything”, or the “I know how to solve that one issue”, or even the “I can’t take it any more and don’t know what to do” group – the questions that Habakkuk asks are the same questions that are on many people’s minds and lips (and blogs) today.

And for all those asking “How long” or “Why don’t You listen”, there’s an implicit acceptance of one critical thing, that God in fact does exist. Reaching that first step can lead to further investigation. Habakkuk had no doubt that God existed.

Obviously, I believe He exists as well. So why doesn’t God listen and how long will He put up with all the wrongs in the world? Or – are those the wrong questions?

 These are questions asked by Christians and non-Christians alike.  

For Christians, when we ask things like this, it’s often a question of faith.  Like – do we still have faith?  Do we still think God is loving?  Do we still think God is all-powerful?  Do we still think that God is all-knowing? Maybe He doesn’t even realize what’s happening?  

And, if He does know, does He even care about us any-more?  Maybe we got so evil that He just decided to abandon us?  Maybe He’s dead, and we’re just “existing” until everything totally falls apart since He’s not here to watch over what He created?  

There’s all sorts of questions that can come up.  I’ve had some of them.  I know other people who have had various ones of these.  It’s not an unusual feeling.  But, is it justified?  Are there things that we can look to, things that would show us that yes, not only is God still here, but He most certainly does still care?  

For the Christians reading this series, that’s what you should look for in it.

For non-Christians, maybe questions like this have kept you from believing in God/Jesus?  Maybe you think that people like us who do believe this are crazy?  Maybe you think we live in a dream world?  Maybe you even were a Christian at some time, but abandoned the faith because of things like this?  

Or maybe you do believe in God, but you don’t believe He’s loving and think this is the way it’s going to be forever. I used to feel like that sometimes – that life sucks and then you die?. When this is where we’re at, is there something we can look to, something that would give us hope?  

For one thing, when I was in this group, at some point I realized that my anger at God did mean one very important thing: I still believed in Him.  If that’s where you are then you’re one big step ahead of people who don’t even believe He exists. And that alone is one cause for hope.

So let’s see if there is hope.  Let’s see what happens with Habakkuk.

Conclusion – Can we really ask – God where are you?

I started to update this series because I’m working on a series titled: China and America try to redefine Christianity. One of the things we should recognize about attempts to stamp out Christianity often end up with a kind of re-awakening. Rather than stopping Christianity, they often end up bringing the true believers to the forefront, with stronger faith, power from the Holy Spirit to proclaim the truth about Jesus, resulting in a growth in both numbers of Christians and in their faith.

A present-day example?

For those of you who’ve seen Star Wars, consider what could come from China’s religious regulations to make Christianity palatable to the atheist socialist government in that country:

Can anyone beat God?  Maybe religious regulations in China?  Or is this another case of “The more you tighten your grip …?”, as in the Princess Leia quote from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope?  

Part of the goal of the Chinese government is to water down Christianity to the point where it retains so little of Jesus’ teachings that it means nothing in terms of salvation.  In essence, they are trying to put the Chinese people into the scenario of the Church in Laodicea from Revelation. 

Things seem hopeless for them – both the people in the ancient church and the Chinese people today.  And yet, Jesus promises the right to sit with Him on His throne to those who overcome in the Church in Laodicea.  Since this is prophecy, the same promise should be outstanding to the Chinese Christians.

And so, this attempt at oppression seems tailor-made for a “new hope” for the people in China.  And even though they may start off with a watered-down Chinese Christianity, Jesus says that anyone who really tries to reach Him will succeed.  

A reason for hope in spite of new religious regulations in China

Here’s why I say that:

To the Church in Laodicea

Rev 3:14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

The Chinese people who fall prey to these regulations and are members of the state-run Three Self Church definitely fit into the neither cold nor hot description.  No matter how much they might want to know Jesus, they won’t learn the truth about Him at a Three Self Church.  No matter how much they may actually think they know – they really don’t.  They need to learn from the real Christian Church – one of the underground churches in China.

Rev 3:19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

We see the image of Jesus knocking.  Those who really want to know Him will hear that, open the door, and they will know Him.  And it doesn’t matter what the government does.  God will not be kept from those who want to know Him.

Rev 3:21 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Finally, here’s the promise we look at earlier.  And what a promise.  Such a reward for overcoming the efforts of the Three Self Church and the atheist government behind it.

This is an example of people today who can certainly ask, God where are you? And when they do, we see the promise that God will answer.

My own experience is that God doesn’t always answer right away. And He doesn’t always answer in the way I’d like Him to answer. But then, that’s really my issue isn’t it? We often have a short term view of things when we pray to God. Maybe even more so when we question God.

But then, He’s God and I’m not. It’s His long-term, perfect plan that I should want fulfilled, not my short-term, imperfect plan.

When we align our wishes, desires, and even needs, to match God’s will, then there is hope no matter how bad things may seem to us.

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Answering one question – Is OK to ask God questions like, God where are you”?

By the way, I do want to address one of the questions I raised above. Namely, are we justified in having these questions, these feelings? It’s very hard, if not impossible, to say having questions like these isn’t justified. Why? Look at what we just read. Habakkuk was a prophet of God. And look what he asked. And wait ’til you see what God answered and how Habakkuk responded to that.

And, if you don’t already know, Habakkuk is far from the only one of God’s people who questioned Him. People who we read about today, and probably wonder how they could ever have doubts.

Just to give a clue of what comes next, God does answer Habakkuk:

^{Hab 1:5} “Look at the nations and watch—
and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe,
even if you were told.

Uh Oh. That sounds pretty ominous if you’re already questioning whether or not God really is good.

And now – in the manner of TV drama cliffhangers and news alike – it’s time to say: “Stay tuned for more, after this break.”

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