Questions

Last Sunday, I was asked: “Did God have a plan before or after Adam and Eve sinned? Why did He bother creating Adam and Eve knowing they would make Him mad?” A nine-year-old had this question before the second service began. I love it. Why? This young person is processing what she knows (and doesn’t know) about her God. She asks questions to understand better her relationship with God, her faith in Him, and how this impacts her worldview. Does she realize this question is influencing all these factors in her life? Probably not. However, she does want to know more about God and His character.

God created us to have a relationship with Him; it’s not that we love Him first; instead, “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19, ESV). Everything God does is out of love for us (Ephesians 2:4-5). He always has a plan (Romans 8:28). I told the student this (which she knew because we say this often in K-5), and His plan never changes or can be stopped because He is God (Job 42:2). We sometimes struggle with why things happen the way they do (read the book of Job) or the direction God has us in (read the book of Jonah). The amazing and sometimes frustrating truth is that we are not in control. However, when I dwell on God’s goodness, I find comfort in knowing the God of love is working and will fulfill His purpose (Psalm 138:8; Philippians 1:6).

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