What Do You Do When You Have No Answers?

Introduction: Living With No Answers

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 4535 Maclaren’s One Hour

Dr. Alexander Maclaren was one of the clearest Bible Expositors of the age. How he became such a Bible scholar is worthy of note. One who in his early ministry was an assistant to the great Baptist preacher, once asked him what had contributed most of all to his success.

Doctor Maclaren, after deprecating the idea that he had attained “success,” said that he owed all that was in himself and his ministry to the habit, never broken, of spending one hour a day “alone with the Eternal.” The hour which he took was from nine to ten in the morning. His assistant says that he was sometimes allowed to be in the room with the pastor, but no word was allowed. In his well-worn armchair he sat, with his big Bible on his knees, sometimes reading its pages, more frequently his hand over his face.

During that hour he did not allow himself to read even the Bible for texts, or as a student. It was read as a child would read a letter from an absent father; as a loving heart would drink in again the message from a loved one far away.

Isn’t it good to know you can talk to God and receive an answer?

Psalm 18:6 CSB

6 I called to the Lord in my distress, and I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.

Psalm 120:1 CSB

1 In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me.

Over and over again, we see the writers of the Bible talk about God’s ability to answer prayers. Yet, there are instance where writers spoke of praying to God, but they received no answer.

Psalm 22:1–2 CSB

1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far from my deliverance and from my words of groaning? 2 My God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, by night, yet I have no rest.

Job was a righteous man that had several questions about God’s righteousness, because he could not reconcile the idea that God would allow a righteous/ innocent man to suffer.

Yet, the worse thing about his experience was that God was silent. When you have to live in the silence of God it makes you question everything you thought you knew about God. The answer you thought you didn’t want to hear is better than no answer, because at least you know God will talk back to you.

In Job 31:35-37, Job is simply begging someone to answer him.

God Answers: Job 38-42

God answers in Job 38. Most of us have resorted to talking about God’s sovereignty. The fact that He can do whatever He wants to do. Yet, God’s justification for allowing things in Job’s life that seems to be a misfortune is out of wisdom, not simply sovereignty.

God is wise (Job 38:2)

God’s refute against mankind is based on the premise that He is wise.

This means, God knows things we don’t know.

God’s wisdom is the perfect divine judgment and insight arising from his infinite knowing—and this wisdom is something he shares with his creatures according to their need and for their good.

Lexham Survey of Theology God’s Wisdom

God’s wisdom is the perfect divine judgment and insight arising from his infinite knowing—and this wisdom is something he shares with his creatures according to their need and for their good.

In other words, God is always thinking of the best and most just way to guide your life.

God’s wisdom leads to righteous sovereignty, because we understand that anything God does must be the best option out of all possible options (Job 42:1-6).

Conclusion

So, we should thank God for all the times He did not answer our prayers.

Every time we felt we were alone, we owe God thank you!

The times it seemed as though God was silent were times God was given us the opportunity to trust His wisdom.