Sometimes life doesn’t make sense. We wrestle with big questions:

• Why do bad things happen to good people?
• Why does God allow suffering?
• Why do children get sick and die?
• How could a loving God let anyone go to Hell?
• Is God even real in the first place?

This list barely scratches the surface.

Even for people of faith, doubt can creep in and become consuming. The Bible says God’s ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9), and that can leave us scratching our heads, wondering, Why, God? 

But here’s the question: does God actually want us to ask Him those hard questions?

The short answer? Yes, IF (and this is critical) we’re approaching Him with honesty and humility.

All throughout Scripture, people questioned God. Job asked why he was suffering (Job 3). Habakkuk cried out, “How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?” (Habakkuk 1:2). Even David, “a man after God’s own heart,” filled the Psalms with questions like, “Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1). God didn’t strike them down for asking. He met them where they were.

But here’s the tension: questioning God is not the same as accusing Him. The Pharisees questioned Jesus to trap Him. That kind of arrogance puts us above God, assuming we know better. On the other hand, questioning like a child coming to a Father with confusion can actually draw us closer to Him.

And let’s not forget Jesus Himself. On the cross He cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). If the Son of God brought His deepest questions to the Father, then so can we.

One of the best – and shortest – pictures of this is found in one of my favorite chapters in the Bible, Psalm 13. In this short, six-verse passage, David captures the human struggle with God:

O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever?
How long will you look the other way?

How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul,
with sorrow in my heart every day?

How long will my enemy have the upper hand?

Turn and answer me, O Lord my God!
Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die.

Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!”

Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.

But I trust in your unfailing love.
I will rejoice because you have rescued me.

I will sing to the Lord
because he is good to me.

David begins with doubt, hurt, confusion, frustration… maybe even anger. But he ends with trust and faith.

So, does God want us to question Him? Absolutely. But He wants us to do it in a way that seeks Him, not resists or runs from Him. Questions can be the doorway to deeper faith if we’re willing to trust Him with the answers (or sometimes, the lack of them).

Bottom line: God isn’t afraid of your questions. He can handle your doubts, your confusion, and even your frustration. Don’t let your doubt drive you away from Him. Let your questions lead you to Him, and let Him use them to grow your faith.

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Three Minute Theology is a series of blog posts, each designed to offer a quick but meaningful look at a subject related to God and faith – something you can read in just a few minutes but reflect on for much longer. Think of this as a starting point, not the full journey. My hope is that these snapshots will spark your curiosity and challenge you to dig deeper, open your Bible, ask questions, and explore how these truths about faith in Jesus shape your everyday life. Got a question you want answered? Drop it in the comments.