Isaiah 5:20 states, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” What is good and what is evil? Good question. It is important to have Biblical answers, but many times we don’t even know the questions! Think of all the songs that we sing in church that ask us a question: “Is thy heart right with God?” “Is your all on the altar?” “Do you know my Jesus?” “Are you washed in the blood?” Questions cause us to think of a response, to search our hearts. Think of all the questions that are asked in our homes among our family members. Mom and Dad ask their children, “Why did you do that?” “What were you thinking?” A Husband asks his Wife, “Why did you spend so much money on foolish things like clothes and food and not important things like hunting equipment?” A Wife asks her Husband, “You promised to fix that a month ago, why haven’t you done it yet?” Ha. Ever get tired of people asking you questions?

God asks a lot of questions to challenge us to think, but He has all the answers. Isaiah 6:8, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Jonah 4:9, “Doest thou well to be angry?” Genesis 4:6, “Why is thy countenance fallen?” Jeremiah 32:26, “I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is there anything too hard for me?” Job 38:2, “Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?” Psalms 42:11, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”

Questions are really important if they come from God. The answers are even more important if they come from God. This is the time to search our own hearts. Do we really know God? Do we believe His answers are relative and true? Do we love Him enough to obey and follow Him? Do we trust His Word? I Corinthians 11:28 states, “But let a man examine himself.” II Corinthians 13:5, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.” Lamentations 3:40, “Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.” Thomas Watson wrote, “External acts of religion are easy to be done; to life up the eye to heaven, to bow the knee, to read a prayer, this requires very little effort; but to examine a man’s self to take the heart all in pieces as a watch, and see what is defective. This is not easy. Reflective acts are the hardest. The eye can see everything but itself. It is easy to spy the faults of others, but hard to find out our own.”

Am I a soldier of the Cross—A follower of the Lamb?
And shall I fear to own His cause, Or blush to speak His name?

Must I be carried to the skies On flowery beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize  And sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face?  Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace, To help me on to God?

Since I must fight if I would reign, Increase my courage, Lord!
I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain, Supported by Thy Word.