Questions and More Questions

Questions and More Questions

I have always been taught, and believed, that God will never bring evil into your life. It’s probably a deep theological argument that says God is good and His Word is true therefore He cannot bring that which cannot exist in His presence into our lives. Well, in my quiet time this morning, I had a bit of a shock.

1 Samuel 18:10-11 “The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand  and he hurled it, saying to himself, ‘I’ll pin David to the wall.’ But David eluded him twice.” (Emphasis mine)

Let me say that again in words of very plain English. “An evil spirit from God came forcefully on Saul.” The question is, why? The trouble is that no further explanation is offered. Another question might be, if God has done this, does such an action negate His being good and loving to His people? I suppose the thought might also occur that if God can curse something, as Jesus did to the fig tree, then why not send an evil spirit too?

While I was pondering these things, the Lord asked me another couple of questions. Do angels and demons live forever? If we destroy a demon, does it get replaced? Indeed, are new demons being made at all? Or are angels still being thrown out of heaven? And why?

I expect some theologians among you will give me some very erudite, theologically correct answers. Doctrinally correct responses will also be forthcoming, I have no doubt. I expect someone will tell me that I am a heretic and apostate in such thinking. I even suspect that denominations have probably been founded upon the supposed “correct answers” or “truth” of such things.

My thoughts however, take a different tack altogether. Does the answer to these questions change my beliefs one iota? If not, then why waste my time thinking about it? On the other hand, if the answers do change my thinking, what am I to do about it all? I think I prefer to leave the questions unanswered. Like all imponderable things, I will find the answer one day – when I am no longer seeing through a cloudy glass and all things have become clear.

It is at moments like this that I appreciate the wisdom of the old prayer, “Lord, give me the courage to change that which I can change, the grace to accept that which I cannot change, and the wisdom to tell the difference.”

Some things Lord are just too wonderful for me to know right now – but later . . .