When the question was posed to over 200 people, “What question would you like to ask God when you get to Heaven?” very few people even responded. Of those that did one said they had pages of questions and had already asked God to set aside a day to sit and talk with her about them. Another wanted to be able to understand how God could have always been, always will be. One other person said if it was a “have to” she’d ask how God could show so much mercy/grace/love to someone like her. And one other person wanted to know why God made rats, to which was added by the person who asked the initial question, spiders, mice, rodents, flies, mosquitos, fleas and ticks. Initially the person taking this unscientific survey also listed a few questions she’d like to ask God, such as, what did a snake look like with legs? Did it have four? Six? Eight? More? She’d like to ask Mrs. Noah how they handled the noise, smell and proximity of all those animals on the Ark. One last responder replied that she felt that if in Heaven we all became one spirit we’d not care anymore after our lives on earth.

Now I confess, I think once we get there any thoughts of questions we had will probably evaporate faster than a teaspoon of water outside on a July afternoon in the Deep South, but, I also confess I have such questions. I was also surprised that so few people responded and that the conclusion from that could be so few people have questions. Does that mean my faith is weaker than those who have no such questions? Could it mean my faith allows me to admit to having such questions, that I have things I just don’t get and I really want to understand? Do we think we will insult God to ask Him to explain something to us? Is that not what we are doing when we read and study the Scripture and ask the Holy Spirit to open our hearts and minds to what God wants us to know and understand from the passage? Could it be that one question leads to another to another and before long you can’t remember what you wanted to know to begin with?

The Bible tells us in Mark 10:13-15, “People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

I Corinthians 13:11, “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror, then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”

Hebrews 5:12-14, “In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”

From these verses let me tell you what I understand. Child-like faith is vital to believing in God. One has to accept without seeing or understanding how God is the “I Am” (Always have been, Always will be) and how He, in the earthly form of Jesus came to this earth via a virgin, willingly died a horrific death by crucifixion after a brutal beating and whipping, was placed in a borrowed tomb and rose again on the third day. He stayed here for a little while, showing Himself to the disciples and other followers before in front of a crowd of over 500 witness ascended into Heaven where He reigns at the right hand of God the Father today. Even though Paul later tells the Corinthians he put away childish talk, thoughts and reasoning when he became a man he also tells them that we see here a bad reflection of what truly is. I believe he means who and what God is, what Heaven will be like, what our lives should be – all those things that occur on earth we don’t get. Paul is perhaps explaining the reason we don’t “get it” is because we lack the complete picture, we see only a reflection and a bad one at that. Of course Paul also tells us in Hebrews that mature Christians are past the stage of having to have the Scriptures and Christian life bottle fed to them like infants taking milk.

So where does that leave our questions?

For me personally I see the fact I am willing to admit I have questions, that as I read God’s word and I don’t understand if I remember in Heaven I wanted to understand that because even here on earth with the help of the Holy Spirit I didn’t get it, then I don’t see that as something shameful. If in Heaven when I see Eve or Noah’s wife or Paul, John or Peter and can ask them questions, then there is no unbelief in that, no display of doubt, simply a seeking to know. Our questions will allow us to share what God has done for us and glorify Him all the more.

Once in Heaven there can be no doubt that Heaven is where we belong or we wouldn’t be there so the question of whether or not we became new creations by the love and gift of God. No, we won’t remember sad things, or miss people we love who have not made Heaven on their journey yet or missed it entirely, there will be no sickness, no pain, and no sorrow. But questions? Yes, I believe questions may very well be allowed.

I also believe that many of our questions will be answered when God reviews our life. When we see our whole journey laid out and see how it all fits many of the things we want to know will be answered. Meanwhile, take your questions to God for the Bible tells us in James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

Believing it’s okay to ask,

–Faye

All scripture taken from the New International Version of the Bible.