Day 2 of Illumination: The Lord’s questions are meant to teach us something.

25 Da

“Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: “Who is this who darkens counsel By words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, When the morning stars sang together, And all the sons of God shouted for joy?”

‭‭Job‬ ‭38:1-7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Not long before my father passed away, while I was sitting with him, he asked the following question: “Do you know what happens to the caterpillar in the cocoon?”

Thinking that he was reflecting on what he knew would be his soon transition, I immediately responded, “Oh yes, it’s a wonderful thing.”

To which my father responded, “Well, since you already know about it, you don’t need me to explain it to you.”

At this point it dawned on me that he wasn’t asking the question to get MY answer. The question was meant as a segue to something HE wanted to tell me. Realizing this to be the case, I urged him to speak on about the process that happens to the caterpillar in the cocoon.

Sure enough, he enlightened me on something that I did not really know at that point.

Of course, I knew that a caterpillar is somehow transformed into a butterfly; what I did not know is that it totally loses its complete structure and becomes like a “goo.” The butterfly forms out of the goo that was once the caterpillar. The metamorphosis is a result of the total “identity” of the caterpillar being lost and replaced with the new creation. Does that sound familiar to you? It should.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭5:17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

And,

“It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6:15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Having reflected further on that question, I have now come to see more fully the meaning of Jesus’ remarks about the seed.

“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”

‭‭John‬ ‭12:24-25‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Think about how the seed grows. In actuality, what grows out of the seed comes from the total breaking of the seed’s form and all the qualities it once contained. If it “chose” to stay in its original form, it would never grow and become fruitful.

We sometimes find ourselves desperately clinging to who and what we are; in doing so, we greatly limit what God can and will do with/for us. To truly walk with Him, our former identity needs to be relinquished to the process of COMPLETE transformation.

In our opening scripture we see that God answers Job after hearing Job’s complaint as well as the words of his friends. The Lord makes clear to Job that Job’s questioning of Him is ridiculous. The Lord commences to a ask a series of questions, none of which Job—nor anyone other than the Lord—can answer. And there was the point: God knows what we don’t know; we are in no position to question what He does. Now, I’m not talking about the kind of questioning meant to obtain understanding. I’m talking about the kind of questioning that is basically an accusation that the Lord—somehow or another—has made a mistake.

I have found over the years that the Lord has used questions as the segue into something He wanted to teach me, just like my father did!

Only today I was thinking about some things the Lord had revealed to me that I had not shared. Suddenly, I felt the Lord questioning why I did not share them. I quickly answered that I didn’t want to put His name on anything He had not said. But then—as He often does—the Lord asked a follow-up question of me: “Are you more concerned about my reputation, or your own?”

Well, I’ve learned enough to know I’m not going to throw out an answer to that without spending some time with the Lord, letting Him show me the truth. But it all started with a question.

Don’t be afraid of the questions presented to you by the Lord. Additionally, don’t be so quick to answer. He’s not trying to find out what you know. He’s trying to show you what you don’t know; and, if you will receive it, He’ll fill you in.

We light a second candle of illumination today by knowing this:

The Lord’s questions are meant to teach us something.

#25daysofillumination