Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

As we continue our journey up redemption road, we find our next stop is questioning our motives for asking.

Today’s scripture, Luke 20:1-2 (NIV)…
[1] One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him. [2] “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they said. “Who gave you this authority?”

Consider…
Some of the favorite refrains disappointed people ask God are…

• why?
• when?
• how long?

At times we’re like the Psalmist in Psalms 89:46-47 (NIV), who asked…
[46] How long, Lord? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire? [47] Remember how fleeting is my life. For what futility you have created all humanity!

I don’t believe God has an issue with us asking questions, after all, wisdom comes from Him (Proverbs 2:6). I believe God takes issue with us questioning His authenticity and authority.

Today we see religious people questioning Jesus’ authenticity and authority.

*** It just dawned on me that the people who spent their lives reading and studying about the Messiah, didn’t believe His-Story.

Before making a snap judgement about these hypocrites questioning Jesus’ authenticity and authority, bear in mind the real issue was their motive for asking, which was to get their way rather than truly know Him.

The Holy Spirit showed me that we’re not too dissimilar because James 4:3 (NIV) explains…
[3] When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

Like Effie from the movie ‘Dream Girls’ we ask God…

• What about what I want?
• What about what I need?

The Holy Spirit revealed questioning God comes from desires for self-pleasing me rather than knowing Him.

I was then given the evidence of Eve in Genesis 3:6 (NIV)…
[6] When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

The Lord is emphasizing the crux of sin is desiring to please self rather than wanting to truly know Him. Notice I didn’t say more, that’s because with God it’s ‘either/or’. (Luke 9:23-24)

The Holy Spirit reiterates this self-pleasing truth with 1 John 2:16-17 (NIV), which explains…
[16] For everything in the world the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life comes not from the Father but from the world. [17] The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

And James 1:13-14 (NIV), which expounds…
[13] When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; [14] but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.

You see we question God, and we sin, because we prefer to please ourselves rather than know Him.

The Holy Spirit showed me something else convicting. Many people want to profit from God, but don’t truly want to know Him. That’s because knowing God costs. Luke 14:33 (NIV) explains…
[33] In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

The costs includes mind transformation, which Romans 12:2-3 (NIV) exhorts…
[2] Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. [3] For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

Notice, after God transforms our thinking we’re told to think about ourselves differently. 🤯

When we seek to know and please God, our standard for living changes. That’s because Christ becomes our standard.

Romans 8:29 (NLT) explains…
[29] For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

And Philippians 2:5 (NLT) instructs…
[5] You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Worst of all 1 John 3:16 (NLT) tells us…
[16] We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.

You see if we truly know Jesus and follow His example, we must become selfless rather than remain selfish.

As I wrote that the Holy Spirit reminded me what the Apostle Paul warned in 2 Timothy 3:2-5 (NLT)…
[2] For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. [3] They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. [4] They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. [5] They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!

I humbly submit, these are also the people who question God’s authenticity and authority.

But the Apostle Paul also wrote Ephesians 4:20-24 (NIV) to remind blood bought believers…
[20] That, however, is not the way of life you learned [21] when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. [22] You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; [23] to be made new in the attitude of your minds; [24] and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Because we know Christ, we’re expected to be new!

Today, I challenge you to evaluate the motivation of your questions to God, because it will determined how He answers.

Ask, to know God, not please yourself.

Today’s song is…
Know You

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)