Sunday, January 22, 2017

Dial Daily Bread: Questions for Jesus--The Problem is Not Getting His Attention

Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"

Is it possible to e-mail Jesus, to send Him a question and get an answer back? Some will probably say "No," implying that He's too busy running the universe to bother with messages from everyone here and there. But it seems that what Jesus said in the Bible indicates that the answer has to be "Yes."

Not that you will use Yahoo or Gmail, but if you wish to ask Jesus a question, and you are willing to think it out reasonably, and you are serious as you ask it, He has promised to respond. "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you"; all this He says (see Matt. 7:7). Sounds encouraging! But again, be serious.

The problem is not getting His attention; the problem is getting your attention when it comes to His response. If you are playing around foolishly, "let not that person suppose that he will receive anything of the Lord" (James 1:7). But if you mean business, He has promised that the Holy Spirit will be sent to you as a "Comforter," the word meaning literally, "One who is called to sit down beside you and never leave you" (John 14:16). And His assignment from Jesus includes answering your questions: "When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; ... He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you" (John 16:13, 14).

But let us remember that God has promised specifically that He will answer our questions by directing our attention to what He says in His Word, the Bible. He will not bypass the prophets and apostles whom He sent. The Holy Spirit will direct you to the Bible; He will enlighten your mind to comprehend what it says.

For example, suppose you want to send Jesus this question: "Jesus, please tell me--will I be saved eternally or will I be lost?" He will answer: "Our Savior, ... desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:3, 4). "He chose [you] in Him before the foundation of the world, that [you] should be holy and without blame before Him in love [agape], having predestined [you] to adoption as [a child] by Jesus Christ to Himself" (Eph. 1:4, 5).

There's your answer; but now what will you do with it? Are you willing to "come to the knowledge of the truth," willing to study and learn? Are you also willing to be "holy and without blame"? Takes dedication!

--Robert J. Wieland

From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: January 8, 2000.
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