“The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.” Prov. 21:31
Natural questions are often the hardest to answer; questions such as, “How does a bee fly?” Or, “How does a pigeon find it’s way back?” Science has pondered such riddles of God’s marvelous creation ever since the first time such queries were made. Yet one thing has always bothered me, why are these considered “natural questions” while other matters seem to be just as important to understand. One reason (I believe) is because of the nature of them. They can be held, examined, totally observed, yet the basic qualities of how they arrive at the desired end still remains a complete mystery.
Children can glance at a bee under a magnifying glass and the first thing they will notice is the unequal size of its wings to its body. They can feel the wings, even look at the workings of the bee under a microscope, yet there doesn’t seem to be an obvious answer to the initial question. By now I’m sure you are wondering what all this has to do with the verse above and how it can relate to our so-called modern Christian lives. Well, just as in the world around us, in the everyday life of a Christian, there arises such “natural questions.”
One question that is presented almost daily, especially in the minds of the youth, is “Why do we need to study, work, etc. if God has already planned our lives?” This generally comes sometime during the course of some activity that is not as pleasing as another. Yet, just like the ones concerning the bee or pigeon, this too is a “natural question.” To find the answer we must go back to our final authority, the infallible Word of the Living God.
A perfect visual answer to this question is the life of David. He was ordained “King of Israel” long before his throne was established in Bethlehem. His life and destiny were already planned by God, he was King, yet for years he played the role of servant. He was mightier than all his enemies, yet he did not run to war with the kingdom of Saul. He waited for the perfect time, the time that God had chosen, not David. David did not just sit back, however, no he kept his men ready. He prepared his horse against the day of battle, and when that time of God’s came, he, his men, and all those that followed, were ready for war and, by the arm of the Almighty, their enemies were delivered into their hands.
Jesus also spoke of such “natural questions” concerning those to whom the son-ship was given. Christ began to ponder our future, looking at the creation He had made in only the way that God can. Beholding us in our sins and sickness, in our doubting of His word and work. In our willingness to please all men rather than to obey Him, and in a host of ways to numerous to say. He wondered if we would we keep ourselves prepared against the day battle? Would we walk worthy of His calling? Would we keep ourselves a chaste virgin, without spot or wrinkle? As such things crossed His ageless mind, He posed, for our sakes, these two natural questions: “shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? . . . Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:7-8) |
