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Key Takeaways
- God's first recorded question in the Bible, 'Where are you?' directed to Adam in the garden, was not a demand for information but an invitation out of hiding.
- People typically dodge God's searching questions in one of three ways: by hiding, by arguing, or by over-explaining until the explanation becomes their identity.
- When Moses stalled at the burning bush, God asked, 'What is that in your hand?' transforming an ordinary shepherd's staff into an instrument for divine miracles.
- At the pool of Bethesda, Jesus asked a paralyzed man, 'Do you want to be made well?' cutting through 38 years of excuses and resignation.
- God's questions are always doorways rather than traps, designed to bring healing and breakthrough when we stop dodging and answer honestly.
“How are you?” You’ve answered it ten times today, and I’d bet most of those answers were “busy” or “fine.”
I hear it at my desk all year long. Someone gets close to the room they don’t want to show anybody, and they steer me somewhere else. We don’t exactly lie. We relocate.
The first question God ever asked is only three words long, and He asked it to a man hiding in the trees. “Where are you?” He wasn’t opening a case. He was opening a door.
In Episode 69, I look at three people and the three questions God asked them:
- Adam, hiding in the garden: “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9)
- Moses, stalling at the burning bush: “What is that in your hand?” (Exodus 4:2)
- A man who had been lying beside a pool for 38 years: “Do you want to be made well?” (John 5:6)
I think most of us dodge God’s questions in one of three ways. We hide, we argue, or we explain until the explanation becomes our name. I share what I see from my side of the desk as a licensed public accountant, then we look at what God does with a question when we stop dodging.
What you’ll hear
- Why we answer a different question than the one we were asked
- The hider, the arguer, and the explainer, and how to figure out which one you are
- Why the offended party is the one doing the seeking
- How the same rod went from “a rod” to “God’s rod”
- What Jesus did with a man whose answer was “I have no one”
- Three questions to answer this week, and how to ask the people you love the way God asks you
The line I keep coming back to
God’s questions are doorways, not traps.
Scripture in this episode
Genesis 3:8-10, 21 | Exodus 4:1-2, 12, 20 | John 5:5-9 | Luke 19:10 | Revelation 3:20 (World English Bible)
Your challenge this week
Grab one sheet of paper and write three questions across the top: Where am I? What’s in my hand? What do I want? Answer all three honestly. Then ask one person you love a question that sounds like an invitation instead of an accusation.
Ready to answer Him?
If this episode stirred something in you, reach out at truthunveiledwithralph.com/decision. You can stay anonymous. I just want to pray with you.
Next episode
Proverbs 3, “First Things First.” What comes first in your life, and does your money show it?
Keep seeking the truth, and let it set you free. God bless you, and I’ll see you next time.
Ralph
#ralphestepjr
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the three questions God asks people in the Bible discussed in this episode?
Ralph explores 'Where are you?' asked to Adam, 'What is that in your hand?' asked to Moses, and 'Do you want to be made well?' asked to the man at the pool of Bethesda.
How do people usually respond when God asks them difficult questions?
According to Ralph, most people dodge God's questions by hiding, arguing, or offering endless explanations that eventually become their defining label.
What is the weekly challenge given in this episode of Truth Unveiled with Ralph?
Listeners are challenged to write down three questions on a sheet of paper—'Where am I?', 'What's in my hand?', and 'What do I want?'—and answer them honestly before asking a loved one an inviting question.
