“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
— Proverbs 9:10
Imagine your teacher tells you the answer to a maths problem is 42. You could simply memorise the answer and repeat, “The answer is 42!”. What happens when the numbers change? If you do not understand why the answer is 42, you may not know what to do.
Faith sometimes is like that.
It is sweet and wonderful to have simple faith. God wants us to trust Him with humble and sincere hearts. However, having simple faith does not mean we should be careless or ignorant about understanding what and why we believe. God gave us minds, and He wants us to use them and strive to know Him as well as He knows us.
When we have difficult questions about God, we may be tempted to take the easy way out. “Just don't think about it.", some might say. But, hiding or walking away from our questions does not make them disappear. God is not afraid of or angry at our questions. We can read the Bible carefully, pray, ask trusted teachers, family, and friends, to learn more about Him.
Other times, we may squeeze God into a small “Sabbath box”. On Sabbath, we sing hymns and learn about Him. Then from Sunday to Friday, we forget about Him at school, while playing, or when making decisions. True faith cannot be contained within a box. Our faith should help us think, speak, choose, and live every moment.
Learning about God is called theology. Although that may sound like a very big word, it simply means learning who God is and what He teaches us. Every Christian can grow in knowing God better.
Proverbs 4:7 says, “And with all your possessions, acquire understanding". We do not need to know every answer immediately. Some things about God are complicated and difficult to understand. Still, we keep learning and seeking the truth.
Simple faith is a beautiful beginning—but it should grow deep. Do not borrow your faith from anyone else, know God for yourself. Read His Word. Ask questions. Pursue understanding. Then, when someone asks why you believe in God, you can lovingly share the hope that is in your heart.
Discussion Questions:
Do you have any questions about God or the Bible you are afraid to ask?
Is your faith only something you think about on Sabbath?
What is one thing you would like to learn more about God?
This week, how can you grow in knowing God for yourself?
Prayer in Words:
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray.
Thank You for giving us minds to think and hearts to trust You.
Please help us not to be afraid of questions or difficulties.
Teach us to love Your Word and seek understanding.
Help us to know You for ourselves,
Not just because others believe in You.
Let our faith grow deeper and guide us at school,
At home, and everywhere we go,
So that we will always be ready to share
The hope we have in You.
Hallelujah, Amen.
