God sometimes reveals his most important guidance when we pray for wisdom about why our circumstances are as they are.
Have you ever wanted to ask God why? Isaac’s wife did, and God answered.
Genesis 25:21–26 says:
“ 21 And Isaac prayed to the LORD for his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her, and she said, ‘If it is thus, why is this happening to me?’ So she went to inquire of the LORD.
“ 23 And the LORD said to her, ‘Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.’
“ 24 When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.”
Here are four takeaways from this story about inquiring of God.
1. We can inquire of God when we are troubled
Rebekah was deeply troubled by what was happening to her. For two decades she had suffered the sorrow and frustration of barrenness. Then she celebrated the conception of a child. Now, however, she experiences jostling within her womb that she does not understand and cannot control and that is probably painful. Perhaps she did not yet know she had twins within, and so the jostling was both mysterious and worrisome.
2. We can ask God why
“She said, ‘If it is thus, why is this happening to me?’ So she went to inquire of the LORD.” (v. 22)
You can ask God your questions, even your why questions. Some people mistakenly suppose we should never ask God why because that is not our place. Others err by expecting God to explain everything, which he certainly will not do because the Christian life requires trust and because he is God and we are not.
Therefore God might answer a why question, but he might not. I do not think this falls within the promise of James 1:5, which says God gives wisdom when we ask. But if we need to know the purpose in a situation and God wants us to know so we will believe his promise, we can expect that he will reveal it.
3. We should inquire in a conducive place
Verse 22 says, “she went to inquire of the Lord.” Where did she go? They did not have a temple; perhaps they had an altar or a place of daily prayer. She might have experienced God’s presence there before. In any event, she went to a conducive setting where she could be alone for an extended time and pay attention to God without distraction.
You might go to a church that has a prayer room or allows people to pray in the worship area. Or you could go to a retreat center dedicated to people who come to pray for a day or more.
4. Inquiring of God may lead to the most important revelations in our lives
God answered Rebekah with a prophetic revelation of the future, unveiling the destiny for her and her children and even for nations: “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.” (v. 23)
Of course, insights of that magnitude do not happen every time one inquires of the Lord, and not everyone gives birth to children in the promised line leading to the nation of Israel and the Messiah himself! So we should have expectations that are neither too high nor too low.
But we can always inquire of the Lord with confident hope, for Scripture and Christian biographies alike show the Father often reveals his most important guidance and promises as his children inquire of him in times of trouble.
He will usually do that through his written Word. So when you inquire of the Lord, read the Bible much and ask him to guide that reading. He will lead you to Scriptures that are linchpins for a season or even for your entire life.
Conclusion
It might suit God’s purpose to reveal the reason for your circumstances, if you inquire of him.
Jeremiah 9:23–24: “Thus says the LORD: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.’” (ESV)