January 27, 2010

Curiosity


I have always asked, "Why?" or "Why not?" It can be annoying. My Mandarin teacher in Taiwan used to say, "Tchrin Un, (my Chinese name) there is no 'Why' there is only do!"  But I really like to know why.
Charlie and Caroline love to climb trees to see what they can see. Curiosity I think must be a godly trait. It drives us to explore and discover and press in to find answers.
What a surprise to find that my assumption is Biblical. While reading Exodus 3 this morning I found this passage (3:3-4) when Moses sees the burning bush. Somehow I always thought God sort of drew him to the bush, but it says, "And Moses said, 'I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.' When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush."
Moses was curious and God called to him after he took the time to explore the mystery.
When Steve was in Israel last fall he asked Ray VanderLaan about questioning the Rabbi. Ray's answer was that questions were and are fine, but first you follow. It's while you are following the Rabbi that you ask your questions, but you don't wait to get your answers before you follow. The answers come while you are walking in obedience.
So, in my interpretation; Curiosity which provokes obedience ,followed by questions as we walk and talk with God, promotes greater faith, which increases our courage to pursue the next curiosity, which ....

Moses had lots of questions, but he started his adventure with God because he was curious, he wanted to know what was going on with that bush, and then God spoke.

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