It's Okay To Ask
Month 6: Hard Questions · Heart Matters
Today's Scripture
Read together: Psalm 13:1-6
1 How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? 2 How long must I wrestle in my soul, with sorrow in my heart each day? How long will my enemy dominate me? 3 Consider me and respond, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death, 4 lest my enemy say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes rejoice when I fall. 5 But I have trusted in Your loving devotion; my heart will rejoice in Your salvation. 6 I will sing to the LORD, for He has been good to me.
Memory Verse
“I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us.”— Romans 8:18 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: 1 Samuel 11-13
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Saul's first steps as king, and a costly choice.)The Heart of It
starts with one of the boldest sentences in the Bible. "How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever?" That's King David. God called him a man "after His own heart." And here he is, telling God exactly how it feels. He feels forgotten. He feels sad. He feels like the troubles will never end. He asks "how long?" four times in just two verses. God put this prayer in the Bible on purpose. He wants us to know that bringing our raw feelings to Him is not rude or faithless. He already knows what's inside us. So talking to Him about it is the most loving thing we can do with a heavy heart.
But watch what happens by the end. David doesn't stay stuck in the dark. The same psalm that begins "How long?" ends like this: "I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me" (). David tells the truth about his pain. And he preaches the truth about God's faithfulness to his own heart. That's the path through hard questions. Be completely honest with God. Then remember out loud what you know is true about Him. Your feelings get to ride in the car. But they don't get to drive. God's character is the steering wheel.
Around the Table
David told God, "I'm sad and I don't get it!" And God liked that he came to talk. Then David remembered God loves him and started singing!
Let's do it: Frown and say, "God, I'm sad." Then smile and sing one line of a song you love.
David asked "how long?" four times, then chose to remember God's goodness. Honest first, hopeful next.
Let's talk: What's the difference between complaining about God to others and bringing your hurt to God?
moves in three steps. First lament, then ask, then trust. Many psalms follow this shape. It's a God-given pattern for working through pain without despair.
Let's go deeper: When you're discouraged, do you tend to stuff feelings down or let them run wild? What would "honest, then trusting" look like for you?
💬 Conversation Starter
What's something you'd never be afraid to tell Mom or Dad, no matter what? Did you know God invites you to tell Him even the hard stuff?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Some think faith means never doubting. But actually the Bible is full of honest questions. And God answers them with patience, not anger (). A faith that can hold real questions is a sturdy faith, not a weak one.
For Dad · Go Deeper
One of the quiet ways homes lose kids to unbelief is by treating questions as threats. A child voices a doubt and meets panic, shutdown, or "just have faith." Then they learn the church can't handle their real thoughts. So they take those thoughts elsewhere. gives you a better playbook. God Himself put a doubt-soaked prayer in the Bible. So make your home the safest place on earth to ask anything. Welcome the question. Sit in it with them. Walk together toward what's true, and like David, end in song. The goal isn't to have every answer instantly. The goal is to be a father whose first reaction to "Dad, I'm not sure I believe this" is warmth, not alarm.
Draws on: Natasha Crain, Talking with Your Kids about God.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You that we can tell You exactly how we feel. Even when we're confused or sad, we can come to You. Help our family be honest with You first. Then help us remember how good and faithful You are. We trust You. In Jesus' name, amen."
I can be completely honest with God, and still end the day trusting Him.