John the Baptist had been in prison for several months and may have been a little discouraged. His question possibly showed some signs of doubt or disappointment for he had not seen or witnessed what he thought should be happening. Those who take this stand believe John's display of uncertainty was a natural response and he possibly only needed reassurance or perhaps wanted to urge Jesus to further action. We might ask ourselves, "Is it right to question God?" I conclude that it is quite appropriate to talk with God and ask questions for our own understanding and clarification, but it is never right to question God in the sense that He may not know what He is doing. We often lean too much on our own understanding and our analytical minds instead of letting go and learning to trust God.

Many of us, even Christians, can relate to John the Baptist. We often become impatient with God and are looking for Him to do things on our timetable instead of waiting upon the Lord. I believe John had no doubt who Jesus was, but did have some questions concerning specific events and details. John the Baptist was incarcerated and had to rely on his disciples [John's] for information to carry on his work. He possibly asked the question more for their benefit than for his own. We find Jesus using this type of questioning a lot. He asked questions not so he could find out the answer, but so that the person(s) he was asking the question could find the answer or experience the truth for themselves. John's disciples needed to know for themselves, beyond a shadow of a doubt, who Jesus really was. They had been with John the Baptist and had sat under his teachings, but all men need a personal encounter and relationship with the Savior. Jesus also used their questions to further teach the crowds and His own disciples about who He was and the role of John the Baptist.

Have we met the Savior personally and are we experiencing Him at work in our own lives? Or are we still relying on the word of others and their experiences? Today is the day of salvation and if we lack wisdom or understanding we are to call upon God. We read in James 1:5 (NIV) "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."