God...and "dumb" questions!

We spent several days in Baños last week, celebrating our anniversary.  In one place where we had lunch, there was a sign similar to this on the wall.  (I wish I had thought to take a picture of it!)

It made me wonder about how God sees some of our questions.  Does He ever consider any of them "dumb"?

Since He knows absolutely everything, (imaginable or not), surely some of our queries might be considered odd, inappropriate, "dumb"...but mostly sad.  (Maybe He shakes his head and muses, "The things these people come up with!!)                                          
                                              *************************

"Can you fathom the mysteries of God?  Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?"  (Job 11:7)  Do we have any right to ask Him questions? Should we save only the really knotty ones for Him and figure He wouldn't want to be bothered by the lesser ones?  (For fear that one of the questions might turn out to be really "dumb'!!)

Actually, we are encouraged to ask, call, seek!  "Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." (Jeremiah 33:3)  King David was full of questions!  (See Psalms 74:1 and 10:1, for example.)  I doubt God ever considered any of them "dumb".

If, as Hebrews 11:6 says, "...He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.", we can trust the fact that He will see first of all our earnestness...and to Him, an earnest question is NEVER "dumb"!

                              ***************************************
Maybe this would be a good thing for us to remember when someone asks us a "dumb" question.  Instead of irritation or ridicule, consider that for that person, it could be a very valid search for an answer.  (Or the questioner may have had a bad night, or be going through a stressful situation, and not be very coherent.)  Can we show the same grace as God does  in the face of "dumb" questions?
                              ***************************************                                                              
Job must have been rather perplexed when, towards the end of his story, God confronted him, saying: "Brace yourself like a man, and I will question you and you shall answer Me."  (Job 38:3)  Yes, He asks us questions, too.  And God's questions are never "dumb"!  They are always pertinent, used to teach us and make us think.

                                        ****************************************

                             Father, thank You for your patience with our questions!
                              Please help us to be patient with those of other people.