Sometimes as Christians, believing that God exists is one thing, but trusting His timing, His plans, or that He will act at all can be another issue. The Bible gives us stories of those who waited on God for years while He was seemingly silent and of those who then heard His voice and saw Him act mightily. These examples can help us when we are going through our own seasons of waiting to believe that God will act even before we see it come to fruition. 

• What do you think about the need to test or question God even after He shows up? Why do you think people do this? (Accept all reasonable answers. Because we don’t physically see God like we do the people in our lives, we often want more tangible evidence or confirmation. We may often think our problems are too big to be solved or are reeling from times others have broken our trust.)

• Have you ever tested or questioned God about something? Share about that, if you feel comfortable. (Answers will vary. Students may not have examples of back and forth dialogue with God like in Gideon’s exchange, but it is common to make a deal with God, saying things like, “If you do this, then I promise to…” or “If you are real, then show me by….” Be prepared to share your own experience.)

• Is there a situation in your life right now where you are questioning God or searching for signs or answers from God? Share about that, if you feel comfortable. (Answers will vary. In the face of tragedies and suffering, students may be searching for signs of God at work. In the face of major life decisions, students may be searching for a signal that they’ve made the right choice. If called to leadership or out of their comfort zone, like Gideon, students may be searching for signs that God will be with them.)

Today we are going to make a tiny time capsule. It only involves paper and an envelope, though you can choose to add to it more on your own if you wish. Write down on your paper the situation that is causing you to doubt, question, or look for signs from God. Write about what you are feeling about the situation. Write down what you would like to see or hear from God about this. Write about what you thought or heard from God about this before or what you hope or suspect He might be doing in this situation. Put the date on your paper. Place it in the envelope. If you have other items at home to serve as a reminder of this time, you can choose to add them to the envelope later.

Seal the envelope. Set it aside to open at a later date—maybe in a month, in the new year, or a full year from now. Then, you’ll see what God has done in your life and in this particular situation. For now, believe that even if you can’t see God, God sees you. Believe that God is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do.

Close in prayer.