This is part of my year-long series exploring human-centered alternatives to the spiritual promises in Oswald Chambers’ classic devotional My Utmost for His Highest. Today’s entry, “Unquestioned Revelation”, claims that through divine resurrection life, believers reach a state where they no longer need to ask questions or seek understanding through intellect, achieving perfect certainty about God’s purposes.
Here’s a different approach:
Dr. Sarah Chen had always been the type to need answers. As a research scientist studying climate patterns, she lived by data, hypotheses, and peer review. When her teenage daughter Maya was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune condition, Sarah’s world tilted into uncertainty.
The first months were agonizing—late nights researching treatments, questioning specialists, second-guessing every decision. The not-knowing felt unbearable. But gradually, something shifted. Not through divine revelation, but through community.
Maya’s support group connected Sarah with other parents who’d walked this path. Dr. Patel, Maya’s rheumatologist, spent hours explaining the disease’s mechanisms. Sarah’s research background helped her understand the treatment options, while her sister moved in to help with daily care.
The questions didn’t disappear—if anything, Sarah asked more of them. But they changed from desperate pleas for certainty to collaborative inquiries. “What does the latest research suggest?” “How are other families managing this?” “What accommodations does Maya need at school?”
A year later, Maya was thriving on a new treatment protocol. Sarah realized she’d found peace not by transcending her need to question, but by building a network of knowledge, support, and shared problem-solving. The mysteries remained—autoimmune diseases are complex—but they no longer isolated her. Instead, they connected her to a community of people working together toward understanding and healing.
Her questions had become bridges rather than barriers.
Reflection Question: When have your questions led you toward connection with others rather than away from it?
This story is part of my upcoming book “The Undevoted: Daily Departures from Divine Dependence,” which offers 365 human-centered alternatives to the spiritual certainties in Chambers’ devotional. Each day explores how reason, community, and human resilience can address life’s challenges without requiring divine intervention.
God or Delusion? 