Riddles of Life by Dave Evans
Dave Evans recently retired from his career as an estimator for an electrical contractor, but still works part-time. He recently served as Body Care Pastor for a small church and previously taught at a local Bible College for several years. God led him to found and serve in several outreach ministries—a pet therapy ministry, visiting several skilled nursing facilities and retirement homes: a prayer booth on a local street corner to allow people in the community to stop by for prayer needs and an evangelism table, typically set up once a month at various malls or stores, which made Bibles, tracts, DVDs, and other Christian materials available free of charge to interested shoppers. Dave has a bachelor’s degree in business administration/management. As a writer, he has had many poems and articles published in various periodicals and books. And he’s been privileged to do volunteer work for a local police department.
22 | M AG A Z I N E N A M E PAGE 3 22
Riddles are puzzling statements or questions, often framed as problems to be solved. In the Bible, Samson challenged the young men in his wedding party to solve a riddle he presented to them. (Judges 14:14) When the Queen of Sheba came to learn from the renowned wisdom of Solomon, she tested him with hard questions, or riddles (the same root word translated as ‘riddle’ in Judges 14:14). Life is full of riddles. For some of them, we find clear-cut and resolute answers in God’s Word. The Philippian jailer cried out to Paul and Silas, “… ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’” (Acts 16:30 NKJV). The crystal-clear answer was, “… ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved…’” (Acts 16:31 NKJV). In Capernaum, people asked Jesus, “… ‘What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.’” (John 6:28, 29 NKJV) Two puzzling questions were resolved with definite answers. Answers to other riddles often are either unanswered or not clearly understood. For example, how can we adequately explain the Trinity? How can one God exist in three separate persons? What happens to the bodies of those who die in Christ before the rapture? Do they get temporary bodies, or do they exist in spirit form until they get a glorified body? Another much discussed, but unanswered riddle is the meaning of the number of the beast, 666, in Revelation 13:18. How would you answer the following riddle? What is temporary, yet never-ending; clouded by unresolved questions, yet brightened by the assurance of future conclusive answers? Here is a hint —
