Today's scripture: Psalm 20:3-4
The
Bible references this idea of God’s giving us our “heart’s desire” many times.
And this can be taken either too lightly—God is the cosmic gumball machine
where I can get anything I want—or without complete understanding. I wrote
the following in my
book, The Best Laid Plans. It seems quite appropriate
today:
Many
people point to certain verses they claim state that God will answer every
prayer exactly the way they desire. They recite verses like Mark 11:24
where Jesus says, “whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you
receive them, and you will have them.” They memorize Jesus’ words in Matthew
7:7-8 and state, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;
knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who
seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”
Yes,
people read and memorize and recite these words, and then, when they don’t get
the answer they wanted, they claim that God isn’t who He says He is. This is
very dangerous territory. Yes, these
verses and others do speak to asking and receiving, but it is so important,
even crucial, that every prayer be uttered with the words, “Your will be done,
Lord." (© Sauni Rinehart 2005)
When you focus on God and truly want His will for your life, His desires will
be yours. He then will "grant you your heart's desire" ... because your desires will be His.
Today’s
scripture: Matthew 17:20
You’ve probably heard the term: mustard seed faith. You know, the kind of faith
that moves mountains.
Yet, how many times have you felt your faith is strong, but the mountains
remain unmoved? Is your faith just not strong enough?
I think there’s more than meets the eye. In the words of the great theologian
Spurgeon:
The eye cannot see itself. Did you ever see your own eye? In a mirror
you may have done so, but that was only a reflection of it. And you may, in
like manner, see the evidence of your faith, but you cannot look at the faith
itself. Faith looks away to itself to the object of faith, even to Christ.
The object of our faith.
These are key words. In whom do we place our faith? In ourselves? In others? In
society? In science?
Everyone has faith in something … or someone.
When we have faith in the One True God, we can ask for anything within His will
(1 John 5:14). And if it is within His will, mountains will move.
Take a measure of your faith. If it’s mustard-seed small, is it still planted
in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ?
Today’s scripture: James 4:13-17
I have an entire weekend retreat talk centered around knowing God’s plan for
our lives. I do believe God will reveal His plan—sometimes. Yet I do believe He
expects us to do a bit of planning ourselves.
It’s a fine balance. Trusting God and planning our futures.
I’m a big-time planner. I like to know what I need to do and where I need to
be—often months ahead. But I do my planning with a major caveat: I pray for
God’s will in all things.
In my book, The Best Laid Plans, I
quoted Bill Russell:
Any plan has to be submitted with the qualifier,
“Lord willing.” Still, although God may alter any plan through dramatic
circumstance or counsel, Jesus said, “No man builds a tower without first
sitting down and calculating the cost” (Luke 14:28). While we realize that God
is in control, he does expect us to make provisions for the future (When God
Builds a Church © 2000, p. 89).
We know this. We know we should say, “Not my will, but Yours be done.”
But have you ever thought that when you don’t ask for God’s will—sincerely ask
for it—you’re being arrogant? Even more, you’re sinning?
When you commit your life to the Lord, you’ve given Him back what’s already His.
Plan your life. But put everything in God’s loving hand. Ask Him to do His will
in all things. And trust that His plan is perfect for you (Jeremiah 29:11).
Today’s scripture: James 1:5-8
I
like the first part of today’s scriptures. I’d certainly like
a bit more (well, a lot more) wisdom, and I’m assured I
can ask God, and He’ll give generously to me.
But
then comes that phrase that breaks my heart: “… he must ask in faith without
any doubting …”
Without
any doubting? Is that humanly possible?
Because
there are still times when I doubt, when I question—even after walking with the
Lord for years. There are times when I feel “driven and tossed by the wind.” So
does this mean that I shouldn’t “expect that [I] will receive anything from the
Lord”? Am I “double-minded, unstable in all [my] ways”?
Praise
God, I believe the answer is “no.”
Just
as the Bible convicts those who live in habitual sin, I believe these verses
speak about a state of mind. A constant doubting. A continual
double-mindedness.
The
Adam Clarke Commentary gives some insight:
The
man who is not thoroughly persuaded that if he ask of God he shall receive,
resembles a wave of the sea; he is in a state of continual agitation; driven by
the wind, and tossed: now rising by hope, then sinking by despair
… The man whose mind is divided, who is not properly persuaded either of
his own wants or God's sufficiency. Such persons may pray, but having no faith,
they can get no answer … The man of two souls, who has one for earth, and
another for heaven; who wishes to secure both worlds; he will not give up
earth, and he is loth to let heaven go. (http://www.studylight.org/com/acc/view.cgi?book=jas&chapter=001)
I
know God is in loving control. I know He has a perfect plan for me. I may not
always understand. And doubt may sometimes make me question why things happen
the way they do. But then I am reminded how faithful God has been and how
faithful He will be.
And so I know I can ask for wisdom to know His will. And the strength to do it.
Today’s scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22
I’ve heard sin defined as “missing the mark” or “falling short.” I’ve also
heard it defined as anything that takes our focus off of God.
This
world is full of things to entice us. And when we neglect to “hold fast to that
which is good”—those things of God—we can easily get sucked into sin. God
desires our hearts to dwell on things that are pleasing to Him. Paul wrote, “…
whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and
if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have
learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the
God of peace will be with you” (Phil. 4:8-9).
Practice these things.
A while ago, WWJD was a big thing. What would Jesus do? While it became almost
a joke, in and outside of the Christian community, it’s still a valid question.
Are we really focusing on what Jesus would do in every situation? Do we ask
ourselves if God would be pleased with our thoughts or actions?
If we really sought God’s will in all things and “examine[d] everything
carefully,” we might live very differently than we do.
Today’s
scripture: Galatians 2:1-3
We’ve talked about this before: God always answers prayers, but He answers
differently, according to His will. The hardest answer to receive from God is
“wait.”
Sometimes God just wants us to patiently await His work. Paul waited 14 years
to continue his God-given journey. He was an itinerant missionary and knew God
had designed a particular path for him to take. And he was patient, knowing God
would reveal His will in His timing.
Have you prayed for something for a long time, yet you feel God hasn’t
answered? Chances are, He’s asking you to wait and trust Him.
I’ve been praying well over 20 years for my husband’s salvation. I believe God is softening
his heart, but so far, the answer has been, “Wait, my daughter.” It’s hard
sometimes, but I know without doubt that God is faithful. I know with quiet
certainty that He loves Russ so much more than I ever could. I know I can
patiently and trustingly wait for the moment when the answer is finally, “Yes!”
We are invited to come to God and pray to Him, knowing He will listen. (See
Jeremiah 29:12-13.) But we have to be ready to receive whatever His answer is.
Even if He asks us to wait—for 14 years … or 20 years … or even longer.
Today’s scripture: Galatians 1:18-24
God changes lives. He defeats addictions. He calms anger. He repairs
relationships. He takes rebellious, sinful hearts and makes them white as snow.
And He sometimes takes the most defiant against Him or the most ambivalent
towards Him or the weakest and makes them His spokespeople.
Moses feared he wouldn’t be able to speak to Pharaoh. Paul actively sought to
destroy those who followed Christ, thereby destroying a new religious movement.
Corrie Ten Boom was in her sixties, frail from interment in a Nazi death camp.
Yet each of these became a powerhouse in proclaiming God’s truth.
On a quite lesser scale, I was a rebellious, fist-in-the-hand-of-God teenager
and young adult. I didn’t want to have anything to do with faith. Then I
recommitted my life to the Lord, and all I wanted to do was know Him better and
serve where He wanted me.
I never expected He’d use me to speak or write. I felt unworthy to do either.
Yet, God, in His mercy and grace, chose to give me the privilege of telling His
stories.
You may think your choices have somehow made you inadequate to be used by God
in a significant way. But that’s one of the great things about our God. He’ll
use the most broken vessel to do His will.
It doesn’t matter what you’ve done or where you’ve been. If you surrender your
life to Him, willing to do whatever He asks, He will use you. You may be a
Moses or a Paul. Or you may be the only Jesus your neighbors, friends, and
coworkers see. In either case, others will be pointed to Christ through you.
Today’s scripture: Galatians 1:11-12
As I wrote on Tuesday, there is one gospel and one alone. The Bible is God’s
revelation to us through the pens of men, and it is that gospel we who follow
Christ believe.
Some of the so-called gospels being preached today aren’t found anywhere in the
Bible—or are found partially. The “name it and claim it” gospel, for example,
is partially biblical. The Bible certainly includes verses such as Mark 11:24 or Matthew 7:7-8. These seem to support the idea that “I ask and I get.”
However, if Mark 11:24 is read in context, we learn so much about how we’re to
pray, how we’re to ask. First, we need to, as the New King James Version
states, “Have faith in God.” If we have faith in God, we will desire to do His
will, and if we desire to do His will, then indeed, we will be able to ask for
anything. And He will do it—within His will. The second thing that
stands out is that we can’t pray for God’s will if we harbor unforgiveness in
our hearts. Jesus Himself prayed within God’s will (see
Matthew 26:39).
We must be very careful when we listen to men. And we must also know the Bible
well. Then and only then can we be assured that the gospel we follow is God’s
revealed word.
Today's scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:19-21
When I meditate on these three verses, I see words of both exhortation and
encouragement.
The first exhortation, although I don’t know if Paul meant it that way, is that
we’re to plan within God’s will. Paul writes, “I will come to you soon, if the
Lord wills …” Paul made plans to visit the Christians at Corinth. He may have
already packed his bags. But he knew that he would only arrive if God willed
it.
We need to do the same. We can certainly make plans. The Bible tells us to plan
(see Luke 14:28), but we always need to ask for God’s will (see James 4:13-15).
The second exhortation is that we need to treat each other with “love and a
spirit of gentleness.” You’ve probably heard the old adage, “You can attract
more flies with honey than with vinegar.” Whenever we interact with
others—believers or not—we should do so lovingly, compassionately, and gently.
Even if we’re reproving someone for sin, we still need to show Christ-like
love.
Finally, I’m greatly encouraged to remember how powerful our God is. He is
greater than anything this world can throw our way. He loves us
unconditionally, and He is with us always.
These days, it’s easy to think that the enemy is winning. Corruption.
Perversion. Wars (and rumors of wars). Natural disasters. Disregard for the
pain of others. Pain. Suffering.
It’s a mess. But we can be assured that our powerful God—Father, Son, and
Spirit—is in control. And we can be assured that “greater is
He who is in [us] than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
Today's
scripture: Ephesians 5:5-10
Paul gives several exhortations in these few verses … and we should take them
to heart.
Let no one deceive you with empty words. This world is full of promises—for
success, for prosperity, even for salvation. Living according to the world’s
standards is beyond foolish. It’s risking “inheritance in the kingdom of Christ
and God.”
“… do not be partakers …” with those who are immoral, impure, covetous … those
who worship other idols. We just cannot, cannot, live like the world. We must
live as God’s word commands us, dwelling on those things that are pure and true
and lovely (see Philippians 4:8).
“… walk as children of Light …” Our Lord and Savior is Light (John 1:6-10) and
He Himself called us to be “light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). Light and
darkness cannot co-exist. Light casts out all darkness, and our light—the
Light—should shine through us to cast out the darkness of this world.
“… learn what is pleasing to the Lord.” And how do we do that? By reading His
word. By meditating on its truths. By surrendering ourselves to Him every day.
By seeking His will in all things.
Strong exhortations … will you take them to heart?
Today's scripture: Ephesians 4:20-24
When we committed our lives to Jesus, when we accepted His gift of salvation
through the shedding of His blood, His death, and His resurrection, we became
new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17). Our sins were removed from us, as far as
the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12).
The Father saw us—and sees us—as clean and pure (Psalm 51:7).
However, we live in a daily battle against the enemy of our souls. Even though
he knows he lost the war with us, as long as he can keep us distracted from
serving God and impacting others for God’s kingdom, he can win a battle or two.
So we must be on alert against his wiles and lies (1 Peter 5:8-9). We
must—daily—“lay aside the old self” and take up the cross of serving God. We
must—daily—“put on the new self” by renewing our minds, by surrendering
everything to God.
When you wake each morning, ask God to give you strength for that day.
Surrender anew yourself to Him. Seek His will. Commit to live that day to
glorify Him.
Today's scripture: John 18:1-11
As soon as Jesus finished His prayer—His prayer for His disciples, His prayer
for us—He went to the garden ... to pray again. Luke tells us Jesus "knelt
down and began to pray, saying, 'Father, if You are willing, remove this cup
from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.'" Then we're told that,
"being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like
drops of blood, falling down upon the ground" (22:41-44).
Prayer. Jesus—God Himself—prayed ... often. It was a crucial discipline for
Him. His prayers illustrate two things for us:
First, He always prayed for the Father's will. No matter His own desire, He
wanted the Father's will above all else. This is how we're to pray, as well: "If
the Lord wills ..."
Second, God doesn't always answer our prayers the way we want, but He always answers our prayers. You've
probably heard how God answers either yes,
no, or wait. In Jesus' case, God answered both no and yes. What? you ask. Read Jesus' prayer from
Luke again. He asked for the "cup to pass" and for the Father's will.
The Father answered no to the first
and yes to the second. Because Jesus
was confident that the Father would do what He willed, Jesus was able to calmly
handle the next few moments. Judas' betrayal. Healing Malchus' ear. Being
arrested.
He knew the Father's will was perfect, so He was able to "drink the
cup" the Father gave Him.
We can learn so much from Jesus, and this is a wonderful lesson: If we pray for God's will in all things, we can be assured He'll always answer that prayer with a
resounding yes.
