"You have not, because you ask not." James 4:2
Can I let you in on a little secret about many parents of children with special needs? They struggle with their prayer life. It's not necessarily that they don't like to pray or don't know how to pray or don't understand the importance of prayer. It has to do with the fact that they prayed a prayer that for some reason didn't get answered. They prayed for a healthy child, but that is not their reality. A diagnosis doesn't just rock your life; it can rock your faith. I would liken it to the saying "Once bitten, twice shy." When you step out in faith on God's Word and something different happens, it can be a real test to do it again.
Faith, prayer, and God's will can come into question when earth shattering things happen. Many times in an attempt to play it safe and salvage what we have left of our faith, our prayers become complacent. We no longer have the courage to approach the throne with the confidence that 1 John 5:14-15 speaks of. Our prayers tend to have a permanent tag line ... "if it be Your will." And often times, that becomes our only prayer. For many of us, things learned in our childhood about faith shatter to pieces, and we are left wondering why our faith didn't work. Satan intends for this to be the outcome. He tries his hardest to keep us in a state of defeat, complacency, and hopelessness.
As I look back over my own journey, I can see that God had to completely renew my mind in these areas, and He still is. I wanted to peg my complacent, comfortable prayer life on my circumstances. However the truth is these thoughts are grounded in fear. The fear of not being heard, the fear of not being answered, the fear of rejection, the fear of not getting what I asked for, the fear of finding out I may not have known God's will, and maybe (for type A personalities like myself) the fear of being wrong.
God never leaves us in something that will hinder our life and walk with Him. Nothing hinders that more than fear. I have observed in my life and in others that many times God will put us smack dab in the middle of our fears in order to eradicate them. He allows us to face that thing we prayed saying "Anything but this, God. I can't do this. I can't bear it." We all know we are to pray in faith, but look at those statements again. Those aren't prayers of faith. They are prayers of fear. And my friend, let me tell you, God loves you and me too much to let us stay bound in chains of fear.
God sent Jesus so we could be free, and those that are free are free indeed! (John 8:36) So now it's the Holy Spirit's job to teach us about the freedom that is truly ours, and that means shining His light on fear and allowing His perfect love to cast it out. (1 John 4:18) The revelation of the transforming power of God's love comes as you become rooted and grounded in how great, how deep, how wide, how incredible His love is for you. (Eph. 3:17-19). So much so that all that remains is a reverential fear of God. And my friend, love is not only the eradicator of fear. Love is the fuel for our faith! (Gal 5:6)
The truth is God is not a genie. We don't give Him our prayer list and POOF magically and immediately we get what we asked for. God is working a masterpiece plan. You, your family, your acquaintances, your co-workers, your neighbors, your fellow church members ... all of it plays into God's sovereign plan and that includes His sovereign timing.
So how do we approach prayer? First we must remember that prayer isn't a seeking of our own desires. Prayer is about seeking God. Here are a few scriptures to make sure you are keeping the horse in front of the cart ...
* "But seek first of all His kingdom and His righteousness, and then all these things will be added unto you." Matthew 6:33
* "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4
* "Without faith it is impossible to please Him. For whoever would come near God must believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Hebrews 11:6
Second, we must remember there is a perseverance factor in prayer. God highlighted this for me this past week as I was trying to get laundry done and my precious two year old wanted some milk. Standing there gazing intently at me she said "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! More milk please." I assured her I was coming in just a minute. Within 10 seconds she started again, "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! More milk please." Again, I acknowledged her with "One minute, please." And on and on we went. She never got angry or upset. She was perfectly fine with receiving milk on mommy's timetable, but with childlike faith, she kept making her wishes known. Philippians 4:6 says "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God." Matthew 7:7-8 says "Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, the door will be opened." (Or in my daughter's case, the refrigerator door!)
Third and most simple of all, we must ask! James 4:2 says "You have not, because you ask not." Over the past 10 days not only this scripture but an analogy of it has caught my attention 3 times. I know whenever this happens, God is speaking to me, and I need to listen. The analogy is of getting to heaven and finding out all that could have been mine on earth, but I didn't ASK! Short of hell itself, I can't think of anything worse than finding out things I desperately wanted and could've had in this lifetime if only I'd asked! As I allowed myself to soak up this truth I made three very specific prayer requests to God. One of them was that our family would be able to attend Joni and Friends Family Retreat again this summer. (This is a Christian based camp for families affected by disability). We had already stepped out in faith by paying the $50 registration fee. With the total cost of the trip being well over $2,000 for our family of six, I felt a little foolish as thoughts like "Have you seen your bank account lately?" came to mind.
You know sometimes faith can look foolish, but the Bible says God uses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. (1 Cor. 1:27) How humbling to be confounded by God ... but also, how exhilarating! Days after praying this prayer I received word that our family had been granted a FULL scholarship to attend camp this summer! I am grateful we stepped out in faith, that someone or many someones donated the money, that our family was chosen, but most importantly that God taught me the importance of ASKING. Faith without works is dead. (James 2:17) We have to have faith to believe, but we also have to act on that faith by asking.
Without a doubt we all enjoy "yes" to prayer much more than "no," but can I tell you something? God is just as faithful in the "no's" as He is in the "yes's." The cure for an anemic prayer life isn't in knowing you'll get a "yes." It's in knowing that God is sovereign over whatever answer you get. He is always directing our steps, always aligning our path, always preparing the way. Sometimes it will involve yes. Sometimes, no. Sometimes, not yet. Our job is simply to ask, and then to let God be God. Let He who knows the beginning from the end determine what is best. Know that whatever answer we receive is what's best. Understanding that God is sovereign, that He loves you and is 100% faithful will allow you to enter His rest. Then you can relax and watch as His perfect plan unfolds.
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Thursday, April 21, 2016
God's Timing
"My times are in Your hands." Psalm 37:7
Christians have a saying we use concerning this topic ... "God is never late, but He is seldom early." Although this divine trait is bearable in the smaller details of life, more severe hardships routinely bring about two questions - why and when. If you've traveled a certain hardship long enough you can get past the why because you eventually realize knowing why will not change your circumstances. You simply learn to trust the why to God, and that if He deems it necessary for you to know, He'll tell you. When, however, still looms in front of you like a giant neon sign because you really start to wonder how much more you can endure, how many more twists and turns this journey has, and if life will ever look anything like the picture you had in your head.
As I have mentioned in my last several blogs, my women's Bible Study group has been doing an in-depth study on Genesis, and this past week the whole providential punctuality question came into full focus while studying Joseph. As I came across a homework question dealing with God's timing, I began to contemplate the what ifs of the situation. Of course thanks to scripture, I had the advantage of knowing the end from the beginning. Something Joseph didn't have; something we don't have, but something God does. Allow me a quick backdrop to set the stage for this question.
In Genesis 37 we learn of Joseph (Jacob's son), his prophetic dreams, his brother's deep hatred for him, and how they sell him into slavery. In chapter 39, Joseph is falsely accused by Potipher's wife and sent to prison. Chapter 40 finds Pharaoh's baker and butler thrown into prison. They both have dreams of which Joseph interprets bad news (death) to the baker and good news (reinstatement to his prior position) to the butler. Of the butler, Joseph makes this request "But think of me when it shall be well with you and show kindness, I beg of you, to me, and mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house. For truly I was carried away from the land of the Hebrews by unlawful force, and here too I have done nothing for which they should put me into the dungeon." (vs. 14-15) Genesis 41 opens with "AFTER TWO FULL YEARS ...." and goes on to tell of Pharaoh's dreams, the butler remembering Joseph, and Joseph's correct interpretation of the dreams.
*The homework question was this ... "Why do you think God allowed Joseph to sit in prison for well over two years for a crime he didn't commit?"
Obviously there could be many reasons why this happened, but given the bigger picture painted in scripture, I think the number one reason why was that it wasn't God's perfect timing. So in complete speculation and for arguments sake, let's make some assumptions that will paint a completely different picture to see if it leads us to a better understanding of why God chose to work this way. Ready? Here we go.
Let's say the butler actually remembers Joseph, and let's say that he just happens to gain the courage to approach the Pharaoh about it. Then let's assume the Pharaoh cares about or believes the words of a Hebrew slave being held in his dungeon, and that he acts on that information to have Joseph released from prison. Where is the most likely place Joseph would go? I'm quite certain he will not be applying for a job to become warden! Most likely, he would be free to go anywhere he wanted to. I believe he would head home ... back to Canaan, back to his father, back to his brothers.
Fast forward then, to two years later. The Pharaoh has these disturbing dreams. Dreams of which no one in his land can interpret (Gen. 41:8), and according to our hypothetical assumptions made above, Joseph is no where to be found. Take a moment to remember all that is riding on the correct interpretation of these dreams. It's not just the well being of Egypt. It's also the preservation of Jacob and his twelve sons, the twelve tribes of Israel. It is the setting of the stage for God's prophetic statement to Abraham in Genesis 15:13-16. Egypt (Goshen to be specific) will become the incubator for an infant nation that then would be brought out at just the right time to take possession of the promise land. The remnant preserved would eventually produce the King of Kings and Lord of Lords - Jesus Christ!
Is it possible Joseph was held in that prison for two more years "for such a time as this"? So that at just the right time he would be presented to Pharaoh, interpret the dreams correctly, devise a plan to save Egypt, and preserve what would become the mighty nation of Israel? If Joseph had gone home not only would all of this not have come to pass, his own dreams about his own destiny would not have come to pass either. (Gen. 37:7&9)
But that's not all. Let's take a look back at Joseph's statement to the butler. "But think of me when it shall be well with you and show kindness, I beg of you, to me, and mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house. For truly I was carried away from the land of the Hebrews by unlawful force, and here too I have done nothing for which they should put me into the dungeon." When Joseph makes this statement he has already endured 11 years of captivity in Egypt. During that time scripture reveals very little concerning his thoughts (let alone words) about his feelings on all that has befallen him. However, here we get a glimpse. Undoubtedly his comment and motive reveals hints of both why and when. So here's my question. Does that statement sound like someone who had completely forgiven his brothers? Does it sound like someone who was ready to be reconciled with his family? It is certainly factual in nature, but it is missing the big picture revelation of why and when. A revelation that would come later.
How can I come to this conclusion, you might ask? All you have to do is compare it with the statement he will eventually make to his brothers 11 years later ... "I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt! But now, do not be distressed and disheartened or vexed and angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me ahead of you to preserve life. For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years more in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. God sent me before you to preserve a posterity and to continue a remnant on the earth, to save your lives by a great escape and save for you many survivors. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God ..." (Gen. 45:4-8)
These words don't only show forgiveness but an understanding of God's sovereign hand. Three times in four verses Joseph repeats that God sent him to Egypt. God put Joseph in a position of having to trust Him for the why and the when. It was a LONG 13 years before he was promoted to Pharaoh's right hand man. Many people get caught up in the promotion, but can I tell you although I'm certain the palace was far better than the prison, that was not the real longing in Joseph's heart. The true longing was for a restored relationship with his brothers and father that would take place 9 years later ... 22 years in total. Promotion is nice, but it is no substitute for promise!
I'm certain the years of waiting in that prison had to have been perceived as a divine "no" to Joseph. Yet ironically, it was a great big "YES" with implications that reached much farther than Joseph realized. You see the problem with Joseph's request was not that it was too big but that it was too small! His thoughts were about himself ... and who could blame him?! The tendency to focus on one's self in times of great trial is only human. But God's vision is far greater, and this story should encourage us to broaden ours. This reminds me of the truth found at the end of Hebrews chapter 11 concerning all the Old Testament giants of faith, including Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. "And all of these, though they won divine approval by their faith, did not receive the fulfillment of what was promised, because God had us in mind and had SOMETHING BIGGER AND GREATER IN VIEW FOR US, so that they should not come to perfection apart from us." (vs. 39-40) Again, it was about so much more than Joseph, and my friend, it is about so much more than us.
My dear friend, what hardship are you facing today? Does it feel like an eternity of dealing with the same problem? Maybe, like Joseph, your troubles have intensified. Whatever is going on and however long it has been, let Joseph's story encourage you. Find rest and peace in this simple yet profound truth ... Pit, prison, palace - God's presence is always with you. Just like Joseph, God has a why and a when for your story. I know it doesn't make sense now. It didn't to Joseph either. It's been said life is lived in forward but understood in reverse. However, you can place your confidence in God, the one who knows the end from the beginning, that at the appointed time it will all come together, and it will be far more beautiful and far more meaningful than you ever imagined. Trust God for the "But God" part of your story. He's working on your behalf. Remember, God may not be late; He may be seldom early, but He is always on time!
Christians have a saying we use concerning this topic ... "God is never late, but He is seldom early." Although this divine trait is bearable in the smaller details of life, more severe hardships routinely bring about two questions - why and when. If you've traveled a certain hardship long enough you can get past the why because you eventually realize knowing why will not change your circumstances. You simply learn to trust the why to God, and that if He deems it necessary for you to know, He'll tell you. When, however, still looms in front of you like a giant neon sign because you really start to wonder how much more you can endure, how many more twists and turns this journey has, and if life will ever look anything like the picture you had in your head.
As I have mentioned in my last several blogs, my women's Bible Study group has been doing an in-depth study on Genesis, and this past week the whole providential punctuality question came into full focus while studying Joseph. As I came across a homework question dealing with God's timing, I began to contemplate the what ifs of the situation. Of course thanks to scripture, I had the advantage of knowing the end from the beginning. Something Joseph didn't have; something we don't have, but something God does. Allow me a quick backdrop to set the stage for this question.
In Genesis 37 we learn of Joseph (Jacob's son), his prophetic dreams, his brother's deep hatred for him, and how they sell him into slavery. In chapter 39, Joseph is falsely accused by Potipher's wife and sent to prison. Chapter 40 finds Pharaoh's baker and butler thrown into prison. They both have dreams of which Joseph interprets bad news (death) to the baker and good news (reinstatement to his prior position) to the butler. Of the butler, Joseph makes this request "But think of me when it shall be well with you and show kindness, I beg of you, to me, and mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house. For truly I was carried away from the land of the Hebrews by unlawful force, and here too I have done nothing for which they should put me into the dungeon." (vs. 14-15) Genesis 41 opens with "AFTER TWO FULL YEARS ...." and goes on to tell of Pharaoh's dreams, the butler remembering Joseph, and Joseph's correct interpretation of the dreams.
*The homework question was this ... "Why do you think God allowed Joseph to sit in prison for well over two years for a crime he didn't commit?"
Obviously there could be many reasons why this happened, but given the bigger picture painted in scripture, I think the number one reason why was that it wasn't God's perfect timing. So in complete speculation and for arguments sake, let's make some assumptions that will paint a completely different picture to see if it leads us to a better understanding of why God chose to work this way. Ready? Here we go.
Let's say the butler actually remembers Joseph, and let's say that he just happens to gain the courage to approach the Pharaoh about it. Then let's assume the Pharaoh cares about or believes the words of a Hebrew slave being held in his dungeon, and that he acts on that information to have Joseph released from prison. Where is the most likely place Joseph would go? I'm quite certain he will not be applying for a job to become warden! Most likely, he would be free to go anywhere he wanted to. I believe he would head home ... back to Canaan, back to his father, back to his brothers.
Fast forward then, to two years later. The Pharaoh has these disturbing dreams. Dreams of which no one in his land can interpret (Gen. 41:8), and according to our hypothetical assumptions made above, Joseph is no where to be found. Take a moment to remember all that is riding on the correct interpretation of these dreams. It's not just the well being of Egypt. It's also the preservation of Jacob and his twelve sons, the twelve tribes of Israel. It is the setting of the stage for God's prophetic statement to Abraham in Genesis 15:13-16. Egypt (Goshen to be specific) will become the incubator for an infant nation that then would be brought out at just the right time to take possession of the promise land. The remnant preserved would eventually produce the King of Kings and Lord of Lords - Jesus Christ!
Is it possible Joseph was held in that prison for two more years "for such a time as this"? So that at just the right time he would be presented to Pharaoh, interpret the dreams correctly, devise a plan to save Egypt, and preserve what would become the mighty nation of Israel? If Joseph had gone home not only would all of this not have come to pass, his own dreams about his own destiny would not have come to pass either. (Gen. 37:7&9)
But that's not all. Let's take a look back at Joseph's statement to the butler. "But think of me when it shall be well with you and show kindness, I beg of you, to me, and mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house. For truly I was carried away from the land of the Hebrews by unlawful force, and here too I have done nothing for which they should put me into the dungeon." When Joseph makes this statement he has already endured 11 years of captivity in Egypt. During that time scripture reveals very little concerning his thoughts (let alone words) about his feelings on all that has befallen him. However, here we get a glimpse. Undoubtedly his comment and motive reveals hints of both why and when. So here's my question. Does that statement sound like someone who had completely forgiven his brothers? Does it sound like someone who was ready to be reconciled with his family? It is certainly factual in nature, but it is missing the big picture revelation of why and when. A revelation that would come later.
How can I come to this conclusion, you might ask? All you have to do is compare it with the statement he will eventually make to his brothers 11 years later ... "I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt! But now, do not be distressed and disheartened or vexed and angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me ahead of you to preserve life. For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years more in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. God sent me before you to preserve a posterity and to continue a remnant on the earth, to save your lives by a great escape and save for you many survivors. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God ..." (Gen. 45:4-8)
These words don't only show forgiveness but an understanding of God's sovereign hand. Three times in four verses Joseph repeats that God sent him to Egypt. God put Joseph in a position of having to trust Him for the why and the when. It was a LONG 13 years before he was promoted to Pharaoh's right hand man. Many people get caught up in the promotion, but can I tell you although I'm certain the palace was far better than the prison, that was not the real longing in Joseph's heart. The true longing was for a restored relationship with his brothers and father that would take place 9 years later ... 22 years in total. Promotion is nice, but it is no substitute for promise!
I'm certain the years of waiting in that prison had to have been perceived as a divine "no" to Joseph. Yet ironically, it was a great big "YES" with implications that reached much farther than Joseph realized. You see the problem with Joseph's request was not that it was too big but that it was too small! His thoughts were about himself ... and who could blame him?! The tendency to focus on one's self in times of great trial is only human. But God's vision is far greater, and this story should encourage us to broaden ours. This reminds me of the truth found at the end of Hebrews chapter 11 concerning all the Old Testament giants of faith, including Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. "And all of these, though they won divine approval by their faith, did not receive the fulfillment of what was promised, because God had us in mind and had SOMETHING BIGGER AND GREATER IN VIEW FOR US, so that they should not come to perfection apart from us." (vs. 39-40) Again, it was about so much more than Joseph, and my friend, it is about so much more than us.
My dear friend, what hardship are you facing today? Does it feel like an eternity of dealing with the same problem? Maybe, like Joseph, your troubles have intensified. Whatever is going on and however long it has been, let Joseph's story encourage you. Find rest and peace in this simple yet profound truth ... Pit, prison, palace - God's presence is always with you. Just like Joseph, God has a why and a when for your story. I know it doesn't make sense now. It didn't to Joseph either. It's been said life is lived in forward but understood in reverse. However, you can place your confidence in God, the one who knows the end from the beginning, that at the appointed time it will all come together, and it will be far more beautiful and far more meaningful than you ever imagined. Trust God for the "But God" part of your story. He's working on your behalf. Remember, God may not be late; He may be seldom early, but He is always on time!
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