Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Matt. 6, 7 and Lam. 3

I'm trying to put all this together so at least I can say I understand what I am supposed to be doing; then there will be the difficult task of actually doing it.

We are not supposed to worry. Worry is a sin. Matt. 6 talks about not worrying about what you shall eat or about clothes; both the most basic things. If we are not supposed to worry about those things then we are not to be worrying about global warming, stock markets, family health, future business and the list goes on and on. But what about "you have not because you ask not"?

Without worrying what the outcome will be I think God wants us to come ask Him for whatever is on our hearts. I truly think that He loves to have us asking and asking all the time for every little thing. He is a patient and loving Father Who loves to give good gifts.

Matt. 7:7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

This seems like He is saying we will get what we ask for, but does it? We are told that we don't have because we don't ask and then it says here ask and you shall receive. But what does it actually say we will receive? Good gifts.

So if I ask for more business for PG does that mean that it will come? Maybe. That is not very reassuring except for the fact that I don't ever really know exactly what I need and God does. He promises that all things will work together for my good and He never breaks His promise. So if I am asking for more sales for PG, and I am a lot, He may give us more sales, but FOR SURE He will give us something really good. Because since I am evil and I know how to give good gifts, then He will be much better at giving the best gift.

So then what will this possibly look like all together? I am asking for what I think I need. I must be asking with a humble and repentant heart. I must try to discern what God would want for me, but my heart is evil and desperately wicked, so I may be asking for something that is contrary to His will. Jesus is making intercession for me and the Holy Spirit is also "translating" for me to the Father. I ask for what I thing I need and He takes those requests and fills them with exactly what I need and His promise is that it is better than what I have asked for.

This might come in the form of persecution instead of rest. It might come in the form of sickness instead of ministry fruitfulness. The sickness may result in ministry fruitfulness. Whatever it is I can rest in knowing that it is what is best for me right now.

I have often thought "I can't take anymore, it's too heavy". That is actually true in one sense- in fact I can't take any of it. All the the carrying comes from Him. When the burdens gets heavy I need to remind myself of Lam. 3:22-24. "His mercies are new every morning- great is His faithfulness". He gives enough mercy for today's trouble and tomorrow's trouble will have an entirely different set of mercies for the trouble that comes with them. There will be trouble tomorrow for sure. Matt. 6 "don't worry about tomorrow because tomorrow has enough trouble of its own" means don't worry about the trouble that is coming tomorrow because there is a new set of mercies coming with them and today's mercies are all spent on today. There is no carry over.

So ask, ask, ask. Pray, pray, pray. Wait on Him. Know that He answers prayer. He always give us what is best, but that does not necessarily mean what we have asked for- Jesus never said the little boy got a fish, he just didn't get a snake. Don't worry about what might come tomorrow. Plan as best as you can and wait for God to give you exceedingly, abundantly above what you can ask or think.

This is relatively easy to put into words, but so hard for me to put into practice. Oh for grace to trust Him more. We have our yesterday's in order for us to look back on and that builds our faith as we see all the times He has carried us through each of those difficulties. I can rejoice in knowing that He has carried me through Grant's event, last years craziness, this years craziness, provided an agency for the orphans and the list is endless.

At the end of all this He want us to be thankful before, during and after. Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.

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