LEARNING SELF-DESPAIR

LEARNING SELF-DESPAIR

For more great blogs as this one go to Daniel’s blog site at:  www.Mannsword.blogspot.com

https://mannsword.blogspot.com/2019/01/learning-self-despair.html

Life is a matter of first dying. Jesus described life as a seed whose outer layer must first die so that it could germinate:

∑       And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. (John 12:23-25)

If we truly love our lives, we will put to death our grasping for immediate gratification and self-satisfaction in favor of an eternal harvest. But how?

For some of us, the most painful we might ever experience is seeing ourselves as we really are, and it’s not very pretty. We are so obsessed about our honor and esteem that we will kill to defend it.

Paul also had to learn the painful lesson of self-despair. It was so painful that he despaired even of life:

∑       For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. (2 Corinthians 1:8-9) 

Self-trust is not our armor but our ball-and-chain, the weight that holds us captive. Paul understood that he would first have to die to himself before he could live for God. He had to despair of himself before he could learn to trust in God. The more we trust in ourselves, the less we will trust in God or even turn to Him in prayer. Why even bother, if we are convinced that we can handle life on our own.

However, self-despair has to enter into the deepest crevices of our heart to challenge our false convictions of adequacy and worthiness. We have to learn that without God we are nothing (Galatians 6:3; 1 Corinthians 3:7; John 15:4-5). We cannot achieve any moral merit, worthiness, or entitlement. Instead, we are utterly bankrupt and without hope without Christ, deserving one thing only – death (Romans 6:23). Therefore, self-confidence before God is self-deception. Paul had to learn that he could not trust in himself at all:

∑       For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh. (Philippians 3:3)

Before Christ, Paul had trusted in his righteousness, his goodness, and worthiness according to the external standard of the law. However, he learned that he could not trust in both Christ and his own merit. Therefore, he rejected every “attainment” which had promised to give him the assurance that he was worthy of God:

∑       …I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith. (Philippians 3:8-9)

This does not mean that our education, upbringing, and moral habits are all worthless. These can be good things, but they cannot be the source of trusting in our worthiness before God. Before Him, our righteousness is no more than filthy rags.

It took me years to learn this lesson. Even during the first several years that I taught at the New York School of the Bible, I was still trusting in myself. As a result, on a number of occasions, I almost handed in my resignation. While I was trying to prove my worthiness to teach Scripture before God, it was becoming increasingly apparent that I really wasn’t worthy or even spiritual enough to teach. Satan continued to remind me that my faith, love, and joy were far from adequate. Consequently, as I taught, I felt like a charlatan and a fraud. I was supposed to be a role model, but my many deficiencies were yelling “liar.”

However, taking baby steps, I was beginning to accept the truth of my unworthiness. This was only possibility in the light of my Savior’s assurances that He had regarded me as righteous and beloved. He forgave and cleansed me whenever I confessed my sins (1 John 1:9). What great freedom I had been granted!

Where our treasure is, so will our heart be. If our treasure is about self-trust, our attention will be focused obsessively on ourselves. Instead, liberation from this obsession occurs if God is our hope.

There are so many blessings in accepting our unworthiness. For one thing, whenever Satan accused me of my unworthiness to serve God, I could say, “You are right, Satan. But the fact of my unworthiness makes me so grateful for my Savior who has forgiven and cleansed me to serve Him. I can now stand against your attacks because I am convinced that it’s not about my own worthiness but about my Savior who has called me.” He is my hope; I no longer need to hope in myself. The battle to believe in ourselves is one we no longer have to wage. It has already been waged and decisively won at the Cross.

It is gratefulness that drives me on. However, I would not be grateful unless I had come to learn how “poor in spirit” and undeserving I really am. A prostitute had braved her way into an exclusive dinner, where Jesus was reclining at the table. The Pharisees were disgusted as they watched her crying over her Savior’s feet and washing them with her hair. However, Jesus confronted their settled conviction of their own superiority:

∑       “…Her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” (Luke 7:47)

The Pharisees didn’t love because they had not been forgiven and had little awareness that they even needed forgiveness just as much as the prostitute needed it. Their seed hadn’t yet fallen to the ground and died a painful death. They were filled with themselves, and, therefore, had little room available for God (John 5:45-47). However,

∑       Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)

To be freed from self-concern and self-enhancement is truly freedom.

THE POWER OF PRAYER

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

365 DEVOTIONS FROM OUR DAILY BREAD

THE POWER OF PRAYER

READ:  Ephesians 6:10-18

The effective, reverent prayer of a righteous

man avails much.  James 5:16

While crossing the Atlantic on a ship many years ago, Bible teacher and author F.B. Meyer was asked to speak to the passengers.  An agnostic listened to Meyer’s message about answered prayer and told a friend, “I didn’t believe a word of it.”

Later that same day, the agnostic went to hear Meyer speak to another group of passengers.  But before he went to the meeting, he put two oranges in his pocket.  On his way, he passed an elderly woman who was fast asleep in her deck chair.  Her arms were outstretched and her hands were wide open, so as a joke he put the two oranges in her palms.  After the meeting, he saw the woman happily eating one of the pieces of fruit.

“You seem to be enjoying the orange,”  he remarked with a smile. “Yes, sir,”  she replied.  “My Father is very good to me.”  “What do you mean?” pressed the agnostic.  She explained, “I have been seasick for days.  I was asking God somehow to send me an orange.  I fell asleep while I was praying. When I awoke, I found He had sent me not only one but two oranges!”  The agnostic was amazed by the unexpected confirmation of Meyer’s talk on answered prayer.  Later, he put his trust in Christ.

Yes, God answers prayer!     HGB

For answered prayer we thank You, Lord,

We know You’re always there

To hear us when we call on You;

We’re grateful for Your care. -JDB

God always gives us what we ask-or something better.

RIGHTEOUS AMONG THE NATIONS

Righteous Among the Nations

For such a time as this.

Esther 4:14

READ ESTHER 4:5–14

At Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum in Israel, my husband and I went to the Righteous Among the Nations garden that honors the men and women who risked their lives to save Jewish people during the Holocaust. While looking at the memorial, we met a group from the Netherlands. One woman was there to see her grandparents’ names listed on the large plaques. Intrigued, we asked about her family’s story.

Members of a resistance network, the woman’s grandparents Rev. Pieter and Adriana Müller took in a two-year-old Jewish boy and passed him off as the youngest of their eight children from 1943-1945.

Moved by the story, we asked, “Did the little boy survive?” An older gentleman in the group stepped forward and proclaimed, “I am that boy!”

The bravery of many to act on behalf of the Jewish people reminds me of Queen Esther. The queen may have thought she could escape King Xerxes’s decree to annihilate the Jews around 475 bc because she had concealed her ethnicity. However, she was convinced to act—even under the threat of death—when her cousin begged her to not remain silent about her Jewish heritage because she had been placed in her position “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14).

We may never be asked to make such a dramatic decision. However, we will likely face the choice to speak out against an injustice or remain silent; to provide assistance to someone in trouble or turn away. May God grant us courage.

By Lisa Samra

REFLECT & PRAY

Father, thank You for Your heart for those who are oppressed and vulnerable. Help us to be sensitive to Your guidance to know when to act.

Are there those you need to speak up for? Ask God about the timing.

Your gift changes lives. Help us share God’s love with millions every day.

INSIGHT

Since God isn’t mentioned in the book of Esther, some question why it’s included in the Bible. One view is that in Esther we see God providentially working behind the scenes, as in today’s passage. Without explicitly stating it, by his words to Esther (4:13-14) Mordecai shows he believes in God and His ordering of world events. If Esther doesn’t speak up, God will provide deliverance by some other means. Alyson Kieda

KNOWING GOD

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

365 DEVOTIONS FROM OUR DAILY BREAD

KNOWING GOD

READ:  Psalm 96:1-13

Let him who glories glory in this, that he understands

and knows Me, that I am the Lord.  Jeremiah 9:24

It’s one thing to know about God, but it’s quite another to know Him personally.  Let’s see how this distinction applies when considering some of God’s attributes.

The thought that God is present everywhere is staggering.  But to be aware of His presence in times of need brings comfort and hope.

The thought that God knows everything is mind-boggling.  But to have the confidence that no detail of our lives escapes his attention is to enjoy a peace that endures through every trial.

The thought that the Lord is all-powerful makes us marvel at His greatness.  But to have Him actually work in, through, and for us encourages us to relax in His mighty arms.

The writer of Psalm 96 knew God, and that relationship was reflected in his words.  His heart poured out praise, and he longed for others to know the Lord and worship Him as well.

Do you know God personally?  Does it show?   RDH

Sing praise to God who reigns above,

The God of all creation,

The God of power, the God of love,

The God of our salvation. -Schutz

Knowing about God is fascinating; knowing God personally

is life-changing.

FREE FROM FROSTBITE

Free from Frostbite

Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.

Psalm 119:35

READ PSALM 119:33–48

On a winter day, my children begged to go sledding. The temperature hovered near zero degrees Fahrenheit. Snowflakes raced by our windows. I thought it over and said yes, but asked them to bundle up, stay together, and come inside after fifteen minutes.

Out of love, I created those rules so my children could play freely without suffering frostbite. I think the author of Psalm 119 recognized the same good intent in God as he penned two consecutive verses that might seem contradictory: “I will always obey your law” and “I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts” (vv. 44-45). How is it that the psalmist associated freedom with a spiritually law-abiding life?

Following God’s wise instruction allows us to escape the consequences that come from choices we later wish we could undo. Without the weight of guilt or pain we are freer to enjoy our lives. God doesn’t want to control us with dos and don’ts; rather, His guidelines show that He loves us.

While my kids were sledding, I watched them blast down the hill. I smiled at the sound of their laughter and the sight of their pink cheeks. They were free within the boundaries I’d given them. This compelling paradox is present in our relationship with God—it leads us to say with the psalmist, “Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight” (v. 35).

By Jennifer Benson Schuldt

REFLECT & PRAY

Obedience flows freely from a heart of love.

Dear God, give me a love for Your ways like the psalmist had. I want to worship You with the choices I make every day.

Your gift changes lives. Help us share God’s love with millions every day.

INSIGHT

Psalm 119 is the longest psalm in the Bible. Its 176 verses affirm the authority, sufficiency, and power of God’s Word in the believer’s life. Oppressed and persecuted by powerful enemies (vv. 23, 157, 161) who scorned and ridiculed him (vv. 41-42), the unnamed psalmist finds great strength and much comfort by meditating on and obeying the Word of God. In verses 33-48, the psalmist prays specifically for an undivided devotion to God. Writing of how much he longs, delights, loves, trusts, meditates on, and obeys God’s Word, he also identifies two threats to his devotion: selfish gain (v. 36, also translated “covetousness” in the nkjv and “a love for money” in the nlt) and worthless things (v. 37, or things of no eternal value). K. T. Sim

ECLISPE

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

365 DEVOTIONS FROM OUR DAILY BREAD

ECLIPSE

READ:  Psalm 148:1-14

Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name

alone is exalted.  Psalm 148:13

A friend who experienced a total solar eclipse in England described the incredible sensation of being engulfed by the rushing shadow of darkness, then being awed by the rapidly approaching dawn.  Some observers saw it as merely a coincidence that the moon was in the exact position to shut out the sun’s light from reaching the earth at that particular time and place.  My friend, though, called it an amazing show put on by God  She saw it as evidence of God’s design, order, and precise control in the universe that He created.

Psalm 148 calls upon all creation to shout God’s glory:  “Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all you stars of light!…Praise the Lord…kings of the earth and all peoples” (vv.3, 7, 11).

God’s creation sings His praise and reminds us of His sovereign purposes and control of all things in our lives.  We are to “praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven” (v.13).

These truths can be comforting when the sunlight of our lives is eclipsed by a time of darkness and difficulty.  We can trust and praise the sovereign God, knowing that His design is perfect, that His timing is exact, and that He is in complete control.               DCM

This is my Father’s world,

O let me ne’er forget

That though the wrong seems oft so strong

God is the ruler yet. -Babcock

Because God is in control, we have nothing to fear.

THE WIDE SHOT

The Wide Shot

You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation . . . that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

1 Peter 2:9

READ 1 PETER 2:1–10

During the television coverage of the inauguration of the first African-American president of the US, the camera showed a panoramic view of the enormous crowd of the nearly two million people who had gathered to witness the historic event. CBS News correspondent Bob Schieffer remarked, “The star of this show is the wide shot.” Nothing else could capture the multitude stretching from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol.

Scripture gives us a glimpse of an even larger throng, united by their faith in Jesus Christ: “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation . . . that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).

This is not an image of the privileged few, but of the ransomed many from “every tribe and language and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9). Today we are scattered across the globe, where many feel isolated and suffer for their allegiance to Jesus. But through the lens of God’s Word we see the wide shot of our brothers and sisters in faith standing together to honor the One who redeemed us and made us His own.

Let’s join together in praise to the One who brought us out of the darkness and into the light!

By David C. McCasland

REFLECT & PRAY

What praises do you have to give to God?

We are in agreement, Lord, that You are worthy of all praise! We, Your people, are in awe of You.

Your gift changes lives. Help us share God’s love with millions every day.

INSIGHT

It’s interesting to observe Peter’s use of the word stone in 1 Peter 2. Perhaps he’s playing off his name, Petros, which means “rock” or “stone.” He refers to Jesus as the “living Stone” (v. 4), who is precious to God. He is also the cornerstone—the most important stone in a building (vv. 6-7). It’s a stone that causes some to stumble (v. 8), but those who trust in Christ will be safe and secure (v. 6). Believers in Jesus are likewise referred to as stones laid upon the cornerstone to build the house of God. J.R. Hudberg

MANDY JUST LISTENED

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

365 DEVOTIONS FROM OUR DAILY BREAD

MANDY JUST LISTENED

READ:  Job 2:11-13

They sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights,

and no one spoke a word to him.  Job 2:13

Marty had gotten an unexpected “thank you” for service to the company-a terse note that conclude, “Your position has been terminated.”

After Marty had spent months fruitlessly searching for a job, his frustration finally got to him.  Angrily, he screamed at God, “Why did you do this to me?  Don’t you care?”  He continued his tirade until he noticed his dog Mandy cowering by a chair.  Composing himself, he said, “Come here, pup.  You should be glad you’re a dog.  At least you can’t get fired from being man’s bestir friend.”  As he poured out his woes and talked to Mandy, his bitterness disappeared.

David Biebel, the author who told this story, wrote:  “You might think the relief came from all the things he said to God, and certainly that was part of it.  But Many played a big part too…[She] didn’t argue or offer solutions or advice.  She just listened, wagging her tail and licking her master’s hand.”

When Job’s three friends saw his misery, they just sat with him, wept, and said nothing for seven days.  But then they abandoned the wisdom of their silence.

Sometimes we need to just “weep with those who weep”  (Romans 12:15).  Our listening ear may be what they need, so they can hear what God is saying to them.     DJD

When our friends encounter suffering,

We can help them if we’re near;

Some may need a word of comfort,

Other just a listening ear. -Sper

Listening may be the most important thing you do today.

A BIG DEAL

A Big Deal

This is the kind of fasting I want: . . . Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people.

Isaiah 58:6

READ ISAIAH 58:6–9

A family member needed help with his December rent. To his family, the request felt like a burden—especially with their own unexpected expenses at year’s end. But they dug into their savings, grateful for God’s provision—and blessed by their relative’s gratitude.

He handed them a thank-you card filled with grateful words. “There you go again . . . doing nice things, probably passing it off as no big deal.”

Helping others is a big deal, however, to God. The prophet Isaiah made that point to the nation of Israel. The people were fasting but still quarreling and fighting. Instead, said Isaiah: “Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. . . . Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help” (Isaiah 58:6-7 nlt).

Such a sacrifice, said Isaiah, shares God’s light but also heals our own brokenness (v. 8). As the family helped their relative, they looked hard at their own finances, seeing ways they could manage better all year. This was God’s promise for being generous: “Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind” (v. 8 nlt). In the end, giving to their kin blessed them more. And God? He already gave His all—with love.

By Patricia Raybon

REFLECT & PRAY

God gave His all. Let’s follow as He leads.

Lord, light the path of generosity, helping us to give like You.

Your gift changes lives. Help us share God’s love with millions every day.

INSIGHT

The Israelites at the time of Isaiah were living hypocritical lives. Isaiah warned them that their pretentious religiosity didn’t please God. “They act so pious! They come to the Temple every day . . . pretending they want to be near me. . . . You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance. . . . Do you really think this will please the Lord?” (58:2, 5 nlt). Isaiah contrasts ritualistic religiosity with true spirituality. Being religious is not the same as being right; fervency in activities (fasting) is not spirituality; false piety is hypocrisy. Isaiah called God’s people to please Him by doing what’s right: Act justly and treat people fairly (vv. 3, 6, 9), stop fighting and quarreling (v. 4), help those burdened or imprisoned by life’s circumstances and poverty (v. 6), and be generous to those in need (vv. 7, 10). K. T. Sim

KILLING TIME

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

365 DEVOTIONS FROM OUR DAILY BREAD

KILLING TIME

READ:  Ephesians 5:1-17

Walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,

redeeming the time.  Ephesians 5:25-16

A friend of mine was sitting on a park bench with his hands folded, staring into the distance.  When I asked what he was doing, he replied, “Oh, just killing time.”

What a cruel thing to do to something as valuable as time!  Why kill it?  Time is given to us to be cultivated, not murdered.  Time should never be wasted but used to the best advantage.

Of course, there are times when we must relax and rest.  Even Jesus said to His disciples, “Come aside…and rest a while” (Mark 6:31).  But that was not “killing time”; it was using time for restoration.  After they had rested, they would be able to use their time more fruitfully and profitably.

If a fraction of the time we waste could be used to pray, read the Bible, witness to others, visit a friend in distress, or comfort someone who  is grieving, what a difference it would make!  Today, when you have leisure time, ask yourself how you can best improve those extra moments.  You may think I am being narrow-minded, but the Bible is clear-we are to be “wise, redeeming the time” (Ephesians 5:15-16).

Today, see how much good you can do for God and others-not how little you can get by with.  It is not true that we can “make up lost time.”  It is gone forever!     MRD

God’s people have so much to do

In serving Christ today

That they should use their precious time

To share, to  love, to pray. -JDB

Time-use it or lost it!

TRYING TO IMPRESS

Trying to Impress

Out of the heart come evil thoughts . . . . These are what defile a person.

Matthew 15:19-20

READ MATTHEW 15:1–11, 16–20

When a college class went on a cultural field trip, the instructor almost didn’t recognize one of his star pupils. In the classroom she had concealed six-inch heels beneath her pant legs. But in her walking boots she was less than five feet tall. “My heels are how I want to be,” she laughed. “But my boots are how I really am.”

Our physical appearance doesn’t define who we are; it’s our heart that matters. Jesus had strong words for those masters of appearances—the super-religious “Pharisees and teachers of the law.” They asked Jesus why His disciples didn’t wash their hands before eating, as their religious traditions dictated (Matthew 15:1-2). Jesus asked, “Why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?” (v. 3). Then He pointed out how they had invented a legal loophole to keep their wealth instead of caring for their parents (vv. 4-6), thus dishonoring them and violating the fifth commandment (Exodus 20:12).

If we obsess over appearances while looking for loopholes in God’s clear commands, we’re violating the spirit of His law. Jesus said that “out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality,” and the like (Matthew 15:19). Only God, through the righteousness of His Son Jesus, can give us a clean heart.

By Tim Gustafson

REFLECT & PRAY

When our motive is to impress others, we’re not impressing God.

Lord, we are so prone to rely on our own efforts to impress You and others. Help us to be authentic in all our relationships, and to enjoy the restored heart we can have through Your forgiveness.

Your gift changes lives. Help us share God’s love with millions every day.

INSIGHT

When Jerusalem leaders asked Jesus why His disciples ignored the custom of ritual washing (Matthew 15:1-2), He quoted one of their own prophets. Seven hundred years earlier, Isaiah warned about the danger of honoring God with their mouths while their hearts remained far from Him (Isaiah 29:13; Matthew 15:7-8). Rules of religious compliance have never been a good substitute for the kind of water and washing Jesus gives (see John 13:1-17). Mart DeHaan

HOW LONG?

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

365 DEVOTIONS FROM OUR DAILY BREAD

HOW LONG?

READ:  Psalm 13

How long, O Lord?  Will You forget me forever?  How long

will You hide Your face from me?  Psalm 13:1

My friends Bob and Delores understood what it means to wait for answers-answers that never seem to come.  When their son Jason and future daughter-in-law Lindsay were murdered in August 2004, a national manhunt was undertaken to find the killer and bring him to justice.  After two years of prayer and pursuit, there were still no tangible answers to the painful questions the two hurting families wrestled with.  There was only silence.

In such times we are vulnerable to wrong assumptions and conclusions about life, about God, and about prayer.  In Psalm 13, David wrestled with the problem of unanswered prayer.  He questioned why the world was so dangerous and pleaded for answers from God.

It’s a hard psalm that David sang, and it seems to be one of frustration.  Yet, in the end, his doubts and fears turned to trust.  Why?  Because the circumstances of our struggles cannot diminish the character of God and His care for His children.  In verse 5, David turned a corner.  From his heart he prayed, “But I have trusted in Your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.”

In the pain and struggle of living without answers, we can always find comfort in our heavenly Father.   BC

When we pray, God wraps us in His loving arms.

ALWAYS A CHILD OF GOD

Always a Child of God

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.

Romans 8:14

READ ROMANS 8:9–17

During a church service I attended with my parents, according to the usual practice we held hands while saying the Lord’s Prayer together. As I stood with one hand clasped to my mother’s and the other to my father’s, I was struck by the thought that I will always be their daughter. Although I’m firmly in my middle age, I can still be called “the child of Leo and Phyllis.” I reflected that not only am I their daughter, but I will also always be a child of God.

The apostle Paul wanted the people in the church at Rome to understand that their identity was based on being adopted members of God’s family (Romans 8:15). Because they had been born of the Spirit (v. 14), no longer did they need to be enslaved to things that didn’t really matter. Rather, through the gift of the Spirit, they were “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ” (v. 17).

To those who follow Christ, what difference does this make? Quite simply, everything! Our identity as children of God provides our foundation and shapes how we see ourselves and the world. For instance, knowing that we are part of God’s family helps us to step out of our comfort zone as we follow Him. We can also be free from seeking the approval of others.

Today, why not ponder what it means to be God’s child?

By Amy Boucher Pye

REFLECT & PRAY

Those who follow God are His children.

Lord God, help me to live out of my central identity as Your child. Release me to live by Your Spirit, that I might share Your love and hope.

Your gift changes lives. Help us share God’s love with millions every day.

INSIGHT

Before His death, Jesus said the Father would send us “another advocate to help [us] and be with [us] forever” (John 14:16). Since the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4; John 7:39), the Spirit of God now lives in every believer (Romans 8:9). As “the Spirit of truth” (John 15:26), He helps us to understand God’s Word (14:26). As the source of our new life (Romans 8:11), He guarantees our salvation (Ephesians 1:13-14), assuring us we are God’s children (Romans 8:16). He empowers us to live holy lives (vv. 5-13), making us like Christ (Galatians 5:22-23) and equipping us for ministry (1 Corinthians 12:4-7). K. T. Sim

HAS JESUS GIVEN US A BLANK CHECK TO RECEIVE WHATEVER WE ASK?

HAS JESUS GIVEN US A BLANK CHECK TO RECEIVE WHATEVER WE ASK?

For more great blogs as this one go to Daniel’s blog site at:  www.Mannsword.blogspot.com

I find it difficult to believe that Jesus has given us a blank check to obtain anything we want. It seems that the entire message of Scripture speaks against such an assumption.  Here is the counsel of James:

• You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. (James 4:3)

No blank check here! Instead, we are to have confidence that we will receive what we ask for, but only if our prayers coincide with God’s will. We see this plainly in the words of the apostle John:

• And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. (John 5:14-15)

Consequently, I am confident that, if I ask to be more Christ-like or to be a better husband, I will receive that for which I have asked. However, other verses do not seem to conform to this understanding. Instead, they seem to indicate that we can receive anything for which we ask. The following verse was the hardest to reconcile with my understanding:

• And Jesus answered them, "Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith." (Matthew 21:21-22)

These verses don’t seem to give any indication that receiving answers to prayer have anything to do with the will of God. Then, could it be that blank-check-theology might be valid? However, I have not yet seen any mountains tossed into the sea as a result of a prayer. Meanwhile, as I study Scripture, it seems to be the case that all other answers to prayer were connected to God’s will, as in this set of verses:

• “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples...If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.” (John 15:7-10)

What does it mean to “abide in me”? Jesus explained that this abiding is a matter of abiding in His Word. And, abiding in His Word is the same thing as abiding in His will and keeping His commandments. This is the way the Father is glorified.

So then, how would casting mountains into the sea glorify the Father? It wouldn’t! In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus claimed that there would be some who would come to Him and expect to enter into heaven because they had “glorified God” with the miracles they had performed. However, Jesus would tell them, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23)

Returning to what Jesus said in Matthew 21, how are we to interpret and understand the idea of mountains being tossed into the sea? In a similar instance, Jesus had taught that with the smallest measure of faith, the Apostles could have trees cast into the sea. However, Jesus’ point wasn’t about the availability of a blank check for those who had enough faith but the opposite. The Apostles had been asking Him wrongly to increase their faith. Clearly, it wasn’t an issue of the quantity or amount of one’s faith (Luke 17:5-10).

Likewise, in Matthew 21, Jesus wasn’t suggesting that moving mountains was about the quantity of faith of His disciples, but, rather, whether or not they confidently knew whether or not it was God’s will to toss a mountain into the sea. If it wasn’t God’s will, no amount of fervent faith could fill the vacuum.

How was Elijah able to accomplish what he did? Had God given him a blank check to do anything he wanted to do? No! However, some “prosperity ministers” believe that God has given believers today a blank check, at least in part:

• Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. (James 5:16-18)

These pastors reason that with enough faith, fervent prayer can heal all as long as it’s accompanied by the confession of sins. These same pastors tend to believe that Elijah’s drought was brought about by his faith in the so-called blank check. But from where did Elijah’s fervency and confidence come? From the will of God…as directly expressed to him through the Word of God:

• Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word." (1 Kings 17:1)

This boldness and confidence did not come from the will of Elijah but from the will of God. God had revealed it to Elijah, who was merely communicating the God’s will.

From this account, we learn that the Lord was directing Elijah throughout. According to the Lord’s will and timing, He sent Elijah back to King Ahab:

• After a long time, in the third year, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: "Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land." So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria. (1 Kings 18:1-2)

The famine wasn’t the result of God having given Elijah a blank check but a direct and explicit command. As a result, Elijah had little doubt that his prayer would be answered.

Because of the drought, the Lord now had the attention of Israel. Elijah challenged the priests of Baal to call upon Baal to consume an offering with fire:

• “Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD. The god who answers by fire--he is God… Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire." So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of Baal. "O Baal, answer us!" they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made. At noon Elijah began to taunt them. "Shout louder!" he said. "Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened." So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention. (1 Kings 18:24-29)

Yet when Elijah prayed, the bull was immediately incinerated. Why was Elijah bold? He knew that he was operating according to the will and Word of his God:

• At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. (1 Kings 18:36)

Elijah’s confidence did not stem from his faith in prayer or faith in having been given a blank check but rather from his faith in the Word of God, whom he served. He knew God’s Word, and that was what he banked on. He did not accomplish the destruction of the priests of Baal through a formless “prayer of faith” but through a belief in the very words and will of God.

Elijah’s faith is a model for ours. He did not believe that he had been given a blank check to ask for whatever he chose. Neither should we.