Trusting God for Answers

What do you want? I know, that’s a loaded question. But two of my Lent devotionals this week have talked about things we long for and about asking God for stuff, and with an extra crazy schedule recently I’ve been thinking about what I really want in my life and what I’m able to take on. As most reasonable adults know, there’s a fine line between getting what you want and accepting and dealing with things as they are. Some things just are as they are right now and it’s not something that can be changed or that there’s anything we can do to make it easier/better on us as we deal with it.

You’ve probably heard two of the more famous verses in the Bible before, Matthew 7:7-8: “”Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”” These verses make it clear that Jesus and God are more than OK with us asking for stuff, with us having longings, with us asking for divine intervention. Yet time and again we know that prayers go unanswered, that there’s seemingly no response or not the response we were hoping for when we do ask, and as such we hesitate to ask.

If you’re familiar with the stories of Jesus’s ministry in the Bible you know that time and again the disciples had doubts about what Jesus could do or that He would do anything. Take for example the Matthew 14 where Jesus tells the disciples to feed the 5000 (which was actually likely more than that based on what Biblical historians tell us), but the disciples didn’t think they or Jesus could do it. Of course He did, and everyone was blessed with a meal both physical and spiritual that day. But the disciples certainly grew up in a world that didn’t have Jesus doing miracles and didn’t always get answers from God, so while they witnessed Jesus do miracles and answer prayers/questions, it’s understandable why they would have doubts.

But I also know that time and again God does show up, He does send answers and does open doors that we ask about. We’ve all heard stories of people being miraculously healed, missing transportation that later crashed, and innumerable little blessings scattered throughout our lives that show us time and again that God is working in our lives and our world. So don’t be afraid to ask, don’t be afraid to have dreams and longings, and trust that God will continue to respond because He cares about you. Because while God doesn’t answer every request, especially not in ways that we’ll always expect or recognize, you certainly can’t get what you want if you don’t ask, and even though God blesses us sometimes without us asking, He loves when we’re brave enough to ask and share our heart with Him.

Quiet Thanksgiving

I’ve thought a lot this month about the different ways that November and being thankful can be approached, have you? Sometimes, whether because you’re going through a really tough patch or just because you’re feeling inspired to, we go into a period of intense study or increased participation for a topic or practice. If you decided to do extra thankful related devotions, or made a point of thanking 5 people each day this November those would be an example of this. Sometimes we don’t make a point of looking for or participating in something, but it just keeps showing up in little or big ways in our lives. The classic example of this is when you’re thinking about buying a certain car, you see that car everywhere you go. A more thanksgiving themed example would be little blessings that just keep popping up and reminding you how much you have to be thankful for. Finally, sometimes we don’t do anything super special and continue on with life as usual. If you’re not doing anything except maybe attending a service on Thanksgiving eve or Thanksgiving Day or taking a few minutes either of those days to reflect on all your blessings, you would fall into this last category.

As much as I find value in spending the month increasing my focus on all things thankful, I was reminded by a quote I read recently that we don’t always need to go big and bold to have something make a difference in our lives, or for us to make a difference in the world:

“During your meals and conversations, lift up your heart to God sometimes. The slightest little awareness will always be very pleasant. We don’t need to shout out to do this. God is closer to us than we may think.” Brother Lawrence, “Practice of the Presence: A Revolutionary Translation,” by Carmen Acevedo Butcher

I don’t want to relieve you of any guilt you may be feeling about how you should have done better with being thankful at least for this month, because that’s not what the quote is saying. I don’t think that saying ‘thanks’ in November alone is healthy for you or the people you’re in relationship with (better than nothing, yes, but still not good). Instead, I want those of us who are thankful on a regular basis to know that it’s not necessary to go big and bold in November if thankfulness is at the heart of who we are and how we live. Yes, God made some big moves in the Bible and still makes big moves today, but so many more of the ways God impacted people’s lives in the Bible were small or simple and personal, just like they are today.

As we enjoy the rest of this Thanksgiving season and head into this Christmas season, maybe God is encouraging you to not be part of the angel choir but instead to be Elizabeth or Mary or Joseph and just treasure and connect in little ways with all the blessings, opportunities and celebrations of this time of year.

God: a Light with Us

Sometimes I think we need a reminder from God that it’s OK to need a little helping hand. I was reading the story of Jesus’ baptism and in the version in Matthew 3 John asks Jesus why he is doing the baptizing when Jesus should be the one baptizing him. That would make more sense, right? Jesus’ answer to John is that this is what God wants. As we know John baptizes Jesus in the Jordan River, and to be very clear that this was what God wanted, God even speaks from Heaven as a dove lands on Jesus “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” (Matthew 3:17).

Another familiar example is Matthew 7 where it says “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” (v7). Yes, of course God can just give us stuff, He sends blessings our way all the time without us asking. But if we’re really in a relationship with God, we have to put effort into it just like we want Him to put effort into it. Sometimes our job is to “wait expectantly” as it says in Psalm 5:3b.

The final example of a helping hand today is about light. In Matthew 5:14 Jesus is speaking to a great crowd of people and He says that we are called to be a light to the world, to let our light shine like on a hilltop. But the only way we can be a light is if God lights that light in us. Psalm 18:28-29 says: “You light a lamp for me. The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness. In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.”

So as we finish this month, as we head into a new school year, as we head into the last 4 months of this year, I encourage you to remember that you’re on a team with God, along with all the other people who believe in Him. Believe that God will be there to bring back to life the light in you, to give you strength and remind you of the strength He has given you, to hear your requests and to give you answers, and to be your biggest cheerleader to encourage you to be the best person you can be each day.

Going Deep with God

Do you know what I did the other day? I started re-reading a book of the Bible that I just finished (truly just finished the night before). I do know how strange that sounds, such actions may even make you consider my sanity. After all, aren’t there 65 other books? Yes, there are! They all have at least one or two interesting things in them or things we can learn from them, and most are filled with many interesting stories and people. But all believers have verses that they return to time and again, or people they identify more closely with than others and they keep revisiting their stories and getting new insights about them from God.

When it comes to these passages and people that we return to we could consider them part of our spiritual anchor. Sometimes you don’t need to learn something new, sometimes you don’t need to explore, sometimes you don’t need more, but rather you need comfort, support, peace, strength, and/or hope. Sometimes you need the reminder that God can work in any and all situations you find yourself in, while other days you need to be reminded that God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Anchor passages and people help you return to center or refocus or help you regain your spiritual strength.

And sometimes when it comes to faith and things of God, the best thing to do, the right thing to do is to really dig in and explore something. I’ve said before that it doesn’t matter how many times I read some books of the Bible, I still learn new things or see things from a different perspective. But this is different because it’s not just about learning something new, but about recognizing that right now is the time to get to know this passage or story or book, that right now God wants to teach you something or many things from a passage or story or book and the only way to make that happen is to read it over again (and maybe again). So if you’re feeling like God is encouraging you to explore a particular topic or passage or story or book, don’t be frustrated or annoyed or feel silly, be thankful for the opportunity and guidance. What are you exploring in depth with God?

When God is Silent

Are you good at waiting? The answer to that question is probably conditional and situational for you, because I know I’m a lot more patient about some things and in some situations than I am in others. In some ways it’s a lot easier to wait for something that we have a big emotional attachment to because we know or believe the result will be worth the wait, but in other ways because we want it so much it’s harder to wait. I do think we can get better at waiting and being more patient with ourselves and others (and the world at large) because as much as we are conscious of how fast time seems to slip through our fingers, it’s not always about the amount of time we have but the quality ways that we spend that time.

While the Bible gives us lots of information, it doesn’t answer all our questions and even creates some, one of those being why is there a gap between the book of Malachi at the end of the Old Testament and Matthew which begins the New Testament? It’s not like life stopped, because there was good record keeping by that time so we do know that people lived, society created, and history happened, but for some reason there’s a gap between the Old and New Testaments while the rest of the Old Testament is largely able to be chronologically connected. In some ways it makes sense to have a “pregnant pause” between what was and the new life that is ushered in with the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus. But if it was important and worth it to include all of the information in Leviticus and Numbers as well as all the books of the Prophets, why wouldn’t you include at least one (even a small one) that covers those 400 years? Did God not have anything to say during those years?

This is the question that was raised by a devotional I read recently on the book of Malachi. Malachi is a book of conclusion as well as transition, and despite how short it is compared to many of the other Old Testament books, it’s still a fascinating read that contributes to our spiritual knowledge. The devotional I read shared an important insight and reminder that addresses all these very challenging questions of waiting, what God has to say, and those missing 400 years: “Understanding that the absence of a fresh word from God does not equate to abandonment by God is essential to faith in God.”

Just because you don’t hear or see God working doesn’t mean that He isn’t there and isn’t working. It’s like the fact that the sun never really goes away, it’s just behind the clouds or behind the Earth. It’s like the flour you put into bread: it’s not gone, just looks different than it did when you started. And just because you can’t see love, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t have tremendous power in your life and the lives of others. God doesn’t always have a new message for us, sometimes the message He has for us is the same one He’s been giving us for years, and He asks us to trust Him that those words, those instructions, those directions are still relevant and accurate.

Maybe God does have new insight that He wants to share with you this week, or maybe He wants you to remain focused and keep working on what He’s already told you because things aren’t ready yet, you’re not ready yet, He’s not ready yet, or it’s not yet time. Focus on your trust and faith in God and keep working and moving forward along the path that He has shown you.

Wanted by God

What’s something that most of us want more than anything else in the world? To be wanted and loved by others. Even those of us who are totally introverts and really enjoy our own company still like to be needed, wanted, desired, and appreciated by others from time to time. God, the big important being who knows all, is involved in all our lives and is managing so much more than we could ever imagine feels the same way: He wants to be desired and loved by us. Check out Psalm 27:8:

“My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.””

It reminds me of the Garden of Eden before everything went wrong, where God would walk in the Garden and spend time not only with the things of Earth, but also “hang out” (or whatever more polite phrasing they might have used back then) with Adam and Eve. I feel like it would have been like when we take walks in local parks and meet neighbors or friends randomly and it feels so good to spend even a moment or two with them. Of course, meeting God in the garden I feel like would be more like if we met the Queen or another respected leader or elder where there was a level of respect towards them that might not be there for everyone else, while still being very friendly and welcoming.

Have you been listening to God’s call for time with you as carefully as He’s been hearing your cries for help or peace or patience or support or companionship, or whatever it is that you’re needing right now? Because while it may seem like a one way street often, God wants to spend time with you and show you things, as much as you want to spend time with Him and tell Him things. But just like we have to open the door when we hear a knock or pick up the phone or go to a meeting place or walk down the hall to be with someone else, we have to make as much of an effort to be with God as He does to be with us. Are you so focused on your life that you’re not able to have any inputs from God? For example if you go on a walk and you’re listening to an audiobook, what if God wanted to have you hear a special bird call you might remember from your childhood (which was exactly the reminder or confirmation you needed) or wanted to calm you with the sound of the running water in the river (which is exactly what you had been praying for)?

The point is that we often fill our lives so full and don’t have time to answer God’s call or even hear it when He asks to spend time with us even though we want exactly the same thing in return. So this week when you’re feeling a little lonely or like maybe people just don’t seem to need you around as much as you want to be needed, remember that God is always happy to spend time with you and wants to spend time with you and will never turn you away, and make an active effort to make time for Him in your life, just like He makes time for you in His.

Ready to Soar

Today we’re looking at the last section of Isaiah 40 (if you missed any part of the journey you can start here). Although it’s bittersweet to reach the end, the great thing about the Bible (and other books) is that there’s no limit to the number of times you can read it. So just like we can go back to Psalm 23 whenever we need to, reread the Christmas story every year (even sometimes several times during the Christmas season), and tell the stories of Noah and Daniel again and again, we can revisit any part of the Bible whenever God prompts us. Let’s dive into what I think is the perfect way to wrap up this very special chapter:

“O Jacob, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? O Israel, how can you say God ignores your rights? Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. The will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:27-31

First off, this is a really great passage for the season of our lives that we find ourselves in. Even if life since 2020 hasn’t been really difficult for you, the unpredictability alone has been challenging. I know many people have questioned, not only during this period in our lives, but since the beginning of time and God no longer walked in the Garden of Eden with us and after the years that Jesus spent on earth if God was really paying attention to everything that went on. I know it seems hard to believe that He could keep track of everything and everyone when so many of us can’t even keep track of what day of the week it is let alone all of the things going on in our lives, and yet that’s exactly what this passage says: God never grows weary or weak, never tired or powerless, and has more knowledge and understanding than we could ever comprehend.

Isaiah 40 closes with a challenge to each of us who read it: will you choose to trust in God for not only the strength you need to get through today, but everything else as well for your present and future? If we’re able to choose to trust and do our best to live a life God would be proud of, not only will we have the strength to get through our challenges, but we’ll even have the opportunities to be blessed and thrive. Yes, I said opportunities, not a lifetime guarantee. I’m not a bird expert but I do know that as much as birds fly, they also build nests and stop and perch on branches. So Isaiah 40 isn’t wrong to say that those who trust in God will soar (or to use my word: thrive), but rather we sometimes forget that that doesn’t mean all the time.

So as we look ahead to the rest of this year and whatever may come beyond, maybe the question we should consider is not what comes next but: are you consistently tapping into God’s strength and wisdom to help you do the work He has called you to do on the way to wherever the highway of the Lord leading? There will be challenges on the way to that destination, sometimes we’ll even feel so lost that we’ll forget that we’re not alone, but time and again God will show up in exactly the ways we need Him to most, He will remind us of what we need reminding, and He will send opportunities our way to soar. What is God giving you strength to work on today?

Prayer: Context and Answers

Prayer is one of those gifts that you don’t always know what to do with. What do I mean by that? Well, it’s really awesome to have a direct connection to God at any point in time day or night that we need to share something with Him or ask Him something, but it’s challenging to be on the quiet end of prayers and not hear back from God ever or for a long time. A lack of direct or immediate answers is kind of like going to a fast food drive through and them not having most of what’s listed on the menu or only being able to hear every 5th word through the speaker. But even if God doesn’t answer ever or right away, He still wants us to pray and talk with Him, and for most of us it is a practice we do regularly, whether it’s little thoughts throughout the day or focused prayer time we set aside each day or week.

So, do you know the old saying “be careful what you wish for?” It came to mind when I read a verse on the topic of prayer this week: 1 John 5:15 says: “And since we know He hears us when we make our requests, we also know that He will give us what we ask for.” Yes this verse is a reminder that the things we ask God about we should be very serious about and have thought through, because what if God does give you what you ask for? But where this verse initially sounds very reassuring, it also is confusing because we know that God says “no” to things we ask for on a regular basis. So what is the truth?

The truth is found in something I continually return to: context. Context has to with the facts or information that surround, precede or follow something. It’s so important because it gives you that movie-worthy back story that helps explain so much or helps you understand the foundation on which something is built or established. In this case, we look at the two verses prior to understand the full context of this verse. 1 John 5:13-15 says “I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. And we are confident that He hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases Him. And since we know He hears us when we make our requests, we also know that He will give us what we ask for.” And here we find the caveat to getting every prayer answered: it has to be in line with what pleases God.

So if your prayers aren’t being answered, it’s possible you’re not praying about the wrong things, maybe you’re just praying about them wrong and God’s waiting for you to understand the situation a little fuller or do some heavy lifting on the situation yourself before He comes in to answer. Or maybe you are asking for something that God doesn’t agree with or doesn’t agree is in line with His plans for you to prosper and be blessed (Jeremiah 29:11), and He’s got even bigger and better things for you if you’re open to them. If you think that might be the case, maybe the prayer you should pray for a season is “thy will be done” or maybe you should pray the prayer of Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4:10: “”Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!”” What prayer are you praying and what is God saying to you during your prayer time?

Why Me?

Can you list the people who asked “Why me?” to God in the Bible? Some of the most famous people in the Bible asked God why He picked them for the particular task that they were given. Moses asked God why He picked him to help lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Jonah asked God why He picked him to go to Nineveh. Mary asked God why He chose her to be Jesus’s earthly mother. Even if the Bible doesn’t specifically use those words, I’m sure Joseph, Samuel, Ruth, Job, Judas and even Saul/Paul (at least initially), as well as many others, asked that as well. It’s something we’ll all ask more than once throughout our lives, both about faith related things as well as other areas of our lives.

Sometimes we ask “Why me?” because we’re curious how someone else sees us. This is one of the healthiest reasons why we ask “why me?”. Exploring this question gives us the opportunity to learn how others see us, how others feel we treat them, the things that people see in us that we can’t see because we’re too tied up in what we know about ourselves, and the reasons why people want us to step up.

Sometimes we ask “Why me?” because we’re looking for an ego boost. This is a version that wasn’t in the Bible, but is used by those people who like to hear others talk about them and be reminded how great they are. Yes, it’s nice to hear others give us praise, but humility will get us much further than constantly trying to stay on a pedestal.

Sometimes we ask “Why me?” because we don’t believe in ourselves and our value. This isn’t always a bad reason to ask the question, sometimes we do have doubts and fears, especially after spectacular failures or when we’ve been beaten down by others or our circumstances. We do need the confidence boosts and to be reassured that even though we may have failed in the past, we’ve still got potential and value. Sometimes we just have to be reminded that God has a plan and that He’s going with us through the whole situation.

Sometimes we ask “Why me?” because we’re not ready or willing to take on what we’re being asked to do. This version is exactly the sentiment of Jonah, who didn’t really care for being asked to be God’s messenger. No one really likes to work through the tough stuff in life, but often we go through the tough stuff so that we can help others who struggle. God always has a purpose for everything that happens and at least part of us should be thankful that God chose to use us and wants to share His message through us, even if it’s a difficult experience to live and story to tell.

Have you asked God recently “Why me?” What was His answer to you?

Transfiguration Reflections

This past week as part of my Lenten devotionals I read a passage I’ve read many times before and you probably have as well: the Transfiguration in Matthew 17. It’s a fascinating passage in which Jesus takes 3 of His apostles up a mountain for some quiet time and there they have an encounter with the Holier side of Jesus as well as the long-dead Elijah and Moses, and to top it all off God speaks to them and makes it very clear that Jesus is His son and they should listen to Him.

The first thing that came to mind while reading this passage was about who appeared on that mountaintop, and that would be Elijah and Moses. Why them? I can kind of understand Moses, but not as much Elijah. Why not David or Abraham or even Esther or Job? I don’t know the lineage of Peter, James and John, but I have to believe that there’s a really good chance they’re not related to Moses or Elijah, so why not one of their actual relatives? Maybe it’s as simple as these two men are the people that needed to be there, that they were essential to the conversations and events happening around this time.

The second thing I wanted to reflect on today are the words that God uses to talk about Jesus. In verse 5 it says “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” Isn’t that what we all want to hear from our fathers? Everyone wants a verbal high-five from their parents and God gives one here. But also of note, God talks about Jesus only from the parental perspective. He doesn’t talk about power or the upcoming Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension. He doesn’t talk about the work Jesus is there to do. The most important message God had to deliver that day was how much He loves Jesus and proud of Him He is.

Would your presence, attention or words make a difference in the life of someone this week? Whether you are able to share about God’s love and how He remembers them and knows who they are, or you are just able to share words of encouragement yourself, I encourage you to speak up and be present for at least one person. Your presence could be exactly what they need this week.