Cherish Ephesians 6:4

Michael Lee

Kids & Family Religion & Spirituality

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The Collisions Between God’s Will And My Will Reveals Much!
Before we get to today’s article, I just want to mention that am writing from the perspective of a man that has experienced many of the challenges of which I write…. and those spiritual battles continue daily. The articles are implications of what it means to obey the commandment to raise your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. They require some reflection and are particularly for Christians who, as Peter would say, are diligently seeking to confirm their calling and are making every effort to supplement their faith. Said more succinctly, serious Christians. If you know other believers who desire to walk more faithfully with the Lord, please forward an article to them and tell them to sign up for future articles. Thanks so much! https://www.cherishephesians64.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Collisions-of-wills.m4a The Collisions Between God’s Will And My Will Reveals Much! You know the song and it goes like this: This is my Father’s world, And to my listening earsAll nature sings, and round me rings, The music of the spheres.This is my Father’s world: I rest me in the thoughtOf rocks and trees, of skies and seas–His hand the wonders wrought. This is my Father’s world: The birds their carols raise,The morning light, the lily white, Declare their Maker’s praise.This is my Father’s world: He shines in all that’s fair;In the rustling grass I hear Him pass, He speaks to me everywhere. This is my Father’s world: O let me ne’er forgetThat though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the Ruler yet.This is my Father’s world: Why should my heart be sad?The Lord is King: let the heavens ring! God reigns; let earth be glad! So why do we love this song so much? We love it because it brings us great comfort. It reminds us that He is the sovereign Creator, and he not only has the power to create, but what he creates is beautiful and reflective of His glory. It also reminds us that no matter what we face in this world, our loving Father is ruling and because He loves us with a love beyond our comprehension, we can continue our walk in this life and even find joy in the madness of it all. Every Christian welcomes the will of God to be done in their lives, but what happens when the desires I have for my life differs from His? Put another way, what happens when God’s Providence for me does not align with my everyday expectations for my life? Answer: hard collision. I do believe these so-called “collisions” with God’s will are not so apparent when we experience the smaller negatives in life such as a minor car accident, or a short term physical malady. As people who have been raised in America, we have been taught that all people experience ups and downs in life, and we need to pull ourselves together, work harder, and trust that those short term negatives will pass, and better days are ahead. Unfortunately, these are missed opportunities for the Christian because this is part of God’s plan to condition our minds to think properly about our short term stay here on earth. It is important that our awareness of God’s presence and activity in our lives grows overtime as part of our sanctification. But what happens when these “collisions” are not small collisions? What happens when you are devastated by the death of a loved one or your life is being continually diminished because of aging? Such is the challenge that my wife and I are experiencing. In the past three years, she has had two total knee replacements and one hip replacement, and we’ll soon have another hip replacement. Following that, there is significant signs that we will have to deal with a degenerative back as well. I have had a number of setbacks physically, but they are pale in comparison to hers. I am so grateful that God continues to provide the grace that enables us to weather His storm, even with joy. However, our walk through these calamities has not been without questions and the temptations to disagree with God’s will for our lives. For example, If we pray for relief, will he give us the desires of our heart? Does it make sense for us to pray for relief of pain when our theology tells us God uses suffering to make us more like Christ? How do we think about praying for things that are essentially asking Him to give us a pass on the curse He promised? We are so thankful for His financial blessings and how that has made us anxiety free about the future, but is it possible that due to future health issues, we may experience the God who gives and takes away? I am not looking for answers to those questions. Thankfully, I have been taught by many good men, both alive and dead, and have answers sufficient enough to strengthen my faith. But what I am pointing to is what this time has revealed more clearly in myself and maybe sharing these thoughts with you will be helpful. First, as much as I do not think I lead a worldly life, the significant setbacks that we are experiencing has revealed that I am much more attached to this world than any Christian should be. Therefore, daily repentance is needed. Secondly, I need to wake up every day and declare to myself, my life is not my own. I have been purchased with the precious blood of my Lord and savior Jesus Christ. I should have no plans other than my Master’s plans revealed for me and all Christians in His sacred book. Therefore, I live not to please myself but to please God. I serve at His good pleasure and the only reason myself or my wife are here today is because He is not done using us for His glory. And that may be for our sanctification, the sanctification of others, or both at the same time. Third, I need to pray God will continue to diminish my love for this world and He will give me a greater yearning for heaven and help me remember that He is not in my world; I am in His world! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not asking for some kind of fatalistic death wish, but I do want to have a perspective that the Puritans had- they said you should have one foot in this world and one foot in heaven. In other words, prepare for and welcome the river crossing of death that takes you from this world into His presence. This is my Father’s world: O let me ne’er forgetThat though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the Ruler yet.This is my Father’s world: Why should my heart be sad?The Lord is King: let the heavens ring! God reigns; let earth be glad! (function() { window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { listeners: [], forms: { on: function(evt, cb) { window.mc4wp.listeners.push( { event : evt, callback: cb } ); } } } })(); SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY MESSAGE. Enter your email address: Leave this field empty if you're human:
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Most Christians Worship Two Gods on Sunday. Let’s Change That.
Before we get to today’s article, I just want to mention that am writing from the perspective of a man that has experienced many of the challenges of which I write…. and those spiritual battles continue daily. The articles are implications of what it means to obey the commandment to raise your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. They require some reflection and are particularly for Christians who, as Peter would say, are diligently seeking to confirm their calling and are making every effort to supplement their faith. Said more succinctly, serious Christians. If you know other believers who desire to walk more faithfully with the Lord, please forward an article to them and tell them to sign up for future articles. Thanks so much! https://www.cherishephesians64.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Sabbath.m4a Most Christians Worship Two Gods on Sunday. Let’s Change That. Well, that’s a pretty shocking title but of course, I intended it to get your attention on an incredibly important topic. And immediately, there is a sense of frustration in my heart because I am anticipating that most Christians will dismiss this topic and refuse to even give it some careful consideration. However, if God might use this article to his glory in the life of one Christian, it will be more than worth my time. So, what am I talking about? I’m talking about Christians neglecting the 4th commandment which says, Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Exodus 20:8 This commandment is the only commandment of the sacred 10 commandments that most modern day Christians have put into a category of commandments that no longer apply. It should be noted that that view of the 4th commandment was not held by Christian leaders and the Christian church in general prior to these last 100 plus years. For the first 1800 years following Jesus’ return to heaven, orthodox Christianity taught that the 4th commandment observance was moved to the first day of the week (Sunday) and the entire day (not just church attendance) was a holy day to the Lord. Again, to be clear, I am not addressing the issue of church attendance. My concern is what the Christian does with the remainder of the day. I’ve read many books and articles that present views on whether or not the 4th commandment is one of the 10 commandments to obey for today’s Christians, and I’m going to give you some brief bullet points so you can see both sides of the argument. It is important to note that people on both sides of the discussion are fine Christian theologians who are well respected in Orthodox Christian circles. And then, guess what? I am not going to enter into a debate over these two points of view. However, I am going to present an entirely different approach to the question at hand. But first, the arguments of others- Common Points Made Against The Observance Of The 4th Commandment. Jesus did not specifically teach the 4th commandment during his time on earth. Colossians 2:16 includes the Sunday Sabbath and we are not required to observe it. Our rest is in Jesus, and now that he has given us a new covenant, regulations of the old covenant do not apply. It has also been noted by many that observance of the Sabbath Day was a source of horrific legalism and therefore, should be avoided. Common Points Made For Observance Of The 4th Commandment. God put forth his commandment as a model for how His people should live out the Sabbath based on his own work and rest in creation. Even though God does not require rest, it is certainly good for man that he rest from his labors one day out of seven. God’s intention for the Israelites was that much of this day should be spent worshiping the Lord, or at least doing things that honored him. Numerous passages throughout the Old Testament illustrate God’s hatred for profaning or ignoring 4th commandment. My Challenge to Your Christian Mind And Heart As I mentioned earlier, many books have been written through the years debating the topic and I do not intend to get into the responses from each camp concerning criticisms of the other. However, my appeal is a very basic one, and that is to the heart and mind of a listening Christian who is familiar with the revealed character and attributes of God. For example, did God, being God, intend to place the 4th commandment on a tablet for His beloved Moses and the Israelites knowing that it would have no relevance for His New Testament bride? We know that God is perfectly good and can only do good for His people. Is it possible that God gave the good gift of the 4th commandment to the beloved people in the Old Testament, but that is no longer a good gift that He intends for His New Testament people? I think not. We know that God is not a God of confusion, and He would never do anything to confuse His children. If He did so, He would not be good. Is it possible that He gave the 4th commandment to the Israelites knowing that it would one day create a point of confusion among Christians? I think not. He is the Creator God and completely understands the hearts of His creatures. He knew that the Jews needed to have a specific day set aside so they could focus on Him. He knew their weaknesses and He knew that their fleshly hearts would wander to other things. He knew that they had to have a specific time to constantly remind themselves of the mercies of God. Are the hearts of today’s Christians any different? Absolutely not. He is a jealous God and hates with a holy hatred anything that draws His children into a love greater than Him. A great deal is written in the Old Testament warning the Israelites about loving the things that other nations loved. Is the modern day Christian any different? Do not the New Testament writings warn us that our love of worldly things is one of the greatest dangers to our walk with the Lord? Do we need a day dedicated to the Lord any less than the Israelites? No, we do not. If you were to consider all of the things in our lives that might help us become more like Christ, and then asked the Lord to tell us which one was best, which one would He choose? Yes, of course- He would say it is Him. In fact, He could not choose anything else because if He did, it would not be true and He would not be loving. Yet, neither the Israelites nor Christians demonstrate faithfulness in choosing Him. That is why we need a day to spend time with the Lord- learning, communing, worshiping, repenting. Have you ever thought about which commandment might be the most important to God? I don’t know the answer, but I do know this- a great deal of ink was spent on writing about worship and Sabbath observance in the Old Testament. God hated Sabbath breakers (an offense worthy of death (Exod. 31:1) and all kinds of profane worship. I also know that Jesus summed up the first 4 commandments by teaching, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” I think all of this comes together on Sundays, so true observance of the 4th commandment must be a sweet smelling aroma to the Lord. In addition to our spiritual frame, God knows our mental and physical limitations. The Jews needed physical and mental rest from their daily grind and so do we! How many crawl back into the work world on Monday mornings because they did not get enough rest over the weekend? And then the week is full of business and stress as we try to get everything done. And what falls to the side? Our time with the Lord. And while we are sorry and frustrated about not exercising our spiritual disciplines, we lack the conviction that Sundays are set aside for rest and the Lord. The Lord knows all of this, so He gave us a day for our good and His glory! The Bible tells us that the Law of God is written on our hearts, and that law is a tutor that leads us to see our sin and the need for a Savior. It is without dispute that the law that Paul is writing about is not the ceremonial laws of the Old Testament, but the moral law we know as the 10 commandments. I have found it interesting when I hear a pastor or church leader who does not believe that the 4thcommandment is valid today, explain what he believes Christians should do on Sundays. I have never heard that pastor tell a person they can do whatever they please, but instructs a person to do the same things as the pastor who believes the 4th commandment applies today. Why? Because the law is written on His heart and as a born again, Spirit-led man of God, he cannot say that you are free to do whatever you please! While he may say that the commandment no longer applies, he is constrained to prescribe a day that is primarily focused on the Lord. Does God change? Does He learn new things? Thankfully, no. What He knew to be the most loving things for His people of the Old Testament are wise and loving things for His New Testament believers. Therefore, the wisdom of the 4th commandment will never fade away. How Did We Get Here? I started this article with a title indicating that most Christian worship two Gods on Sunday. One God is the one and only true God, The Lord Jesus Christ. The other god (note the lower case “g”) is the one that the Bible calls the god of this world; the wicked fallen angel named Satan. Satan hates God and hates God’s people. He wants to control and destroy every creature made in God’s image and he is smart and crafty. Some of his schemes to destroy are worked out in days or weeks, but there are some that he has planned to bear fruit after years or decades. In his plan to lure Christians into worldly pleasures on The Lord’s Day, he has been slowly dismantling the importance and value of the 4th commandment over many years. You may not know this, but there was a time in America where stores were closed on Sundays and professional sporting events were not scheduled. It was also a time when children’s practices and games would never be scheduled. Even pagans considered the day as a day for rest and family time. But as the years went by, incremental changes took place that catered to people’s desires to fill their hearts with all manners of entertainment and self-satisfaction. Simultaneously, churches deemphasized the gift of the 4th commandment and by doing so, placated the convictions that the commandment brings to our consciences. For the modern Christian today, Sundays are days that are planned out not for spending the entire day honoring the Lord, but a day of planned entertainment. It is as if the things that honor Jesus are done in the morning and the things that Jesus hates, the worldly things, are given honor in the afternoon and evening. Some might claim that in order to be financially successful in this competitive world, a person must work on Sunday. But frankly, that kind of is thinking reveals a heart that doesn’t believe God’s promises. You see, the truth is that thousands upon thousands could testify how the Lord provides in ways that you might never expect- but He does provide! One well known example is the fast food chain, Chick-Fil-A. Chick-Fil-A is a Christian owned and operated company that began in Georgia with one store in 1967. They believed that Sunday was the Lord’s day and have remained closed on that day for the past 57 years. They believed God’s promise to the Israelites to provide all that they needed to eat for 7 days in only 6 days, would apply to their business in principle. Today, after being closed for business 14% of each week (Sundays), Chick-Fil-A is the number one fast food chain for sales per store in the nation. The Lord will provide. What Should We Do? The answer to this question strikes fear in the hearts of church leaders. Why? Because any time we are given a list of things to do for the Lord, our foolish hearts are tempted to rely on doing our lists rather than the grace of God. I understand the concern, but it is not consistent with the lists that we establish to keep us from breaking the other commandments. There are places we don’t go or things that we don’t allow our eyes to see in order to not covet, commit adultery, etc. My suggestion for the Christian and the Christian family is more of an outline than a list. Let’s call it a number of things that you can consider for honoring the Lord throughout the day- Take a long nap. Go for a walk with your spouse or the family and enjoy God’s creation. Share experiences from the prior week and apply a Biblical perspective. Have a relaxed time for a family devotion (Ephesians 6:4). Read your Bible. Pray with your family. Read an encouraging Christian book. Create times for fellowship with other Christians to study the Bible or review a great Christian book (Hebrews 10:25). Make a date to speak truth with a friend (Ephesians 4:25). Make a date to encourage a discouraged Christian (1 Thess. 5:11). Think of ways you can spend the afternoon doing good as Jesus did. (Luke 13:10-16; 14:1-6 2 Thessalonians 3:13). If you cannot tolerate missing sports games on Sunday, subscribe to their app (NFL, NBA, MLB) so you can watch the replay during the week. It is an investment in the Lord and His day. Finally, if you have read or listened to this article and have come under conviction to change, please do not suppress it! Rather, ask the Lord to give you grace to make the change. You will never regret it. 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Where Are The Articles? A Ministry Update- February, 2025
Before we get to today’s article, I just want to mention that am writing from the perspective of a man that has experienced many of the challenges of which I write…. and those spiritual battles continue daily. The articles are implications of what it means to obey the commandment to raise your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. They require some reflection and are particularly for Christians who, as Peter would say, are diligently seeking to confirm their calling and are making every effort to supplement their faith. Said more succinctly, serious Christians. If you know other believers who desire to walk more faithfully with the Lord, please forward an article to them and tell them to sign up for future articles. Thanks so much! https://www.cherishephesians64.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Update20Feb202025.mp3 Hello everyone! I have been asked by a number of people why they are not receiving weekly articles from me. So, I thought it might be good to give you a brief update. I have been using Apple Podcast, YouTube, and my website to house material that I hope is helpful to the Christian and non-Christian community. Over the past two years I have learned that keeping a website up to date is frustrating and some people like podcasts while others love YouTube. Therefore, I have decided to focus primarily on the CherishEphesians 64 YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/@MichaelLeeCE64) because it is easy for me to produce and load videos quickly. Using YouTube has also given me a place to receive comments and questions- which is great because it gives me a ministry opportunity with people- and I love that! How many followers do I have? I have about 500 followers on the YouTube and Podcast. Not a huge number, but it is not surprising given the fact that culturally we are at an all-time low on people’s desire and ability to think. How many listens and views? I’m approaching 20,000. That may sound like a lot or a little to you. But in the world of social media, it is a relatively small number and there is a logical reason for it- I don’t do soundbites, I don’t do entertainment, and I don’t do short form videos. I produce things that are at least 5 minutes long and sometimes as long as 30 minutes. Relatively few people are willing to commit to that level of engagement for the things of God. Actually, the number of people who have listened to an entire video is much less. Most people will click on a video or podcast episode and leave after 30 seconds. In my own mind, I would estimate that there has been only 2,000-4,000 people who listened or viewed the entire post. However, I am encouraged. Although I would like the numbers to be greater, I am confident from the feedback I receive that God is using the channel as a help to both Christians and non-Christians. So, what will a person find when they go to CherishEphesians64 on YouTube? All sorts of Christian recordings (about 450 videos to date) that people can listen to while they are doing something else! For example- Daily Devotions by a Spurgeon contemporary, The Reverend William Jay. Books by Puritan authors such as, “The Mortification of Sin by John Owen”, “All Things For Good by Thomas Watson”, “Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices by Thomas Brooks”, and “Thoughts For Young Men by J.C. Ryle”. Evangelistic booklets from the great John Blanchard such as “Why The Cross?” “Ultimate Questions”, and “Jesus, Dead Or Alive?”. Also, a great book for the person coming out of stale religion, called, “From Religion to Christ” by Peter Jeffrey. A new series I am working on that is directed to those falling away from the faith called, called, “I’ve met you.” Booklets from great theologians of the past such as, John Bunyan’s “Christian Behavior”, and “Duty of Parents by J.C. Ryle.” Recorded sermons that you may have never heard from Charles Spurgeon and Jonathan Edwards. The fight against sin illustrated by another Peter Jeffrey book called, “Stand Firm.” Articles provoking thought regarding the parents’ choice between a Christian school and a public school. Articles I have written on all sorts of topics, many around the family. OK, that was too long! Hope all is well with you and come visit the YouTube channel if you get a minute! Mike Lee (function() { window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { listeners: [], forms: { on: function(evt, cb) { window.mc4wp.listeners.push( { event : evt, callback: cb } ); } } } })(); SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY MESSAGE. Enter your email address: Leave this field empty if you're human:
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6:09
You Know Nothing! You Know Nothing!
Before we get to today’s article, I just want to mention that am writing from the perspective of a man that has experienced many of the challenges of which I write…. and those spiritual battles continue daily. The articles are implications of what it means to obey the commandment to raise your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. They require some reflection and are particularly for Christians who, as Peter would say, are diligently seeking to confirm their calling and are making every effort to supplement their faith. Said more succinctly, serious Christians. If you know other believers who desire to walk more faithfully with the Lord, please forward an article to them and tell them to sign up for future articles. Thanks so much! https://www.cherishephesians64.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/I-Know-nothing.mp3 You Know Nothing! You Know Nothing! I’m going to transport you back about 40 years to find a young Mike Lee working for what some called an arrogant, obnoxious person. To me, he was not only my boss, but a friend. In some ways he was absolutely charming; in others, a nightmare to deal with. But in any case, I had started in the job and within a year, I was beginning to have the kind of success that made others take notice. As the months quickly passed, he began to trust me more and listened to what I thought about the business and life. Then, one day after an important discussion, he leaned forward and with a smile on his face, raised his voice, and proclaimed to me and all who were within earshot, “You know nothing! You know nothing!” We laughed together and I thought I understood the motive for his verbal assault, but in fact, I did not. Now 40 years later, I am just beginning to understand how much truth was carried in his words. Neither of us were Christians so his comment was not based on anything that he had found in the Bible. But he was 16 years my senior and was operating from the well-known fact that wisdom is accumulated over time and experience. I may have proved to be a pretty smart young man and even a fast learner, but because I had not lived for very long, I really didn’t know what I thought I knew, and he was happy to bring the point home- You know nothing! So, I became a Christian at 36 years old and for the first time, I realized that all I thought I knew just got tossed out the window. And yes, now I knew something (the gospel message) and knowing the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but my old friend’s words landed on me in a new way. I knew nothing! In fact, It was worse than I could have ever imagined. Let’s get up to date. I have been a Christian 31 years and I thankfully, I do know some things. Now in my 69th year on the planet, I can say that I have had a vast array of experiences- good and bad- during my time, but can I finally shake the declaration my old boss made so many years ago? Do I still know nothing? So now we arrive at the problem and maybe through my problem, you will find your problem. My problem is that I believe I no longer “Know nothing.” My problem was created because several elements came together to form something nasty. My problem came about because I was well educated, have had many life experiences, including many successes. My problem is, “I know everything.” Well, I may have lost you so let me explain further. When I say that I believe I know everything, I do not mean that literally. I know that I don’t know everything. I am using hyperbole to make the point that I speak and behave as if I knew everything. The Bible describes this problem using the words pride, or lack of humility. And God hates it and works against it . “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6 Pride makes us the worst mathematicians in the world. We secretly count the times that our judgments about people, situations and outcomes are correct, but we forget to count the times that we were wrong. Our measuring scales are corrupt because they are being run by our flesh. A lack of humility makes us the worst listeners in the world. We have conversations with people and never hear or discern how many times we have injured them with our words. God hates all of this because it works against the commands to love all people. But He hates it even more because pride operates in a heart small on love and reverence toward God and big on stealing His glory. In other words, when we behave like we know everything, we act as if we know what God would do. Do I want to be Job? Do I want God to come to me and ask, “Where were you when I created all the world and how much did you contribute? And how much of it do you even understand?” The antidote against such a condition is to remember the truth. The truth is that it is God Who gives whatever physical or mental capacity we have. It is God Who decided that His Spirit would blow into our dead hearts and draw us to Him. It is God’s Spirit that enables us to understand truth and apply to life situations. It is God Who providentially ordains every life experience we have had, and it is God Who, by His grace, gives us life and breath and keeps us from falling away from our faith and trust in Christ. In his first letter to the Corinthians Paul said it this way: “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” 1 Corinthians 4:7 “But by the grace of God, I am what I am!” Corinthians 15:10 Finally, James tells us how to live. “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.” James 3:13 The bottom line- my old boss was more right than he knew. I have learned that compared to what I could know in this life, I know so very little, and compared to Almighty God, I know nothing. I know nothing. God help me remember it. (function() { window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { listeners: [], forms: { on: function(evt, cb) { window.mc4wp.listeners.push( { event : evt, callback: cb } ); } } } })(); SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY MESSAGE. Enter your email address: Leave this field empty if you're human:
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The Lord Has Promised To Meet All Of My Needs, But It Seems He Is Not Doing It.
Before we get to today’s article, I just want to mention that am writing from the perspective of a man that has experienced many of the challenges of which I write…. and those spiritual battles continue daily. The articles are implications of what it means to obey the commandment to raise your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. They require some reflection and are particularly for Christians who, as Peter would say, are diligently seeking to confirm their calling and are making every effort to supplement their faith. Said more succinctly, serious Christians. If you know other believers who desire to walk more faithfully with the Lord, please forward an article to them and tell them to sign up for future articles. Thanks so much! https://www.cherishephesians64.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Will20He20Provide_.mp3 The Lord Has Promised To Meet All Of My Needs, But It Seems He Is Not Doing It. I believe it would be fair to say that all Christians experience times in their life when they need the Lord to provide something, and He does not. If we choose to give very little thought to why this happens, we can quickly arrive at the flimsy conclusion that God is not trustworthy. Maybe we don’t say it out loud but there’s something inside of us that imperceptibly registers thoughts of doubt in the veracity of God. What I would like to do through this article is to assure you by using the scriptures that God is not only trustworthy, but His plan is gloriously brilliant for his children. First, let me introduce several examples of Christians who are praying for God to fulfill a need: A young man has a desire to have his working wife quit her job and stay home so they can begin to raise a family. However, he must find a way to double his current salary if that is going to happen. He has been praying that God will provide that need for him, but nothing is happening. A husband and wife yearn to have children, but it has now been several years of trying and all they have is what appears to be unanswered prayers and buckets of tears. A pastor has been praying for years that God would reduce the strife in his church by convicting many in his congregation of their sin and leading them to repentance. After years of prayer, things have only marginally improved and he’s now thinking that maybe it’s time to move on. I could literally make up another 100 examples, but they are not needed to make the point. Many Christians find themselves in similar situations where they are praying for God to act, and it seems that their prayers aren’t even being heard. So, let’s go to scripture to begin to work through this challenging question. First up is Matthew 6:25-30: “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” The key takeaways here are the absolute sovereignty of God over all things, the knowledge that God has regarding our needs, the command to seek God and His righteousness in your life, and the promise that all of your needs will be provided for. And here we have to ask the question, “do the things that I determined to be my needs correlate with the things that God has determined to be my needs?” Clearly, there is room for disagreement between the Christian and the Lord, so there may be situations where the needs we’re praying for are not the same as what the Lord’s view of what we need. We have to remember, as the passage illustrates, our value in the eyes of the Lord is greater than we can even imagine, and He will never provide something for us that we don’t truly need. If we were honest, we would admit that many of the things that we think we need in this life would simply not hold muster In light of what God’s word tells us about loving the world. James is a help in thinking this through as well. In 4:2-3 he says, “You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” But wait you say, the examples that you gave above seems to be the kinds of needs or desires that would be pleasing to God. Yes, I agree. However, there is something much greater going on here than what we can understand with our finite minds, and that involves another promise the Lord has made. We can find it in Romans chapter 8:29: “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” This is, without exception, God’s revealed plan for every Christian. He is working in our lives to change us so we may behave and think more like Jesus Christ. Ultimately, he is preparing us for heaven. Is this promise more important than the promise to provide our needs? Well, it certainly isn’t more important in the context of deciding which promise kept would prove His faithfulness more than the other. He cannot be unfaithful to either promise, but he must work all things together for our good and his glory. So, let’s look to scripture again to learn how He makes us more like Christ. The best place to look for the answer is to examine the life of our Lord and King Himself. As we begin to study His life, we have to remember that the Bible teaches that Jesus was fully God and fully man and because He was fully man, He went through his life learning the things necessary to reflect His Father in heaven to the watching world. In an amazing passage from Hebrews 5:7-8, the Bible says, “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.” Of all of the things that we know from scripture, this one truth may be the most unpleasant. This passage is not an isolated passage about Jesus’ sufferings. His life was a life of many sorrows. Nor are passages hard to find about the suffering the believer faces during his time here on earth. And why? Because we don’t learn to be more obedient to God, to trust Him more, and to love Him more, during the times things are going well. When times are going well, we are prone to think of Him less, depend on Him less, and strive less in our battle to walk worthy of His calling. In a word, we succumb to our flesh. However, when we are struggling or suffering in some way, we go to Him and learn more of His grace, mercy, and love. Truly, there is nothing greater than suffering in its number or magnitude that is effective in making us more like Christ, and that is greater need than any temporal earthly need. What does that suffering look like? Well, it can be anything the Lord knows is best for our life at any particular time. Can it be withholding our need for a larger salary even if it is for a God honoring cause? Yes. Can it be withholding one of His great gifts, the gift of children? Yes, if He thinks we will learn more by having to wait. Can it be withholding wisdom, so we have to grind a situation out for a longer period of time, causing us to depend on Christ’s grace more deeply? Yes. And we should understand, wisdom does not come through lightning bolts of information but through the experiences of life overlaid by the truth of scripture. This requires a constant feeding of the heart and mind on the word of God. And thinking more broadly, can our waiting or suffering in situations be used for God’s purposes than just us? Yes. Both believers and unbelievers are watching us all the time. God uses our response to difficult situations to encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ and to draw unbelievers to him who wonder what it is in the Christian that makes him smile even in the face of adversity. And what about the experience itself and how God may use that in the Christian’s ministry to someone else facing a similar situation? Listen to 2 Corinthians 2:3-6: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer.” So, what should we do when it seems God is not providing? Just a few things to think about: Always be saturating your mind with the Bible. Over time you will find yourself more concerned about His kingdom and His glory than anything else you need. Furthermore, God will use the words that He has planted in your heart to guide you through any sinful doubts about His faithfulness. Check the desires of your heart. Can you say that you are seeking to build His kingdom and His righteousness in your heart? As James might ask, “are you asking with the right motives and goals?” Wait on the Lord like David, not Saul. Saul did not wait for Samuel before going into battle as the Lord had commanded. He decided to “make something happen” and paid dearly for his impatience. David on the other hand wrote in Psalm 27, “Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD! Trust in Lord like Abraham even when your situation makes no sense. Only God can weave all of His promises together within His wonderful providence for you and He will do it in His ways and in His time. As you will recall, God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his only son Issac. This command appeared to be in direct conflict with an earlier promise to Abraham concerning the multitude of his descendants. Just as Abraham is about to thrust the knife into Issac, we read this from Genesis 22:13-14: “And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, “The LORD will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided.” Yes, the Lord will provide all of our needs and especially our need to be conformed to the image of Christ. What an amazing God we serve and call our Father! (function() { window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || { listeners: [], forms: { on: function(evt, cb) { window.mc4wp.listeners.push( { event : evt, callback: cb } ); } } } })(); SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY MESSAGE. Enter your email address: Leave this field empty if you're human:
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