Vol. 7, No. 38 – September 25, 2022
Two things I ask of You; deny them not to me before I die: Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny You and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God. –Proverbs 30:7-9
Most of our asking, or questions, are simple and straightforward. They are rarely deep unless we feel we are out of answers. If we would admit it, the answers we use are ours, not the Lords. We seldom let our guard down long enough to trust God without exception.
Does that resemble your struggles in life?
We live in days that come close to challenging our beliefs, we think. But they do not; we bury belief and reality in feelings or our struggles. The Navy SEALS use an answer for their daily struggles: The only easy day was yesterday. It is a shocking response. Yesterday is gone; sometimes there are remnants; however, it is gone. You cannot go back to yesterday. Yesterday does push some debris upon us. But today is fresh. Every day is fresh among God’s people. But we have not done well with that.
I have noticed that in many of our questions, God responds with questions of His own. Have you noticed that? Think about your relationships. Have you responded to your child’s questions with questions? Have you done that with your spouse or adult child? Have you done that in your Bible study, or in conversation with your pastor? Have you had occasion to say to God: God, it would be nice if you would answer one of my questions! (It would be better to pause before making that accusing response.)
Deep.
That is a place we need to be more often. Most of our questions are followed with lists of what we are doing in our churches, families, community, etc. Why do we do that? God expects His people to connect with others and care for their needs. Yet, it seems that so many of us react, in a blatant personal way when we do not get the answer we are looking for.
When we are in pain. When we have financial difficulty. Relational. Employment. House hunting. Medical. Loss. Those are just some of our struggles.
Question: Do you live as though you need to be in control of your life? If you believe in Him, in His mighty power, why are you not sure about Him knowing what is best for you right now?
Where does God really fit into your life right now? Is your thinking: I can handle things on my own! Thank you very much!
How is that working out for you?
Has it made your life better? Honestly? In your family? In your marriage? In your relationships with another? In your love for your church? In your love and devotion to Christ?
Have you ever experienced watching a Christian friend who has a great relationship with the Lord? You sense your own jealousy. You think in your soul: I wish I had a connection with God the way “X” does. I wish I could hear from God the way “X” does. I wish my relationships were like “X’s”. I do not think I will ever get there. I do not deserve it. I am not good enough for God to really hear the cries of my heart.
Life Application
God created us with a need for relationships. What we learn in having a relationship with God is that the closeness we have not only affected our dialogue with our Heavenly Father but also goes further.
Not only will that relationship be a fulfilling one, but there is also an unexpected outcome. We will begin to develop deeper relationships with others. We will appreciate them more. We will see them as important. We will see them as a person who is also significant to God. And to others.
What happens when we do not pursue a solid relationship and dependency upon our Heavenly Father?
Depression. Physical illness. Even attempts of suicide. Self-imposed blockages in our direction of life. Complications that we do not anticipate, bring relational difficulties in our lives.
There is not a complicated approach to God. Not only does He continually chase us with His love, grace, and mercy, God has seemed, to spend all the time with you that you think you need. It is just His way.
I just noticed there are 18 questions in this issue of the blog. Questions are good. Especially the deep ones!
What is your question for God today? Be prepared to listen and act.
