God's response to our prayers

As I mentioned in my previous post, I took out a few books to look over and it’s been years since I read them. Among them was one titled "Talking with God" and the first lesson speaks of God's invitation to prayer. The author uses Jeremiah 33:1-3 which is one of God's invitations to pray.

1 While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him a second time
2 "This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it--the Lord is his name
3 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'

A number of points can be made but on the surface are 3 great messages to the Prophet:

A. Call to Me
B. I will answer you
C. Show you great and mighty things

it’s interesting to note God invites us to call to Him regardless of where we are and right in the midst of our struggles. It was true In Jeremiah's case - which was behind bars. God invited Jeremiah to call to Him from prison and promised to answer him right where he was.

In light of my prayer plea and wanting a way out of my current situation- this word was very telling because the author wrote "In reality, the 'prison' in which we find ourselves may be the very place that God has designated for us to learn better how to serve Him' hmm - a word in season.

I absolutely love point B because God is always available and there is never a 'busy signal or a recorded message from an angelic being saying - God is occupied right now. At the tone, please leave a message and He'll get back to you." He hears our every prayer. In a sense, we know that. We know God knows our thoughts and the words are coming out of our mouths before they are even formed. We can trust that He hears us.

God says "Call to Me. I am here". Therefore we can talk to our heavenly Father anytime, anywhere, and in the midst of any situation and his promise is 'I will answer you'. Somehow I have mis-led myself into believing that an answered prayer has to be a resounding ‘yes’. The author says, God has 3 main answers:

• Yes
• No
• Wait

Each of the above answers is an equally valid answer. No kidding. But I thought yes was an answer to a prayer. As a parent, I can relate because I do not always give my son everything he asks for. Why did I lead myself into thinking that if God does not say -yes- He isn’t answering me or I am not important to Him or He doesn’t care? Yes- I have actually thought that.

The author went on to say 'when God answers no or wait, it is usually because we haven't fully waited on the Lord to discover His will or direction for our lives." He went on to say that a yes answer is not guaranteed solely because a person is living right, sometimes a no is necessary because His answer to us affects another person who is not living right. But we can be sure that God's answer is ALWAYS for our protection and His motivation towards us is always love.

Now- I am so grateful for many –no- answers because no telling where I would be and looking back now -boy am I glad that God didn’t give me many, many things I thought I needed.

Equally important is the way we respond to God’s no or wait. We can go before the Lord as we ask Him to evaluate the desires of our hearts to see if they are part of His plan for our lives. Likewise, when the answer is wait- may we be on alert to be ready to receive what He has for us.

He concludes with ‘the fact is, we can’t hurry God in His answers. We can’t change His mind. He is more interested in our eternal future – our growth, our faith, our obedience, our character – than in making us happy in the current moment’.

Quotes from Talking With God by Charles Stanley

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Sweet memory

A few days ago, I was going through boxes of books looking for a specific book called by Andy Stanley called Visioneering. It is such an excellent book written by a gifted writer and communicator.


As an aside, I do not like shopping that includes any kind of shopping or anything that involves waiting on long lines. My definition of a long line is having more than 4 people ahead of me. There have been times I was ready to purchase something and a quick look at the line - put it back and left. But not so with bookstores - I act like a child in a candy store. I can spend hours in bookstores especially Christians bookstores. I was excited to be going through my books and wanted to take so many old ones out to read again. I tried to stay focus on one book that I was looking for. But I came across something and I had to make an exception. It was my journal from 2004-2005.


In my journal was an entry with date of April 29, 2005. I recorded an event that took place
on board a Frontier Airlines on my way to Colorado Springs from Atlanta. Sitting next to me some 30,000 feet in the air was a gentleman whom God will change forever. I was sitting by the window, this nice man (I have his full name written down) whom I will refer to by his first name - Daniel. He was in the middle seat. I opened my Bible and started reading. The gentleman in the aisle seat asked me if I was a Christian and he proceeded to tell me he was a pastor from Australia and we proceeded to talk and more talk on and on.



Naturally, I am a very reserved and quiet person and I don't usually start talking with strangers but this time was different. We talked and talked about God, Christ, the Bible, what God has done in our lives and on and on. All the while this was going on, Daniel was sitting right in the middle of us and kindly listening and perhaps wondering when we would stop. As God would have it, we both started asking him about his religious belief and whether he had a relationship with the Lord.


Before departing the plane, we had led him to Christ. I just got so excited reading about it again. That was exactly 3 years and 3 months ago. I was so happy for him then and still am years later. Sadly I had forgotten all about this encounter. I have both his home and cell numbers written in my journal. In my excitement, I picked up the phone to call him to see where he was in his walk with the Lord.


What was I thinking?


To my surprise, both phone numbers are still good and both calls went to voice mail. During my second call- I started thinking how weird I would sound on the other line. What exactly was I going to say to Daniel? I would have said something along the lines:

Remember me, we met on a flight to Colorado Springs 3 years ago?

Would I hear 'click' and a dial tone? I don't know.

Oh how I pray that he followed on his commitment to be one of the Lord's chosen. I hope and pray that he's walking closely with his heavenly Father. I hope to meet Daniel in heaven some day and hear all about his pilgrimage towards home.

It's fascinating to see how journaling can take you back to memory-land. I actually went back and experienced many other intimate conversations written down just between me and my Lord.

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Confused - Help

A confused mind...

It should be expected that at the age of 35 that it should be clear what I want to become professionally. If not now (plenty of grey hair already) then when? That is the question? The truth is I am profoundly confused. It’s a known fact some children early on have a clear idea what they want to become when they grow up. In fact, last year I read a few biographical data and confirmed that many successful people knew from a very age what they wanted to be.

The culture I grew up in did not offer too many options. I never really had to do much thinking because the noble professions were very few: attorney or doctor. Anything else was not good enough. I was a good student growing up and still am to this day a student (maybe not as good) – and probably will be a student for a bit longer. I just love learning and school for that matter.

I am still trying to figure out where I fit in the realm of professions after a B.S in Biology and very soon a Master’s in another field totally unrelated. After graduating college, attended a technical school and got a Microsoft Certificate and started working in that field before completing the program and have been since specifically on the financial side of computers. I do not want to work on this area any longer and want out.

Sigh.

I am in a bit of a dilemma. Lately, not being too conscious of it is the desire to teach. The question that almost always follows is: teach what? Well –mathematics. I love the subject. Why not do it then? Because I am scared to death of my desires because of their tendencies to trip me up and send me on a total different course.

I do have a hard time differentiate between my desires which can look good outwardly but then turn out to be disasters later on. I am trying to walk that fine line where I want to do what God wants and not follow my own intuitions.

The lingering question is: should I pursue this desire or not? Is it math or not? Truth be told – I can’t quite think of what else it could be.

I was right at this juncture exactly 3 years ago and I even looked into it a bit then dropped the whole thing afterwards. I discussed the subject with a few godly friends whom I have great respect for and they advised me to follow through with it but I was still then somewhat perplexed as to what it should be. I wouldn’t mind teaching math at the high school level and even first year college or remedial math but doubt I can because I don’t have the credentials. I used to tutor other students in college in math – I guess I am not too terrible.

Since I am prone to make decisions only to later regret them – I am asking for your kind prayers and some godly advice. I am desperately seeking a change but one that I would look forward to getting up to in the morning and not dread.

Many thanks in advance.

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The heart of a loving God

Some say the God of the Old Testament is different than that of the New Testament. I believe as Scriptures teach He’s the same yesterday (thousands of years ago), today (right now in the present), and tomorrow (which is yet to come). God remains the same and is unchangeable. I sometimes shudder at the punishment inflicted on the Israelites because of rebellion, unbelief, and disobedience. I must admit that I am an absolute lover of the Old Testament and there are volumes to be learned about the character of God and His ways.

Going back to the Old Testament’s accounts of God and the children of Israel, rebellion and unbelief have their consequences. They cried out of Egypt for deliverance and He sent a deliverer to rescue them. But because of unbelief and rebellion, we read of stories where:

• The earth opened its mouth and swallowed some of the Israelites.
• Snakes were sent to bite and kill them.
• Plagues were sent and thousands and thousands were killed.

Is God mean and different as some believe? Absolutely not!

In reading the account of these events, it is sobering to see the constant rebellion against the LORD. He was in their midst, leading them, guiding them and they saw and witnessed the miraculous signs performed among them.

• Food from the sky every day.
• Meat out of nowhere
• Water in the wilderness
• Did not plant but ate every single day.
  
• Clothes and shoes that did not wear out.

·

He took care of them as His own treasure possession. The heart of the people was not tendered toward the God who loved them so dearly. He wanted them to be well off, a light and example to the other nations. He wanted them to know and experience all the blessings He had for them but obedience and total surrender were required. Many times, I found myself pointing to the Israelites as if they could hear me by traveling back in time and saying:

• Not again.
• No.
• No.
• Please -trust God this time around.
  
• You remember what happened before? Right.
• Alas!
  

I can relate to some extent but not approving of what they did or what I have done. Unbelief has been a part of my life as well. My prayer always consists of asking the Lord to continually increase my belief in Him. Deep inside, I desire to love the Lord with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength but I am constantly battling that enemy of mine.

For the Israelites, their enemies were the other nations, the false gods who somehow tripped them over and over and they were ultimately sent into captivity. My battle is of different nature. It is not the other nations and I could make a point of it being other gods (appearance, desires, money, wants and needs with no justifiable reasons) and they are all very deceitful. Thankfully, the Lord is opening my eyes to see how deceitful and empty those that appeared to be ‘needs’ but really aren’t.

The deliverer sent by God to rescue the children of Israel was about to die and Deut 32 records a song he taught them. A song he was to teach them so that they will remember what God had said would happen – words of warning and they were to take them to heart.

Deut 32:20-21 "I will hide my face from them," he said, "and see what their end will be; for they are a perverse generation, children who are unfaithful.
They made me jealous by what is no god and angered me with their worthless idols.

It truly breaks my heart to see how the people made God jealous. Can you feel the hurt and the pain in his heart? The same pattern continues throughout Israel that we found the Lord asking a sobering question in Jeremiah 2:5

"What fault did your fathers find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves.

And now, O Israel and (O Myriam), what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good? Deut 10:12-13.

Oh Father, I know I have broken your heart and made you jealous over and over like my forefathers and I ask, once again, for your forgiveness. I pray for a heart that will be soft and tender toward You, to honor You, to revere You as my Lord and my God. Thank you for putting up with. Help me and teach me to love with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength and to observe your commands and decrees.

With a heart full of thanksgiving!

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