Friday, December 13, 2013
The Harder Question
Many times I have heard preached from the pulpit that we can have what we pray for if we believe.
Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
I have also heard this same thinking condemned. To say it is completely incorrect would make what Jesus said untrue. But we know that Jesus did not lie, otherwise He would not be the perfect sacrifice and then we would not be saved. So what is the answer?
It seems to me that the answer really leads to the harder question. To better understand we must look at all of what happened.
Mark 11:12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:
13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.
14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.
Jesus had entered into Jerusalem, visited the temple, and then He and the disciples went to Bethany for the night. As they returned He was hungry. He saw the fig tree at a distance and went there to eat. Finding nothing, He cursed the tree. They went into town where Jesus cleansed the temple, and on the return they found the tree withered.
Mark 11:19 And when even was come, he went out of the city.
20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.
So what is the harder question? The clue is in the first part of what Jesus said to Peter.
Mark 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
We need to dig a little deeper into the “faith in God” statement. What does that mean?
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
In Paul’s letter to the Hebrews we see that faith is somehow material. It is this material that gives us understanding that what is seen comes from the unseen. And to please God we must not only believe in His existence, but believe He rewards us for seeking Him diligently. Seeking diligently sounds like more than a Sunday morning social event. In fact, David repeatedly said in the Psalms that he sought God early and basically all the time. Jesus said He only said and did what He saw the Father saying and doing. That sounds like a continual relationship. In fact, He would have had to hear God saying this about the tree for Him to curse it. God is for life. The tree not having fruit for them to eat violated the need for them to be sustained. And it provided a pretty good object lesson opportunity. So what then is the harder question? Here we go.
Do we spend enough time with God to be able to only say and do what He is saying and doing? Are we sure enough in ourselves that this is His creation in which He is active at all times? Has that evolved into a material inside of of certainty that is that substance of faith that knows God will reward us? Okay, so maybe three questions.
If we seek God earnestly, He finds us and resides with us. He will guide our heart, our sayings, our doings, and our prayers. When that happens, then yes, you can rest assured that you will receive whatever you ask for because you will only be asking for what God wants you to ask for at that moment in time. Will you get it right all the time? Unlikely. But God will be right beside you and in you, encouraging you to try again. It just takes faith.
Prayer
Father, we praise You for being our God. Thank You for giving us the scriptures which contain Your words and wisdom. Help us to seek You early. Help us to be found by You and to hear Your voice, and see the work of Your hands. Help us to pray for ourselves and others those things You want to have come to pass. Deliver your people today, give them their daily provision, and Your peace. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.