Ask and You Shall Receive
When I was walking my dog this morning, I noticed how dry the grass is getting. We have not had a good rain in some time. The trees have hardly leafed out, and already, the grass is turning brown. I lifted my eyes to the Lord and started to ask for rain, but a little voice inside me said, "Why ask? It will rain when God wants it to rain, and not until then." The little voice stopped my prayers in their tracks and an inner argument ensued.
While it is true that God is the one who ultimately controls whether or not it rains, it is also true that "You do not have, because you do not ask. " (James 4:2b) "You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions." While I have been guilty many times of asking God for something to suit my needs, there are also times when I haven't asked, because I didn't believe God would answer.
As I thought through this some more, it occurred to me that behind this lack of faith on my part there are far deeper issues:
1) To not ask is to say, "I do not believe God cares enough about me and my little world to send the badly needed rain. "
2) To not ask is to say, "I figure God will eventually send the rain (He always has) and somehow I will survive all right on my own until then."
3) To not ask is to say, "I don't believe that God will send rain just because I ask for it."
The truth is God does care enough about me and my little world to send rain, because He sees the sparrow fall, and He cared about the cattle in Ninevah. Our God is compassionate and kind. He sees our plight and cares what happens to us. I am His child, I only need to ask Him for what I need.
In answer to the second, presuming that God will send the rain eventually is really saying "I don't really need God to be involved in the minor issues of my life. He is only good for the big things." That, of course, is fatalistic and arrogant. I need God every moment of every day and without Him, I would not survive. The Scriptures teach that Christ holds everything together by the word of His power. If He does not choose to send the rain, I, along with everyone else in my community, will have no water. So I must ask; it is a need.
Finally, when I don't believe God will send rain just because I ask for it, (in my case) I am revealing a selfish motive. Again, James says "You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions." My selfish motive? I want rain, because I don't want my grass to dry up, and I don't like the dust and pollen flying everywhere. If I am thinking of my community, the local farmers and my neighbors, I would see their need and humble myself to pray for rain for all of us.
In the end, it comes to simple trust in our loving Heavenly Father who cares for us. Whether my need is rain, the problems I am facing at home or work, my health, or my family, I must believe that God cares, that even the small things matter to Him, and that He will hear (and answer) when I ask with the right motive. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7)
"Lord, will send our badly needed rain?"
While it is true that God is the one who ultimately controls whether or not it rains, it is also true that "You do not have, because you do not ask. " (James 4:2b) "You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions." While I have been guilty many times of asking God for something to suit my needs, there are also times when I haven't asked, because I didn't believe God would answer.
As I thought through this some more, it occurred to me that behind this lack of faith on my part there are far deeper issues:
1) To not ask is to say, "I do not believe God cares enough about me and my little world to send the badly needed rain. "
2) To not ask is to say, "I figure God will eventually send the rain (He always has) and somehow I will survive all right on my own until then."
3) To not ask is to say, "I don't believe that God will send rain just because I ask for it."
The truth is God does care enough about me and my little world to send rain, because He sees the sparrow fall, and He cared about the cattle in Ninevah. Our God is compassionate and kind. He sees our plight and cares what happens to us. I am His child, I only need to ask Him for what I need.
In answer to the second, presuming that God will send the rain eventually is really saying "I don't really need God to be involved in the minor issues of my life. He is only good for the big things." That, of course, is fatalistic and arrogant. I need God every moment of every day and without Him, I would not survive. The Scriptures teach that Christ holds everything together by the word of His power. If He does not choose to send the rain, I, along with everyone else in my community, will have no water. So I must ask; it is a need.
Finally, when I don't believe God will send rain just because I ask for it, (in my case) I am revealing a selfish motive. Again, James says "You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions." My selfish motive? I want rain, because I don't want my grass to dry up, and I don't like the dust and pollen flying everywhere. If I am thinking of my community, the local farmers and my neighbors, I would see their need and humble myself to pray for rain for all of us.
In the end, it comes to simple trust in our loving Heavenly Father who cares for us. Whether my need is rain, the problems I am facing at home or work, my health, or my family, I must believe that God cares, that even the small things matter to Him, and that He will hear (and answer) when I ask with the right motive. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7)
"Lord, will send our badly needed rain?"
Comments
More often, if we listen, we can hear (or see) the right thing at the right tome.
Your entry on thursday was the very thing I needed to hear...at the right time.
Thank you.