Faithful in the Silence...

Exodus 31 and 32:1-10 (Click on reference to read text)

Moses found himself on the mountain top with God receiving detailed instructions about Israel and Aaron's priestly line.  Aaron was in the valley alone.  He had been called by God too.  He had been used by God.  Yet while God was unfolding His plans to Moses, Aaron was surrounded by silence, except the voices of the Israelites saying, "Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him" (Ex 32:2).  How did Aaron so quickly forget and abandon His walk with God and create an idol to worship?  How do we so quickly do the same thing?

Sometimes we can become so immersed in our circumstances, what we can physically see, that we forget God is still moving and working.  He is working out a plan, a plan that may involve you, yet you don't know about it yet.  The question is are you, am I, going to be faithful where we are... in the silence?  Just because Aaron did not hear God's detailed plans for his life and the lives of his descendants, didn't mean that God was not speaking them. 

I became extremely convicted last night while at a missions festival at our church.  I realized this week that I was angry... very angry at my precious Lord because of what is happening/happened in the lives of my Dads.  I felt the silence of unanswered questions and great disappointment.  However, when faced with the awesome global size of my God and His purpose to bring the nations to a saving knowledge of Him, I wept.  I had belittled God to fit Him into the details of my life, instead of seeing my life in the details of His ETERNAL plan.  I had become the clay telling the potter what to do with me (Is 29:16).

We don't know why we find ourselves in the wilderness.  We don't know why sometimes God chooses to speak to others and not us.  We don't know why it seems the only voices we hear are pulling us into defeat and disillusionment.  However, we must cling to what we know.  God is working.  God is moving.  God is sovereign.  God is Good!  He who did not spare His own Son gave us everything we need to run this race with endurance (Ro 8:32).

Time to get our eyes off of what we can see and focus them upwards.  God just may be about to reveal His master plan.  Don't settle for an idol... settle for a King! 

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1

How Do You Pray in the Pain?

2 Samuel 12:13-20 (Click on reference to read text)

Sorry for the long absence.  My family received extremely difficult news at the beginning of this month.  My precious Dad-in-law was diagnosed with cancer in his bone marrow.  One night while praying my husband turned to me and confessed he didn't know how to pray.  We would obviously love to see our Dad healed, but what if it is not God's will?  How do you pray for a miracle and still pray according to the Lord's will?  Maybe you have had this same thought.  After much prayer and seeking Scriptures, I feel confident the Lord has given me a Biblical answer.

When David's son was dying, David fasted and prayed for a miracle.  He didn't eat, he didn't sleep.  For seven days David laid face down begging the Lord to heal his child.  Yet when the child died, he got up, worshiped the Lord and ate.  He prayed for God to heal his child, but he accepted what God allowed.

I also read about Paul.  Paul prayed 3 times for the "tormenting thorn in his flesh" to leave, yet he accepted God's grace to persevere when God did not remove it (2 Cor 12:7-10).   He was not afraid to ask God for relief, but His faith was not shaken when God answered no.

The Disciplers Bible Study Commentary for the book of Acts states, " They...were putting God to the test.  They were questioning God after His will had been revealed." 

I truly believe it is Biblical to ask the Lord for healing, restoration, or whatever is needed in the lives of your family or yourself.  After all, God is our Heavenly Father and desires to hear our hearts cry.  However, we must not put God to the test by questioning God after He reveals His will by either answering or denying our request.  We must choose to follow David's lead, offer a sacrifice of praise in the midst of our pain.  Praising God in the pain is not easy, but it is necessary in keeping our hearts stayed on Him (Heb 13:15).

I urge you... pray!  Pour your heart out to your Heavenly Father.  Ask to see the mighty movements of His hand.  Expect to see His power displayed.  However, resolve now to believe that God is good no matter His answer.  Turn to Him whether the outcome is wonderful or painful, and know that in the tears, you are not alone!

"The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Ps 34:18