Faith

God Answers Prayer – Part One

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 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”  But He answered her not a word …Matthew 15:22-23a

Did it ever feel like God wasn’t paying any attention to your or your needs? That is undoubtedly exactly the feeling that this woman experienced. She cried. She begged. She fell to His feet. Nothing she could do or say seemed to touch the Lord. Her story reminded me of the Bangladeshi people who came to work the gravel of the dry river banks in North India. They were rejected by most of the local people and forced to take the lowest and most menial jobs. Yet Jesus made His only trip abroad and in retrospect came only for this one woman as an answer to her prayers.

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Bangladeshi Women in North India

So when it seems as if Jesus is not listening and when no one else seems to believe that we will find the answer, we have a decision to make. Will we continue to believe or will we go away? Will we continue to ask or will we give up in desperation?  For all of us there comes that single moment when we have to decide what to do with silence. This woman who appeared to have no background, no friends and no hope leaves us with a testimony of hope, not only that God is listening but that He cares enough to hear and answer our prayer! It is if you could think that Jesus made the trip to earth, just for you!

Stretch Out Your Hand

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Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.  And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. Exodus 14:21-22

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In our walk of grace we sometimes begin to think that since nothing happens without God’s approval and that everything comes to us by grace that we have no role whatsoever in God’s plan. Nothing in the Bible however gives us any indication that such thinking is accurate. All of the heroes of faith listed in Hebrews chapter eleven are inked to action! Abel offered a sacrifice, Noah built an ark, Abraham left his native land. Moses was hidden by his parents and Rahab protected the spies. Not only these brave men and women but in fact all of us who belong to God’s family have a distinct, active and essential role to play.

Notice the order of the verses we are reading in Exodus: Moses stretched out his hand, then the Lord drove back the sea. The people of Israel passed through the sea then God closed the waters over their enemies.

The staff Moses carried wasn’t some mystical gift from an angel or a golden scepter which he had taken from Egypt.  Moses’ staff was simply the tool of his shepherding work.

When the people of Moses’ time saw the staff Moses lifted up they didn’t think of it as something quaint or impressive in any way. The fact that God chose to honor his simple obedience had nothing to do with the staff and everything to do with the humility of surrender.

What are the tools of your own daily life? Whether you carry a chain saw or a laptop to work, God can choose to use anything you surrender to his command. Stretch out your hand! God is waiting on our faith made visible by our obedience to His Word!

Waiting at the Red Sea

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Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:13-14

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One of my professors at Bible college once told me that the Christian life wasn’t hard to live, it was impossible. In each of our lives the Red Sea represents the place of impossibility. It is impossible for us to become Christians, impossible to grow in our faith and impossible to accomplish anything which God has called us to do – without the miraculous grace of God. But God in His miraculous grace has a process through which He operates. The story of Moses and the children of Israel leave us an encouraging example.

Maybe you are in an impossible situation or if one is looming on your horizon like a dark cloud. Just begin where all good journeys begin: at the beginning! The beginning is facing the Red Sea with the sound of your enemies at your back. It is quite natural to feel a sense of panic, but in that in that dark and lonely moment remind yourself that God Himself has led you to that shore.

The greatest fear we face is the fear of the unknown. We don’t know what will happen. We can’t imagine how our life will be if x, y or z happens. But God specializes in doing his best work when we don’t understand. Let your faith work in the same way that you welcome anesthesia before surgery. Your confidence doesn’t lie in your ability to direct the surgeon’s hands but in the knowledge that He is doing it all for your good.

You will never have a greater opportunity to grow in your trust towards God. Nothing is by chance in this battle you are in. You haven’t taken a wrong turn and this is not a dead end. In fact you are in exactly the right place in your walk. God has brought you to your own Red Sea. Stand strong with expectancy and you will discover what only God could imagine to do next!