How small our requests at times. How great our God!
Because our finite minds have such limitations, far too often we come before the Lord believing His greatest response to our cries for help remain framed in possibilities we can fathom. We structure our prayers in protection. We don't want our hope to be dashed with unmet expectations. We lift to the Lord do-able requests that should God not answer our way, won't destroy our faith. We say we want to trust Him in bigger ways, but in reality, we are hesitant. What happens if God doesn't respond in the way we desire? What impact will that have on our walk with Him? What if we surrender all to the Lord and the healing doesn't come...the prodigal doesn't return...the marriage isn't restored...the finances aren't received...the womb remains barren...the inner turmoil isn't calmed...the relationship ends...the desired spouse never appears...the grief continues and the longing for whatever it is, fails to be fulfilled? What then?
It is no doubt why we try to live so much of our lives in complete control. When we know God is loving, kind, willing and able, then His denial of what we feel we cannot live without falls over our hearts as He won't. Without understanding His greater plan, a 'no' from the Lord is always viewed as chastisement. From a young age we grow up believing our way is best and any refusal of our wants is just someone exercising cruel authority over us. As we age, instead of recklessly asking for the moon and the stars, we exchange the miraculous for the manageable. We convince ourselves that the big dreams we cherished need to be traded for what is realizable, achievable and actually capable of being fulfilled. Reality of a fallen world steals anticipation that there is something more...Someone more.
I am so thankful, that for the most part the Lord has given me an expectation that no situation, diagnosis, relationship, emotional struggle or financial loss is beyond the reach of God's intervention.
King Amaziah had just paid 7500 pounds of silver to hire 100,000 fighting men of Israel when a prophet from the Lord informed him that if the king uses these men as warriors, he will be defeated by the enemy, no matter how well they fight. The prophet explained, "God will overthrow you, for He has the power to help you or to trip you up." In response Amaziah asked, "But what about all that silver I paid to hire the army of Israel?" That is often our initial worry too. What about all the investment we've already made into our plan? What about the time, money, resources and sacrifice that has already been paid? We must understand that whatever the cost of obedience, it will always be cheaper than disobedience. For Amaziah to partner with the ungodly Israelites, he would forfeit God's help.
To Amaziah, and to each of us God speaks, "The LORD is able to give you much more than this!" If we walk in obedience, any presumed loss will pale in comparison to trusting in the Lord and following Him. As we depend on Him completely, we will experience Him personally, recognizing that God's "much more" might not be an abundance of the answer we seek, but lavishing us with His presence and power.
God longs to show Himself mighty on our behalf. He wants to deliver us from petty prayers and pride that prevents perceiving God's possible. Will we follow in obedience and be persuaded today to believe God for His much more? Lord, in our great need, unleash our hopes, increase our trust, show us Your favour. Help us not to be tentative but tenacious, completely convinced outside the realm of our comprehension and control, that You are working. Keep us continually walking in Your truth and watchful, with the assurance of meeting You and seeing You provide. You are able to give us much more than this!
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