Genesis 50: 20 NKJV
There is something that has been instilled into our Christian teachings for generations. That is, whenever we run into a crisis we should immediately pray that God would deliver us from said crisis in a timely manner. Many of us are impatient and simply will not tolerate discomfort for any extended period of time. I get it. I was reminded of this fact this week when I requested prayer from a friend for a infection I was experiencing. His response got me thinking about how it is we approach our own prayers in times of need. "How would I know how to pray?" Of course, he was right, for if I am the one experiencing the difficulty, only I know what might truly be on the Fathers heart. It was God who caused Josephs own brothers to mistreat him badly and sell him into slavery to Egypt. It was also God who blessed Joseph while he was in captivity. So much so that he eventually became one of the most powerful men in Egypt save for Pharaoh himself. Was Joseph blinded by revenge over his brothers treachery? Not in the least. When his brothers came before him in need, it was Joseph who showered love and mercy upon them. I'm sure that his brothers were expecting Joseph to take his revenge, but as he said to them, "you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good." If we, in our moments of crisis, cling to the belief that God is some kind of rich miser who only showers his blessings upon those who treat Him well, then you have a heavily distorted view of God. It is never in Gods nature to treat His children badly, that's not who God is. The apostle John reminds us of the Fathers true nature in his own description, "He who does not love does not know God, for God is love" {1 John 4:8}. Joseph loved, to the point where he reconciled with his own brothers who had harmed him. It is never Gods intent to harm His children. However, as He did with Joseph, He may just allow our lives to be a bit uncomfortable every now and then. In these times, our first prayer should be one of asking the Father what it is that He is trying to show us through our circumstances. Yes, we're going through a hard time, but it is never the Lords intention to punish us just for the hell of it. Remember, God is love.
Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Corinthians 12: 8 - 9 NKJV
Say that you have some affliction which occurs in your life. Some illness you can't seem to shake. So, being a believing Christian, you pray that God would remove this affliction from you. Not just once, mind you, but three times you pray for its removal. Such was the story of the apostle Paul when he prayed that God would remove the thorn in his flesh. What was the Lords response? "My strength is made perfect in weakness." Bingo! Through all of our whimpering and wishing, it is in our own weaknesses that the grace and power of Christ Jesus shines most brightly. If we were all perfect, what need would we have for Him? The thorns in our flesh can, at times, break us down. I'll admit that I DO NOT like to be inconvenienced. I hate being sick and I hate having bad things happen to me, so I guess I'm just like everyone else huh? Sometimes I wonder why God can't do things on my schedule. Maybe Paul wondered the same thing. The truth is that we, at our most human moments, are weak and helpless. It is in times such as these where we should take a moment and step back to see just what Jesus is doing. For it is Christ who is walking through this life with us {Galatians 2:20}. I realize that it might sound like bad advice, but I'd much rather trust in Jesus in my times of need. When Paul claimed that he would "boast in my infirmities," he knew that when he was at his weakest, Jesus was at His strongest.
~Scott~
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