Walking in dependent faith. Only four words, but what a difficult concept. So many times I wish my questions could just be answered and I did not have to walk through life as if I were walking in darkness. Some many times I wish I could just "do it" on my own and have God bless my efforts.
In other words, faith is not nearly as simple and easy as I often think it should be. I believe Lord, help my unbelief.
Let me give an example of what I mean. I love this passage of scripture and I have claimed it often.
"Behold, the Lord's hand is not so short that it cannot save;
Neither is His ear so dull that it cannot hear."
Isa. 59: 1
What exactly is Isaiah speaking of in this passage? I believe for most of my Christian life I would have answered that passage is all about the condition of those apart from Christ. In other words, those who do not know Jesus as Lord and savior do not have the Lord's ear.
In that case, my interpretation is simple. If you do not know Jesus, repent. His hand is not too short to save you. No matter who you are or where you find yourself. Jesus can and will answer if you cry out to Him in repentance and faith.
I have seen such actions of God many times. I know God can change the human heart.
The problem is that I think this passage has other applications. The proceeding context is about God hearing prayers. This is not a new section, but a continuance of an entire thought.
In that case, my interpretation is simple. If you do not know Jesus, repent. His hand is not too short to save you. No matter who you are or where you find yourself. Jesus can and will answer if you cry out to Him in repentance and faith.
I have seen such actions of God many times. I know God can change the human heart.
The problem is that I think this passage has other applications. The proceeding context is about God hearing prayers. This is not a new section, but a continuance of an entire thought.
What about the believers who are calling out for healing of their child, only to have this child die? What about those struggling with their finances, begging God for mercy, and they lose everything?
Is God's hand to short to save?
Where is God in the midst of our difficulties? Why does He seem to work so almost every Christian has days, months, years, and even seasons where it appears as if their prayers fall on deaf ears?
The term used to describe what I am writing about has been called the dark night of the soul. It is a time in a believer's life where they wrestle with more questions than answers. It is a time where they feel less of God's presence. It is a time when prayers appear to go unheard.
I know I have walked through this experience. It is deeply disconcerting. It is lonely. It can be deeply painful. It is also so hard to describe. It is not like I am walking in active rebellion. It is more like a good friendship that has suddenly cooled and each party merely continues on with their separate lives.
If you are in the place, let me encourage you that the dark night does end. I don't really know how, but God uses it to make us deeper. When His presence returns, the relationship is different but better.
Hold unto the promises. Hold onto God's love for you. Read the scriptures and ask again and again that the Lord will make these promises known to you. Confess you questions and doubts to God and others. Don't "fake it to you make it" but be real, ask for prayer from others, and wait for the Lord.
Walking in dependent faith.
I told you that often this is much harder than we had imagined. I encourage you that it is still worth it. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. There is no other. He loves you and He is working through it all.
Is God's hand to short to save?
I know from experience that most solid Christian folks go
through times and seasons of life where their prayers are not answered.
At least, they are not answered as they hoped.
Instead of God showing up,
they feel like their requests do not go past the walls of their room.
Where is God in the midst of our difficulties? Why does He seem to work so almost every Christian has days, months, years, and even seasons where it appears as if their prayers fall on deaf ears?
The term used to describe what I am writing about has been called the dark night of the soul. It is a time in a believer's life where they wrestle with more questions than answers. It is a time where they feel less of God's presence. It is a time when prayers appear to go unheard.
I know I have walked through this experience. It is deeply disconcerting. It is lonely. It can be deeply painful. It is also so hard to describe. It is not like I am walking in active rebellion. It is more like a good friendship that has suddenly cooled and each party merely continues on with their separate lives.
If you are in the place, let me encourage you that the dark night does end. I don't really know how, but God uses it to make us deeper. When His presence returns, the relationship is different but better.
The real key is to hold unto Jesus by repentant faith
even if you feel nothing and even if your prayers
aren't being answered at the moment.
Hold unto the promises. Hold onto God's love for you. Read the scriptures and ask again and again that the Lord will make these promises known to you. Confess you questions and doubts to God and others. Don't "fake it to you make it" but be real, ask for prayer from others, and wait for the Lord.
Walking in dependent faith.
I told you that often this is much harder than we had imagined. I encourage you that it is still worth it. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. There is no other. He loves you and He is working through it all.
Wonderful teaching here. How does the idea that God's target is not my happiness but His glory fit into this dark night of the soul? Can you write more on how we cling to the promises in times when we hear no for decades?
ReplyDeleteSarah:
ReplyDeleteI find your questions interesting. In early American history there was a Christian movement that had the slogan, "Willing to be damned for the glory of God." I often think that that these folks were missing something.
I believe that God is most glorified when we find our happiness in Him. The Dark Night is a means of purifying to help us find our happiness in Christ's love and presence. In other words, it is not an either/or, but a both/and. Like a loving parent, sometimes the answer has to be no to a demand/request even if it brings temporary pain. That doesn't mean that happiness and joy in the love of the parent will not return.
I think this is an idea that forms the answer to your second question. How do we cling to the promises? We take a promise and we ask God to help us hold onto it. We memorize it, meditate upon it, cry out to the Lord to make it true in our life and experience. Even if our current experience does not match God's promise (it often won't), we ask the Lord to confirm it to our heart and soul.
One great truth of our faith is that we have the promise of heaven and judgment. This world is often an unjust and ugly place. There is pain, separation, brokenness, and injustice all around us. I believe that some of these difficulties and ugliness will not be dealt with in this world, but it will be set right in the world to come. While this does not help us "fix" today, it does encourage that justice, truth, and righteousness will come.
I will try to come back to your final question in different posts. It is an important one.
Thanks for reading
The wife of a patient (near death with Hodgkin's disease) at the hospital asked me a similar question yesterday. Why has God not answered my persistent prayers? Her take was that she hadn't been good enough, hadn't done enough works in her life for God to merit His intervention, yet she knew of people who were "worse than she is" who had prayers answered so she was struggling. Our discussion ended up being long, but interesting as we talked about prayer/works. The dark night of the soul is hard, but if the believer has a genuine understanding of God's love and ways, then they wait (and pray). For those with a misunderstanding of prayer or for those who don't understand how God may be working in the midst of unanswered prayer, there are lots of false fears and beliefs that can easily derail or distract. I am so looking forward to your insights as you address this topic!
DeleteLinda:
ReplyDeleteI too have seen this often. I will do my best to offer insights, but I think you probably already know what to say. I will pray for these folks with you. Thanks for sharing.