September 23 Asking, Believing, Receiving Psalm 120:1
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… “In my distress I cried to the Lord, And He heard me.” (Psalm 120:1)
Just recently, I was talking to a young man, and he was in distress because he had been praying, and he said that God was not answering his prayers. He told me that the Bible makes it seem easy to hear from God, and he wanted to know why he wasn’t hearing anything from God. Could it be that the difficulties in finding God or to recognize a response from God is not God’s fault? Think about this, the Disciples were with Jesus for three (3) full years, and they still didn’t understand that He was the “Word made flesh,” even when Jesus told them directly. Consider this exchange from chapter 14 of the Gospel of John when Jesus said to Thomas, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him,’ Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and is it enough for us.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know Me, Philip? Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father (vv6-9)!’” I explained to this young man that we may be expecting a loud and booming voice, when we may get a whisper. We may be hoping for a “burning bush experience,” but we receive a much quieter and subtle response. God promised to Answer, and He will Answer! We MUST be in a position, by Faith, and attitude to Hear, Perceive and to Receive His Answer! When it appears difficult to hear the answers from our Holy God, that is the time that we must be quiet, attune our hearts to Him, and listen for His Holy response. The response to our prayers is directly proportional to our growing relationship with our Savior, though the empowering promises provided through the Blessed Holy Spirit! If your “Spiritual” phone is disconnected, you will find it difficult to hear the response… Stay Strong, Stay Focused… THE BEST IS YET TO BE!