I've been amazed recently at how God has answered my prayers. To me,
those answers are small miracles and evidence of his existence and the
fact that he loves me and listens to what I have to say. I'm reading a
book, 95 Theses on Righteousness by Faith, by Morris Venden, and in it,
one of the things he says is that not EVERY promise in the Bible is for
you at this specific time in this specific place. I had often struggled
with reconciling the promises of the Bible to 'bad things happening to
good people,' and his explanation opened my eyes to a new reality. (I
will explore God's promises in another post). God's ultimate goal is for
everyone to reach heaven. He will do whatever it takes to get you
there, even if that means you have to be poor your whole life - if he
made you rich, would you still seek and serve him? Why would he give you
something knowing that it would lead you to hell? That's why not every
promise is for everyone at some point in their lives. I understand that
now, and I've accepted it.
But the other part of this is that there are certain promises that
are for EVERYONE at ANYTIME, as long as we ask earnestly He will always
hear us. One such promise is the imparting of the Holy Spirit. God will
never deny the Holy Spirit to anyone who asks earnestly. Basically any
requests having to do with your spiritual life will never be denied you
by God. The key is that we have to be earnest when we seek answers.
Recently I committed a sin that I have always struggled with. Personally I see it as somewhat of a failure that I commit the same sin over and over. I always wonder, 'does this mean that I was insincere when I repented of it the last time I did it?' Sometimes I even feel like just giving up because I feel I'm not worth it if I keep doing the same thing over and over. It's very discouraging. But one night I was talking with God and I wondered, 'What if I promised God that I will never do it again? Would that deter me?' I did promise that I would never do it again, but I also asked God for guidance. The next morning, while reading my Bible, God lead me to this text:
'When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it: for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.' Ecclesiastes 5:4,5
I was amazed, but there it was - my prayer was answered (Honestly, I felt scolded, but I also felt happy because I got the guidance I had asked for). Another time, I had concerns about my attitude towards people. Particularly about doing house work. I sometimes felt that I was the only one doing most of the work and I resented that. Especially when I later got told that it was 'my turn' to clean and I know that I do it so much already and we have no real 'turns.' I hated the negative attitude and thoughts I had towards the people I live with because of what I saw as injustice. I asked God to help me. I didn't even know where to start, or how to not feel the way I was feeling, I just knew that it was wrong. Again, during my morning devotion I was reading Messages to Young People by Ellen White, and I came across this passage:
"Closely examine your own heart, and the state of your affections towards God. Inquire, have I devoted the precious moments of today in seeking to please myself, seeking for my own amusements? Or have I made others happy? Have I helped those connected with me to greater devotion to God and to appreciate eternal things? Have I brought my religion into my home and there revealed the grace of Christ in my words and in my deportment? By respectful obedience, have I honored my parents, and thus kept the fifth commandment? Have I cheerfully taken up my little, everyday duties, performing them with fidelity, doing what I could to lighten the burden of others?" (p. 123).
The entire paragraph made me take a closer look at myself, but God spoke directly to me through the very last sentence. My prayer, again, was answered. I should seek to help people, as Jesus would have done, without complaint. I know that my attitude won't be changed instantaneously, but like my relationship with God, it will take time and commitment on my part. But thanks to God for his help, I don't have to do it alone, and neither do you.
Jesus is there to help us, whatever way we ask of him. All we have to do is call his name, and he will answer. When it comes to helping us change ourselves for the better; when it comes to matters of the spirit and of eternal life, we can be sure that God will ALWAYS answer.
'For the Lord is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.' Psalm 84:11
