No Spoiled Children

John 9:1-3

We are told to cast our cares on the Lord and to ask in faith for our needs and wants to be met (Mark 11:24). But the answer is not always yes.

All through the book of Job, God is proving a point. Job did not understand what was happening or why. But he trusted God and did not blame Him. And in 2nd Corinthians 12:7-9, even the great Apostle Paul asked for his "thorn in the flesh" to be taken away. The answer was no.

Our wise Father is a good Dad. He knows when to say yes and when to say no. He does not spoil His children. He knows what is best for us and what lessons we need to learn and when we need to be humbled. He has the big picture.

We experience things in life that we don't understand. Sometimes people make the unfortunate decision to blame God. They decide He can't be trusted. Some make the decision to draw closer to Him and trust Him no matter what (Job 13:15). I believe God's sovereignty is absolute. He is in very strict control of everything that happens. God has a plan and is not obligated to let me in on His reasons for things. I have decided to trust Him because of this belief. Because He is worthy of my complete trust.

Because God says no does not mean you are lacking in faith. It may mean He is up to something great that will bring you into a closer relationship and a deeper understanding of who He is. What a blessing in that. He may even be teaching someone else something.

God is AWESOME!

The Old School Mountain Top Experience

John 18:1-6

In Exodus 3:13-14, God told Moses to tell Pharaoh that I AM sent him. And on the top of Mount Sinai, when God was speaking to Moses, the people at the foot of the mountain thought it was thunder.

In the garden, when Judas and a detachment of Roman soldiers (anywhere from 300 to 600 soldiers) approached Jesus and His disciples, Jesus asked them who they were looking for.

They said they were looking for Jesus the Nazarene. The NASB bible says that Jesus replied "I am he." The original language does not have he there. He said I AM. When He said that, they all went back and fell to the ground.

I am thinking it was that same thunderous voice filled with unspeakable power that slammed 600 soldiers to the deck. I think for that moment, He wanted to remind Judas and the Romans exactly who it was they were dealing with.

I don't know how long it took them to regroup and shake it off. But after this event, Christ Jesus allowed them to continue what they had come to do, because it was His Father's perfect will. And our Savior obeyed and fulfilled His role as The Lamb of God for our sakes.

He didn't have to go through any of it. But to make us whole again and save His bride, He finished it. He was our Scapegoat (Leviticus 16:20-22).

God is indeed AWESOME!