Accepting His answers . . .

Genesis 22; Nehemiah 11; Matthew 21; Acts 21

Yesterday was difficult. My sister is no longer here. Heaven is good, but I cannot see it. Walking by faith and not by sight is hard. Yet my sister made it clear that she was ready to die and be with Jesus. I wanted her to stay with us yet am glad she is with Jesus.

Sunday’s sermon helped these emotions. The pastor offered four questions to ask in difficult situations:

1. Do I believe God can do anything?

2. Am I willing to leave the ‘anything’ up to Him?

3. Am I willing to stop worrying or striving over the issue?

4. Will I accept His answers?

The hardest question is the last one because there is no other option. My sister will not be healed. I had stopped striving about that and let go. Now I’m praying that God will honor her desire for her memorial service — that Jesus will be lifted up and that God will be glorified. She didn’t want the funeral to be about her. But what if it is? Or what if it is blah, flesh-delivered? Or the music is awful? Yikes. Can I leave this up to Him?

Today’s reading in Genesis is about God asking Abraham to sacrifice his only son, the son God promised him. Most of us know the story. It was a test of faith and Abraham passed it. Just before the knife fell, God stopped Abraham:

And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” (Genesis 22:13–14)

Abraham had to trust God’s promises before he saw the ram. I feel like He is asking me to do the same, to trust Him without seeing. My sister wanted Jesus exalted at her memorial service. Will He do it?

I was thinking of that when I read the above verses, then saw the footnote in my Bible. It says the last part could be translated: “The LORD will see” and “On the mount of the LORD He will be seen.” This hit me as one of those ‘rhema’ words from God to my heart. He sees what is needed and in providing that need, He will be seen.

Surely the great need is redemption and forgiveness of sin. God provided Jesus to make that possible. Not only do I want the Gospel message central as my sister wanted, but people who attend will see that God has provided Jesus for their greatest need.

Matthew reminds me that God’s work is often done in ways that at first do not make sense. This goes back to before my sister died. She wanted spiritual revival in her hometown. Will God answer that desire of her heart by her death? He does grant answers to prayers made in faith. (Matthew 21:21–22)

I feel glad that God’s ways are often mysterious. One example is the way Paul was warned about his plan to go to Jerusalem . . .

A prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ” When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, “Let the will of the Lord be done.” (Acts 21:10–14)

Again, I connect this with my sister’s deep desire for revival and for Christ to be exalted. She also wanted no special effort made as her health deteriorated. She was ready for the will of God to be done. He could have healed her, yet He put her in a situation where it was obvious this was her time to go and she was ready, even excited to see Him. Will her memorial be part of His answers to her prayer and mine?

It is easy to say, “Thy will be done” yet harder to accept if His will does not fit with my hopes. On the other hand, He could do “far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us”  (Ephesians 3:20) and bring glory to Himself in a mighty way.

Again, He can do anything. I need Him to enable me to leave that ‘anything’ to His grace and wisdom, quit being anxious about it, and prepare to accept whatever happens, still convinced that He knows best.