His strength perfected in weakness

 

Everyone knows what it is like to have a person’s name slip from memory, or fumble to find a word for something that is known but hiding somewhere in the back of their head. Some say this is old age, or dementia, but whatever it is, God is there to help.

This week I ordered a quilt pattern and downloaded the file. Since it was only a lap size, and I wanted a queen-size, I printed only the front page photo and redesigned it on a quilter’s app that does that sort of thing. I knew this pattern directions would not work for the changes I made. I had no idea what to do with it, so I prayed.

I went to bed wondering how I would assemble this project. It seemed a large challenge. Even though I’ve made more than 300 quilts, this one had me stumped. I prayed for guidance — and then fell asleep. And then I had a vivid dream. In that dream, I was shown precise instructions for putting that quilt together, totally different than anything I’ve ever done before! I shake my head in amazement at how God answers prayer when I cry for help.

Then to top it off, today’s devotional reading was short and about God helping the helpless. It included three references that were like exclamation marks for that dream:

He loves to be God for the weak and childlike, who look to him for all they need. From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him. (Isaiah 64:4)
But the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love. (Psalm 147:11)
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

How could I doubt Him? Or turn to google for answers? Or try to find a Youtube? His answer is so perfect — a testimony to His ingenuity and goodness. The One who made the universe with a word has no trouble with how to assemble a mere quilt.

PRAY: What can I say to You? Thank You seems so small — even if this quilt is not an earth-shattering project, You knew exact instructions will save time and eliminate stress. What a blessing You are, my ingenious God!

God works in me…

When I read a verse like, “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge” (2 Peter 1:5) I have to remember passages like this one:

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12–13)

If I don’t, then all efforts to add virtue to faith, etc. might be without and fruitless. Jesus is the example. He spoke often of doing the works God sent Him to do. He also said, “Not my will but thine be done” as He prayed.

One author says we cannot do what God does, and that God will not do what we can do. We cannot save ourselves nor sanctify ourselves, God does that; but God will not give us good habits.

I disagree. Apart from Him working in me to “will and to work for His good pleasure” I know that I would not want to add to my faith or doing anything other than what I felt like doing. It is this battle against self and my selfishness that He won for me at the cross and works continually in my life that I will be transformed into His likeness.

At the same time, when He speaks, I must obey, yet not I but motivated by the Spirit that lives in me. Another writer says: “My only resource is to cast myself upon Jesus in the most ignorant sort of way, defining nothing, and almost as it were believing nothing, but simply trusting Him to accomplish the whole work from beginning to end in His own way and time.”

She tells of a woman who thought she had to speak English in her prayers, but only knew two words, so she prayed those two words. These words were meaningless but God heard her heart and answered her prayers.

Others who pray seem to value thee’s and thou’s as if King James had the secret of prayer. Still others pressure God with “but You promised” and claim the right to have whatever they ask for.

These weeks, God is showing me that the secret of prayer is not any sort of manipulation or ‘trick’ or formula. It is helplessness. When I feel like the woman who knew no English, God hears my heart. When I feel physically faint or spiritually bankrupt, I am learning to rest in Him. As a third writer says, when I am feeling unable, His message is not, “Be strong and of good courage” because my strength and courage has abandoned me. Instead, He says, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

This is what God asks of me — never “Try harder” but always “Trust Me” and “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14)

PRAY: Jesus, in waiting for You yesterday, three phone calls became answers to the cries of my heart. I was trying to verbalize one of those cries, but the other two were also ‘heard’ and answered, needed but not expressed. You hear me, even when I don’t speak. You work in me even when I feel useless. May I be as faithful to hear You, not so I can jump into action but so You can direct me to act or think whatever You desire from me. I want to be motivated by You, not my I wants, or what is happening around me. Guide even my heart as well as my prayers. Oh, God, what a wonder You are!

May Jesus be glorified…

God works in incredible ways. Yesterday I prayed long and often for a person in a far-away hospital receiving rare treatment that could be dangerous. This person is constantly on my mind and even as I tried to leave her in the hands of God, I wanted to know how she is managing, what is happening. I called, no answer. I emailed and texted; nothing. This has gone on for a few weeks.

My prayer yesterday was partly about my struggle to let “faith be the evidence of things not seen” rather than asking God to give me something I could see. Still, I could not get her out of my mind. Yet I also was surprised at some of the words that came out as I prayed. It was more Holy Spirit than me.

Still praying and still trying not to worry, the phone rang just after 3:00 p.m. I was shocked It was her. We talked for ninety minutes and she updated me, answered all my questions. The conversation left me stunned. Since then, I’ve felt odd, sort of like this:

And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, (Luke 5:4–9)

Peter didn’t expect a catch of fish so when it came in such abundance, he felt the weight of his unbelief and even asked Jesus to leave him because of his sin. This morning, still astonished at God moving to answer my prayer that was so mixed with wanting to trust Him and wanting evidence that He was hearing me. The call reminded me that He is faithful and I can have confidence that He is at work in other prayer requests for other people — but in this case my confidence wavered. He whispered, “You know you can trust me.”

I’ve seen again that God hears and answers prayer whether I can see what He is doing or not. Trust is not about proof but about the character of the One I am trusting.

Trust is not about the extremity of the problem either. It is about the love and power of God. It is also not about how I feel. Facts pull the faith train, not feelings nor even what I can see. I let the lack of communication (not normal for this person) and my concerns for her govern to the point of being anxious instead of patient with God — who is totally worthy of my trust.

This all means that the phone call was wonderful to receive and the length of the conversation was reassuring, yet this call was also a rebuke.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. (Hebrews 11:1–3)

Faith is like that. I have no trouble believing that God created all things by a word, no matter how much ‘evidence’ is presented to the contrary. Yet I let my ignorance of a medical procedure and the absence of communication override what faith was trying to assure me. God is more powerful than my doubts but I wanted to see something rather than simply trust Him. He assured me with that phone call, but it didn’t build my faith. Instead, I feel as Peter did when he saw the catch of fish — guilty of unbelief. I do not deserve the goodness of God.

PRAY: Jesus, what can I say? Not ‘depart from me’ but stay close. I need you. So also does this one I prayed for and who called me. Grow in both of us a greater trust in You, one that refuses to let doubt or feelings or fears pull us into depression or the despair of not trusting You.

Prayer is . . .

 

In December, pandemic isolation, the war in Ukraine, other world news, the state of some family members, and other issues made my heart heavy. God knows what I need so I invited Him to surprise me. After several incredible answers to prayer, some of them not even given as a verbal request, my prayer life is changing.

A few weeks ago, I made a commitment to more prayer and immediately things to stop me from talking to God hit like machine gun fire. February was filled with unexpected demands on my time and energy, but also with a deeper desire to persist. Those days that I prayed the most were the most challenging, yet God kept surprising me. I must agree with today’s devotional topic: Spiritual victory is directly related to the quality of our prayer life. I might add that the quality of my prayer life is also related to spiritual victories.

The NT tells me to “Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18)

Praying like that is tied to worship. The more I praise God and speak to Him about His power and grace, the deeper my conviction that He cares, He can do what is needed, and it is best to leave the choice with Him.

While MacArthur sees our spiritual freedoms and high standard of living make it easy to become complacent about prayer and to presume on God’s grace, I am not so certain that is the reason. For me, lack of prayer is tied to the attitude of ‘I can do this myself.’ Pride and the ability to take care of myself does not foster a strong prayer life. Saying I trust God does not mean I can live as if He is not necessary. I need to recognize my need for Him and stop trying to fill that need with my own way, or with other people or things. In other words, idolatry is a big enemy of prayer. Another enemy is Satan and his evil forces and ideas.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. (Ephesians 6:10–13)

The armor of God involves being firm about truth, knowing where my righteousness comes from and how Jesus protects me. It is about willingness to share the gospel, having faith that knows the enemy’s devices and how to defeat him, and knowing the Word of God and how to use it . . . praying at all times! It is realizing that being a Christian is being a warrior against wickedness and most of our battle is on our knees.

Last week my hubby had surgery. I was fearful as hospitals can be dangerous places, especially for people like him with a lowered immune system. I asked our children to pray for him and for my fears. Within an hour of sending that request, my fear was gone and complete confidence in God who knows best came back. The power of God is felt in the people on our prayer list. Never doubt it and keep praying for them!

Jesus told His disciples to “always pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1) and Paul tells us to “Pray without ceasing” meaning to live in a constant state of awareness — He is right here, and I can talk to Him and lean on His shoulder anytime I need to . . . and the more I feel a need, the more I lean into prayer. Besides learning to pray more, God is teaching me to welcome neediness — for this draws me closer to Him.

Lord Jesus, I thank You for the privilege of prayer. I know that I’m easily distracted so often need a determination to pray when something pulls me toward my to-do list. I also know that You are eager to answer prayer. These past few weeks have been filled with ‘surprises’ that were “exceedingly abundant above all I could ask or imagine.” (Ephesians 3:20) These answers did involve struggle with many unexpected issues, yet You heard my heart, even when the words didn’t make it out my mouth. May that not be an excuse to yield to all the distractions and lies of the enemy, but instead give greater and deeper attention to communicating with You. You want me to pray all the time because You want to answer all the time!

READ: Daniel 9:1–19. What prompted Daniel’s prayer? What was Daniel’s attitude toward God? Toward himself and his people? What did Daniel request?

 

Feeling Blank . . .

 

READ Psalm 120–124

The past few weeks have been filled with problems, too many to list and besides, who wants to review all my problems? I am content to review the solutions because, “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me.” (Psalm 120:1)

One night, one of those problems had me awake for a long time. It was foolish to mull it over because I had no idea what caused it. It involved another person and I was not informed enough to know what was wrong or what I was up against. I asked a few people and their response was basically, “Get used to it. This is the way it has been and it will not change.”

So in my distress, I called to the Lord. The psalmist verifies that is the solution, not only for the unsolvable problems but even those for which I can think of possible solutions. In my distress:

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. (121:1–2)

So I prayed something like this: “God, fix this. I don’t know what caused the problem and have no idea what I could do about it. Only You are aware and only You know what to do.”

The next day, the issue was resolved. My advisors were startled. I was overjoyed. I have no idea what God did in the life of the person that was part of the problem, but that person’s attitude changed and suddenly the issue did not exist. It was amazing.

Another verse from this reading has amazed and comforted me many times. It says:

To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he has mercy upon us. (123:1–2)

When I first read it, I imagined a servant coming to her Master with an empty tray. In order to feed the people around her, she needs something in the tray but only the Master can fill it — with the right things in the right amounts. She has no resources yet He mercifully does what is needed so she can fulfill her tasks.

I often feel like a person with an empty platter. I grew up in a loving home but my parents had been told that my childhood illness was fatal and I would die in my mid-teens. They did not raise me to live. My grandmother taught me some basics, but my parents protected and cared for me without preparing me for life. I didn’t realize this had ramifications; when older, I felt blank in so many ways. As a Christian, reading about a servant and thinking of an empty platter, I felt like God knew my innermost self-view, but not only that, He told me the solution: look to Him and He would fill in the blanks. I’ve been a slow learner at times, but know the power of God to come to my side when I’ve no clue what to do or how to do it.

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. (124:8)

Jesus, without You, these feelings of inadequacy would be overwhelming. Where would I go? Who would even listen to me? At my age and with my education, no one would think that this is even a problem. Yet it is, and at the same time a blessing. Feeling empty and without resources has given me the wonderful joy of knowing Your supply, of knowing that You hear and answer prayer, often in mysterious and amazing ways. I’m glad to be a servant and even more joyful to know that You are my Lord. You fill my platter, take care of all my needs and fill my heart with joy as I serve and worship You.