Friday, November 22, 2013

Want a snake?

So I haven't blogged in a while. Truthfully around this time every year I debate about just quitting it all together. I don't really have a gimmick. 
I occasionally have a photo to share but it's not a photo blog.
I have a funny story or two but I'm no comedian. 
I've been through a few things but no marathon of overcoming to tell of. 
But just when I am ready to throw in the towel God shows me a truth or expresses a point to me and I just cannot help myself, I want to type it up. 

It happened this week.
I was just sitting still for a moment and thinking about things. A scripture came to mind.

Matthew 7:9-11

New King James Version (NKJV)
Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

I know on the surface the ideas seems simple, almost simple minded. Well, sure doesn't a father give his kid a piece of bread and not a stone? A fish and not a snake.
Please, it's a concept about as deep as a teaspoon, right?
We can trust God, He gives us good stuff not bad, even more than the humans in our lives. 

But as I sat and thought the words kept going deeper in my mind. They became pointed, pricking my heart. 
If I ask God for something and He does not give it to me, based on this verse you have just dodged a snake.

Now, I confess my first reaction to getting denied something I surely thought was good is not "Whew, thank goodness my Dad wasn't healed" or "Wow, I am so glad I got mixed up and showed up an hour late to that interview". Both of which actually happened to me. 
I am thinking "How, how can this be a good answer to a sincere prayer?".

But I am able after a time to think, perhaps what would have eventually come from my prayer would have turned out to be a snake or a stone, no matter how unlikely that may seem.

For the record I think that God says no to prayers that are based on full faith, unhindered belief and from a heart totally in line with Him. No answers do not mean you have failed in some way to do it right. 
Sure you can be totally out of God's will and shoot off a crazy "wish" style prayer that is doomed from the start but that is not always the case. Jesus asked for the cup to pass and it did not. Period the end. 

Can you go there? Can you believe a God intense enough to stretch out into time and space and weave lives in multitudes of complexities? It's a wild walk. It asks you to see yourself in a new light. One that is not as flattering as we might want to be seen in. 

But I have a deep peace with not being the end of the line in thinking and logic. I know me, the deep down me and despite all the wonderful things God has created in me, I find a great peace in submitting to Him. In not feeling the unbearable burden of having to figure it all out but trusting He has. 

I truly wish and desire that you could walk this way with me. Side by side. 

2 comments:

  1. Like that--"just dodged a snake." Considering the snakes out here, that adds a lot of meaning to the passage. Love the new top image, too.

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  2. Kelly, I'm just now getting around to reading this and what a blessing! It is hard to understand why The Lord determines some things to be yes and some no, even when they don't seem very "snakey" to us. The relieving part of this walk is definitely to rest in His sovereignty and faithfulness know that He is working out all things together or good for those that love Him and are called according to his purpose. You are such a blessing, thanks for being obedient and saying yes to writing this one :-)

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