Do you need more trust?

 Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are his wisdom and knowledge and riches! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his methods! For who among us can know the mind of the Lord? Who knows enough to be his counselor and guide? And who could ever offer to the Lord enough to induce him to act? For everything comes from God alone. Everything lives by his power, and everything is for his glory. To him be glory evermore. (Romans 11:33-36)

When was the last time you stopped to consider the awesomeness of God's protection and intensely focused care over your lives? If it has been a while, today could be a great day to just 'stop' and 'ponder'. There is nothing we do that 'induces' him to act - there is nothing we do to 'keep things in motion' within our lives. All that exists within our lives is the direct result of his overwhelming love and care for us.

We partake of his wisdom - through the study of his Word and the excellence of solid biblical teaching. We enter into the knowledge of God as we apply the Word and take each step of obedience. We are blessed to experience the riches of God -beginning with grace and continuing on with each physical, spiritual, emotional, and relational blessing we enjoy. We worship him for is goodness, celebrate him for his care over us, and exalt him for the many blessings we have received. 

Have you ever tried to 'induce' God to act on your behalf? Some might refer to this as 'bargaining' with him. We get a frightful bit of news, and we immediately tell God if he intervenes, we will do this or that. God isn't 'bargained' into blessing our lives. He asks us to bring our concerns, but he never asks for us to 'bargain' our way to the answer we desire. In fact, sometimes the answer we 'desire' isn't that answer we so desperately need to receive.

Everything draws breath from him. All exists because of him. If we truly believe this, why do we insist on this 'bargaining' relationship with him? Why do we insist there must be 'more' we need to do in order to receive his blessing? God has done it all in Christ. Perhaps what we need more of in our lives is trust. Just sayin!

Humble enough to ask

God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. (Matthew 5:2)

Many believe to be 'poor' is to be without money, goods, or even the means by which to obtain these. There is a deeper meaning in the original Greek language we sometimes miss - (Ptochos - Gk) to be spiritually poor, humble, and devout. In the original language, it carries the meaning of being humble in one's attitude. It is indeed a character trait we each need to have 'worked into' our lives. It does not usually come naturally to any of us - we tend to be a bit too 'self-centered' in our own nature. When God's nature begins to take hold within any believer who has said 'yes' to Jesus, there is a change in how one views self and others - a good change!

What does 'being humble in one's attitude' look like? We come into this world, each of us 'spiritually poor' - we don't possess any means by which to atone for our sins - something we need since all are born with a sin nature. When it comes to approaching God, we have to come to a place where we recognize the extreme poverty of spirit we actually have when is Spirit does not fill that 'empty space' within us designed specifically for him. Spiritual emptiness is likely the meaning of this passage - God rewards those who recognize their spiritual emptiness and come to him to be filled.

What makes the poor or beggar so unique in scripture? They are never too proud to ask for what it is they have need of. I think this is what Jesus was telling each of us as he preached this sermon that day - we all need to be humble enough to ask for what it is we most need at this moment. If you are anything like me, there have been moments when you wanted to ask, but you were too stubborn or proud to ask. Why? Who really knows, but somehow, and oftentimes without reason, we convinced ourselves that 'asking' was not going to 'work'. When we finally came to the place to ask, we found our need met. 

Don't be surprised to find that you 'every' need matters to God. It isn't just the 'big stuff', or the 'spiritual stuff' that matters. We want to believe these things take priority, but God has a different 'system' of determining what takes priority in our lives most of the time. All he asks is that we be humble enough to ask - then leave the rest to him. Just sayin!

Timid people don't get the answers they desire

Give it everything you have, heart and soul. Make sure you carry out The Revelation that Moses commanded you, every bit of it. Don’t get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you’re going. And don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed. Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take. (Joshua 1:9)

As we contemplate these words spoken to Joshua after the death of Moses, I want to focus on just a couple of things today. The instructions to never let God's Word be out of mind seem mighty important to me - God emphasized this a couple of times in one conversation! Anyone ever get 'off track' in life? I don't think I have ADHD, but I can be headed out to the shop to do one project, see something else that piques my curiosity or interest, and almost without any further thought, I am my headed to take on a totally different project. As a woodworking hobbyist, that isn't all that unusual - creative folks tend to 'wander' a bit in their creativity - almost allowing the wood to dictate what they will create. If I were to tackle life like I tackle some of my woodworking projects, I would be in a total mess! God focuses so intently on his Word because he knows we need a 'guide-book' of sorts to help us make life decisions. There are times I am at a loss when it comes to a family issue, or some niggling feeling that I am about to do something that will not turn out so well. If I didn't have God's Word to help me when I am squarely facing these issues, I would be sure to go down a wrong path more often than not! Why? I am not all that wise on my own! I need God's wisdom working in me and through me - so I 'digest' his Word on a very regular basis. 

The other thing that seems quite clear to me from this passage is that we all desire to succeed at things in life. I don't think this is a wrong ambition at all, but when pride gets in the way of us asking for help when we don't know what to do on our own, we can find ourselves in a muddle of a mess without any idea how we will ever get out of it! There are times I have been too 'timid' to ask for help - thinking others just expected me to know exactly what to do or how to respond. Timidity is really fear - the fear we will appear weak may just keep us from seeking the very help we so desperately need. There have been times when I just kept plugging away at the same old thing, wondering why I wasn't getting 'results'. Success evaded me, not because I didn't pursue it, but because I wasn't open to any other way of obtaining it! Courage is one thing, but the stubbornness that keeps us from admitting we don't possess all the answers will stop us dead in our tracks. We can have all the courage (determination) to see something through but lack the wisdom (know how) to get it done. If you are anything like me, asking for help may not come easily. When we stop long enough to recognize we cannot get new results by doing the same old thing, we may just stop long enough to ask for the help to see how we can do things differently. Just sayin!

The luxury of giving

One must be poor to know the luxury of giving. (George Eliot)

The luxury of giving - have you ever thought of giving as a 'luxury'? I like how Eliot frames this thought because it points to the extreme need and the appreciation of what is given when it is received. You do realize there is nothing good or noble about giving if there is no real need for what you are giving, don't you? You could give away free trash cans till the cows come home, but if there were no cans or boxes in the pantry to fill the trash cans when emptied to fill a hungry stomach, those trash cans would merely be dust catchers. There is indeed a 'need' - but the need is different from what we are giving, making what is given pretty senseless in the end. For giving to be 'spot on', there must be an awareness of the need - just like when God saw the need for our forgiveness and didn't think twice about providing exactly what was needed to meet that need - his Son.

Those who go to him for help are happy, and they are never disgraced. This poor man called, and the Lord heard him and saved him from all his troubles. The angel of the Lord camps around those who fear God, and he saves them. (Psalm 34:5-7)

Those who go to him - this suggests that the way to have our need met is to actually take it to the one who is going to be able to meet that need. I would not call a brick-layer to fix my garage door opener anymore than I would go to a mechanic to reset a broken bone. The need must be 'matched' with the one capable of meeting the need, right? We 'go to him' and in turn, he responds with what we need the very most - grace. The thing about grace is that it comes in all kinds of forms. Today it could look like a box of groceries to fill your empty stomach, but tomorrow it could look like the touch upon your soul that bolsters your spirit and gives you the courage to step out into new experiences. Grace doesn't have just one 'form'. It comes to us, but first we go to him for it. 

There is a conversation about our need - we sometimes forget that acknowledging our need is the first step in getting the help to actually do what needs to be done. I shared that I am in the place of redoing a few things around the house. These projects have been astronomically large - larger than I really wanted to undertake on my own. To say the least, moving all the furniture to get the walls painted is hard enough, but then putting everything back in its place, cleaning up all the 'over-spray dust' left by the paint spraying, this is way more than I can handle alone. So, I reached out to my kids and grandkids to help. Do you know what? They helped me make short order of the 'tearing down' part of the job and I am confident they will help me make short order of the 'putting together' part of this job, as well. Why did they come? I acknowledged my need. There was a day I would have been too stubborn to do that, you know - but I am no longer afraid to ask. 

What changed? I think it is the realization that my need and my pride oftentimes are in direct conflict with each other. I need something, but my pride keeps me from asking. How about you? Do you ever have that conflict - afraid to ask because you don't want someone to know how deep your need really is? It took me a long time to get past my pride in life - to ask for help when I needed it - to fully appreciate the 'luxury' of giving and the 'blessing' of receiving. Yesterday, my BFF brought me enchiladas, rice, and an apple-cinnamon muffin. I could have nuked something for my meal, but with all the chaos in the house, she knew I needed that hot meal and that I needed it right when she brought it. Do you know what? The 'luxury' of giving is a blessing. The 'need' we have isn't going to be met if we never acknowledge it. Allow others the 'luxury' of giving - your life will be blessed when you do. Just sayin!

Holding those cards close to the vest...

Can I get you to stop what you are doing for just a moment to consider something? Do you have 100% confidence God hears you when you speak with him? I really would like you to consider very carefully your answer to that question. We don't always live in this bold confidence, do we? We sometimes just 'float things out there' past God's hearing ears in an attempt to see if we might be "on track" with what he might be 'inclined' to do in our lives. It is like we ask, but we don't really know for sure that God will honor our 'ask'. Scripture assures us that we can and should live in this bold confidence - God hears our voices. Sometimes he hears our collective voices - like when we are all gathered together and praying for a matter that we are all intent on seeing him take action in. Most often he hears our singular voice - when we cry out to him for those deeply held secrets and pains of our heart. I don't think the 'collective' voice carries anymore 'weight' with God than the singular voice of one of his kids. He hears them ALL.

We live in the bold confidence that God hears our voices when we ask for things that fit His plan. And if we have no doubt that He hears our voices, we can be assured that He moves in response to our call. (1 John 5:14-15)

We call - he hears - and he moves. If we are not seeing or sensing God's movement in our lives, then maybe we haven't really expressed our inner longings or desperate needs to him all that openly. I have said this before - God may know the inner thoughts of our minds, but there is something powerful that happens when we give voice to them in shared communion with him. Not the communion that involves bread and juice, but the "let's just hang together for a while" kind of communion in which thoughts begin to be spoken and hearts begin to be mended. Communion begins with our coming to him - it most often ends with us knowing he has come to us. He never left us, but we just weren't all that aware of his presence with us until we stopped long enough to commune with him.

Let me be truthful here with each of you - a little vulnerable, if I may. I can hold things pretty close the vest, so to speak. It isn't that I want to live a secretive life, but I am like the card player who is holding those cards so close to my chest in order to keep others from knowing what I am going through. I have a few close to me who can 'see all my cards' without fear or worry that they will 'share my hand' with others. In turn, they do the same with me. We need to be willing to lay down our cards, to have them seen and known, if God is to help us 'play the hand we are dealt'. Just as in a card game, you don't have much control over the hand you will receive, but you do have the ability to play it with his oversight and knowledge of how to play them! 

Ask - he isn't put off by our need. Know - be certain he isn't unaware of our need, nor uncertain as to when or how to meet it. Receive - we don't know until we ask; we don't ask if we don't expect to receive. Just sayin!

Do you keep your options open?

I have been guilty of being more than a little mamby-pamby in my prayers at times. I sort of, kind of, might of asked for this or that, but what I really needed and wanted to ask for was something totally different! Why do we find ourselves being wishy-washy in our prayers? It might just be that God is waiting for us to get totally forthright with him before he gets forthright with the answer we so desperately need!

If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open. (James 1:5 MSG)

God doesn't delight in us not knowing what steps to take next. He doesn't like to keep us in limbo, jostling for this or that, hoping for the best. In fact, he wants to bring clarity, give bold direction, and see it embraced with determined faith. If you have ever asked someone you respect for some help and had them laugh at you because you did, you may not go back to that individual the next time you need some help, right? I need to ask - just how many times has God laughed in your face when you bring him your need? So, why do you not openly and honestly share you concerns?

We've talked about this before - there are indeed times when God knows what we are asking for is something we are not ready to receive in our lives, or when what we ask for is going to harm us if we get it. The answer we receive may not be exactly as we planned it to be, but let me assure you - God knows our hearts better than we do! He knows how we will 'handle' what he gives much better than we do. We need to be bold in our requests - coupled with being reasonable when what we receive is a little different than we imagined it might be.

The thing we need to see from this passage is that there will always be times when we face things bigger than we imagined, challenging us beyond our expectations, and we need to know what to do when we are in those circumstances. God gives us common sense to help us with the stuff we do from day to day - like knowing to get off a freeway that is congested and take surface streets so we won't be late to work. We don't need God to miraculously clear the freeway of those 5,000 cars ahead of us, we just need to leave for work on time, be cognizant of the traffic conditions, and make adjustments as we face challenges.

Common sense is a good thing - some might even say it is a God-thing. We are given insight through our experiences and things we have learned along the way. There are going to be times when our insights are just not enough. We come to God boldly with these needs and he isn't going to be shy about answering us. We need to be attentive to the answer, obedient to the things he tells us to do, and then trust him with the outcome. Don't be mamby-pamby with your requests, but don't be too bullheaded to embrace what he tells you to do, either! Just sayin!

Not just the easy stuff

Do you ever ask questions, only to find you already knew the answer? Sometimes we ask the question because we want to be certain we do indeed have the right answer already, but there are times we really doubt that we do - making the question really kind of like a fact-finding mission. We ask, hoping to receive, but we aren't sure we will receive anything that we didn't already know. The questions we ask can be 'conditioned' on the type of answer we really want to receive. For example, if we ask only a very superficial question, we are probably seeking only a superficial answer. If we want to get to the nitty-gritty, down and dirty truth of the matter, we might just ask the harder questions. The answer is almost predicted by the question posed. There is a quote that says, "Good questions outrank easy answers." (Paul Samuelsen)

But Jesus was matter-of-fact: "Yes—and if you embrace this kingdom life and don't doubt God, you'll not only do minor feats like I did to the fig tree, but also triumph over huge obstacles. This mountain, for instance, you'll tell, 'Go jump in the lake,' and it will jump. Absolutely everything, ranging from small to large, as you make it a part of your believing prayer, gets included as you lay hold of God."
(Matthew 21:21-22)

While this passage is focused on learning a little bit about prayer, we can see Jesus is concerned with his disciples learning more than the superficial - he wants them to get to the root! Jesus focuses them on the condition of heart that is necessary to receive what is desired from God in prayer. We need to have an embracing heart that is filled with faith if we are to receive as God intends for us to receive. It is often difficult to live above doubt - often because the impossibilities look way too menacing and too prominent - so we ask what we think will be simple or easy. Overcoming, or at least stepping out in spite of our doubt is a challenge for most of us - we don't like the potential 'unrest' getting to the root of a matter will bring if we ask in that manner. We need to pay attention to the entire passage here - embrace God first, then overcoming our doubts is easier - we won't fear asking the harder questions.

When we fully hold on to God - really drawing close to him - we find it easier to step out, even when there is a hint of doubt in the way. The key is relationship - the closer we are to God, the closer we are to asking according to his purpose and seeing the fulfillment of what we ask for. When we are in close relationship, we understand that all the blessings and promises of God are for us - there is no question in our mind. We also need to see that we must ask - unspoken requests are not really a thing that God works too well with - even when the questions are not really seeking the 'easy answers'. He wants us to express our hearts to him because it develops the intimacy he desires with us. As we open up to him about what it is we have need of - the deep inner desires of our heart - he is able to embrace us, pulling us closer, and he meets us there. The promise to us is this - if we believe, we will receive whatever we ask for in prayer. Condition - if we believe. Promise - we will receive. Condition - whatever we ask for in prayer. The promise of God has two conditions - we must ask and we must believe. Our doubts are dealt with in the presence of God - our needs are expressed in the times of prayerful sharing - not just the easy stuff, but all of it.

To receive carries means we come into possession of something - this is what we really almost always gravitate to as the definition of receiving. Yet, see the components of this definition a little clearer - WE come into POSSESSION. In other words, we step out in faith and we come into a place where possession is possible. The impossible becomes possible in this place of faith. The action is one of being open to acquire or take it as our own - when we talk openly with God about our needs, we are trusting him to allow us to take that which we desire as our own. Nothing delights the heart of God more than to meet the needs of his kids. To ask means we are also willing and ready to act as a receptacle or container for whatever comes by asking. When we ask, we need to be readied to receive. Why is there a difference between the time we ask and the time we realize the answer? It is often because we need to be readied to receive - our "container" is not ready.  When we ask with an open heart, purposing to take in what we are believing God for, we find that our hearts are open to experience the fullness of God like never before. We are open to assimilate through both our minds and our senses all that God is doing. We are enlarged. Our invitation today is to receive - the condition of our receiving is to ask. The method of asking is to do it while drawing close to God and relying on him more than we believe in our doubts. We don't just ask for the easy - we are ask, knowing we will receive, even when the answer might be a little hard for us to receive! Just sayin!

It is more than receiving

I want to pose a question to the readers today.  When was the last time you took notes on a sermon?  It could have been something kind of formal like typing them into your iPad or even the app you use on your smart phone, or even a paper journal of sorts.  It may have been "on the fly", such as when you take a portion of the bulletin and write in the margins or something, just to not lose track of that poignant point the preacher made.  It doesn't matter how you made those notes, I want to ask each of us what we "did" with those notes once we were finished recording them.  I think we'd all have to agree it is the "doing" which actually made those notes important - not the "taking" of them.  When we actually "used" those notes to change something we were about to do, had been doing a while, or just didn't realize was a habit we might not want to be doing any longer, we benefited from the note-taking.  Taking is one thing - doing is another.  Receiving is one thing - putting what we receive into use is very different.

Do what God’s teaching says; don’t just listen and do nothing. When you only sit and listen, you are fooling yourselves. (James 1:22 ERV)

I received a lovely gift from my son this Father's Day.  Yep, before you wonder if this is a guest blogger today, my son gave his Momma a very nice gift on Father's day.  Why?  As he put it, I was the best father he ever had and he just wanted to remember me for being both parents for him.  As a single parent, you often worry you haven't done the right things for your children - as you can only be "one side" of the parent equation.  Yet, you tend to "compensate" in some ways you may not really know until one of your children tells you somewhere down the road that you did a pretty good job with the circumstances you had to live through.  So, as I opened my set of Ryobi power tools, complete with battery charger and even the tool bag, I was delighted.  It was not just that he had honored me with such kind words and a tremendous gesture of love, but that he met one of my unspoken desires.  

Before you think too hard on that one, I know most women wouldn't be delighted to receive power tools at any time of the year, much less on Father's Day.  I like using my hands to create things and one of my newest passions is to turn my backyard into place where there is comfort, color, and creative expression of my passion for nature.  I want to garden, but Arizona soil doesn't lend itself well to gardens - unless they are raised.  So, he has been reclaiming all kinds of wooden pallets for me and bringing them by on occasion.  As they have been accumulating, I take a few hours here and there to disassemble them and place the wood in neatly stacked piles.  I was doing all this by hand - until he brought me the nice reciprocating saw, circular saw and power drill!  Now I can disassemble quickly and have all the wood neatly stacked in a matter of minutes instead of hours!  

That wood is being recycled into my raised beds.  It may be a little marred in spots and not perfectly even like all that wood I could buy at the local lumbar yard, but it has tremendous character and I am recycling to boot!  I tell you all this to bring us to the point I started with.  My son could have given me this tool set and it could have joined a variety of other tools on the shelves in the garage, just being a gift I have received, but not really used.  I have a food processor I rarely use.  It is in a cabinet above the stove, but it takes up so much space on the counter, I don't bring it down very often.  It is easier for me to spend a little time chopping up the veggies by hand than bringing it out and then cleaning it all up after I am done with it.  It wasn't really one of those things I wanted - I just inherited it when my uncle passed away and there it sits.  It was "received", but never put to use.  It is kind of like when I take notes at church on that one salient point and then forget about it when I get into the car!

I am not unlike the rest of us, as I take notes, tuck them away carefully, and once in a blue moon, I actually go back to them to see what I wrote.  If something really catches my attention, I may spend a little time recalling why I took those notes at that time with such attention to detail, often realizing those words spoke me through a tough time.  What we put into action in our lives is what we have come to value the most.  I am a little sore this morning, and find a few mosquito bites on my body, with a bruise here and a scrape there.  It isn't because I spent the weekend camping or hiking.  I put those tools to use again this weekend, building another one of those beds with what wood I had piled up from those pallets I had been taking part little by little.  I still have a long ways to go to realize my dream for my yard, but I am getting closer and closer.  The tools received have become a blessing to me because they have made the job much easier.  Mom watches as I take on the projects with determination.  She worries about me losing too much fluids as I sweat in this summer heat, but as she sees what I accomplish in the end, she realizes the effort brought me much satisfaction.

It is the effort we apply to a matter that makes the difference.  We can be hearers of a great many teachings and then simply walk away unchanged.  We have the opportunity to just receive pallets, tools, and ideas - or we can spend the time "taking apart" those things which can become the building materials for great things in our lives!  We have the "supplies" and "tools" to do great things and realize tremendous blessing in our lives, we just need to do more than receive them!  Just sayin!

Peanut Butter and Honey

^14-16The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can't receive the gifts of God's Spirit. There's no capacity for them. They seem like so much silliness. Spirit can be known only by spirit—God's Spirit and our spirits in open communion. Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God's Spirit is doing, and can't be judged by unspiritual critics. Isaiah's question, "Is there anyone around who knows God's Spirit, anyone who knows what he is doing?" has been answered: Christ knows, and we have Christ's Spirit.

(I Corinthians 2:14-16)

Capacity is determined by what is attempting to enter the vessel and the vessel's "space" to hold what is entering.  For example, if we have a used jar of peanut butter that has not been scraped clean and washed out, there are remnants of peanut butter in there.  For all intends and purposes, we'd say the peanut butter jar was empty.  No matter how much we attempt to fill that "empty" jar with something else (like honey), that jar would never be totally full of the honey because it still was partly full of the peanut butter.  It may not be much peanut butter, but it still affects the taste of the honey and it takes up space that the honey would like to have enjoyed.

Capacity is defined as the ability to both receive and contain.  Paul tells us that the un-spiritual self cannot receive the gifts of God's Spirit - things like truth, wisdom, and insight into God's ways.  Why?  To our human nature, these things are silly - they just don't make sense.  For example, if you are an engineer and you are speaking with another engineer about how something is constructed (like a bridge), the force it can withstand under pressure, and the specifics of its design, you probably both understand each other.  If you are like me, you are thinking, "I just want to cross that bridge - I don't really need to know how it is made in order to do that, do I?"  The "details" seem silly to me because they don't "apply" to me - I have no interest in receiving that detail just to cross that bridge!  

So it is with spiritual truth - to the one who has not invited the Spirit of God into their lives, the truths shared are nice, but they have no real relevance.  They are not received because there is no "use" for them.  To the one who has invited the Spirit of God to oversee their lives, giving constant guidance and tutelage, those truths, no matter how small are like honey - they ooze into every crevasse they have access to and begin to affect that space.  The challenge comes in getting all the "peanut butter" out of our "jars"!

We cannot contain all God wants us to contain until we have the "vessel" fully cleaned out.  We sometimes try to embrace spiritual truths without really allowing the Spirit to deal with the things that need to be removed / cleaned up along the way.  Try washing an "empty" jar that has contained peanut butter - that stuff gets into the tiniest nooks and crannies of that jar!   You really have to work hard to get it completely clean (unless you have a dishwasher that does the work for you!).  That is how it is when we "try" to clean ourselves up after coming to Christ - attempting to deal with the things that entice us to make wrong choices, but they are just hanging on to us like they belong.  

The key is to allow the one who has the ability to thoroughly clean the vessel to do that work - just as we'd rely on the dishwasher to remove the peanut butter!  If we want capacity for the things of God, we need his Spirit to clean out our vessel of those things that "take up space" without really serving any purpose anymore.  I cannot say what those may be for you - but I know that his Spirit will be faithful to point them out and remove them when he is given full access to your life.

So, you might want to ask this question:  Are you settling for "some" honey with a little of your left-over peanut butter?  Or are you desirous of only pure honey in your vessel?  If you choose the pure honey, you will need to turn the vessel over to him in order to allow it to be emptied so that your capacity is expanded.  God wants full access - not to compete with the "left-overs".

Invitation to receive

^21-22But Jesus was matter-of-fact: "Yes—and if you embrace this kingdom life and don't doubt God, you'll not only do minor feats like I did to the fig tree, but also triumph over huge obstacles. This mountain, for instance, you'll tell, 'Go jump in the lake,' and it will jump. Absolutely everything, ranging from small to large, as you make it a part of your believing prayer, gets included as you lay hold of God."

(Matthew 21:21-22)

The disciples are marveling over fact that Jesus came upon a fig tree that was covered in all kinds of promising green growth - leaves full, branches broad - yet not one fig was found.  He looks for the fruit, finding none, he curses the tree and  it withers on the spot.  Most scholars would tell us that the fig tree represented Israel and that Jesus was cursing Israel because it was not bearing fruit.  We don't want to focus on that this morning, but the fact that Jesus spends a few moments teaching his disciples about prayer.  

First, Jesus focuses them on the condition of heart that is necessary to receive what we desire from God in prayer.  We need to have an embracing heart that is filled with faith.  It is often difficult to live above doubt - often because the impossibilities look way too menacing and too prominent.  Overcoming, or at least stepping out in spite of our doubt is a challenge for most of us.  We need to pay attention to the entire passage here - embrace God first, then overcoming our doubts is easier.  

When we fully hold on to God - really drawing close to him - we find it easier to step out, even when there is a hint of doubt in the way.  The key is relationship - the closer I am to God, the closer I am to asking according to his purpose and seeing the fulfillment of what I ask for.  When we are in close relationship, we understand that all the blessings and promises of God are for us - there is no question in our mind. 

Next, we need to see that we must ask - unspoken requests are not really a thing that God works too well with.  He wants us to express our hearts to him because it develops the intimacy he desires with us.  As we open up to him about what it is we have need of - the deep inner desires of our heart - he is able to embrace us, pulling us closer, and meets us there.

Then, the promise to us is this - if you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.  Condition - if you believe.  Promise - you will receive.  Condition - whatever you ask for in prayer.  The promise of God has two conditions - we must ask and we must believe.  Our doubts are dealt with in the presence of God - our needs are expressed in the times of prayerful sharing.  

To receive carries a couple of meanings I'd like us to explore before we finish this morning:

• To come into possession of something - this is what we really almost always gravitate to as the definition of receiving.  Yet, see the components of this definition a little clearer - WE come into POSSESSION.  In other words, we step out in faith and we come into a place where possession is possible.  The impossible becomes possible in this place of faith.
• To acquire or take it as your own - when we talk openly with God about our needs, we are trusting him to allow us to take that which we desire as our own.  Nothing delights the heart of God more than to meet the needs of his kids.
• To act as a receptacle or container for - this is probably not the most common definition for receive, but it is significant for us to see in light of our passage today.  When we ask, we need to be readied to receive.  Why is there a difference between the time we ask and the time we realize the answer?  It is often because we need to be readied to receive - our "container" is not ready.  
• To experience - as we consider this last definition, we should be pulling this all together now.  When we ask with an open heart, purposing to take in what we are believing God for, we find that our hearts are open to experience the fullness of God like never before.  We are open to assimilate through both our minds and our senses all that God is doing.  We are enlarged.

Our invitation today is to receive - the condition of our receiving is to ask.  The method of asking is to do it while drawing close to God and relying on him more than we believe in our doubts.