(continued from previous post)

(written by Max Lucado – UpWords Ministry from MaxLucado.com)

The God Who Believes in You

I didn’t like the preacher I sat by on the plane. I know, I know. You’re supposed to like everyone, but this fellow…

To begin with, he took the seat next to me. I’d hoped it would stay vacant. The plane was crowded. It was a Sunday afternoon, and I was tired from Sunday morning services. I was speaking that evening in Atlanta and had planned on taking a nap on the flight.

But this fellow had other ideas. Though he had been assigned another seat, he took the one next to me since it was closer to the front. And when he took it, he took every inch of it—and then some. Forgive me, but I get a bit territorial about armrests. This guy staked his claim on the one between us and never relinquished his position.

Knowing I couldn’t sleep, I figured I’d review my thoughts for the evening lesson, so I opened my Bible.

“What ya’ studying there, buddy?”

I told him, but he never heard.

“The church is lost,” he declared. “Hellbound and heartsick.”

Turns out he is an evangelist. He speaks in a different church every weekend. “I wake ‘em up,” he growled. “Christians are asleep. They don’t pray. They don’t love. They don’t care.”

With that pronouncement, he took on his preaching tone and cadence and started listing all the woes and weaknesses of the church, “Too lazy-uh, too rich-uh, too spoiled-uh, too fat-uh…”

The folks around were beginning to listen, and my face was beginning to redden. I shouldn’t have let it bug me, but it did. I’m one of those fellows who never knows what to say at the time but then spends the next week thinking, I wish I’d thought to say that.

Well, I’ve spent the last few days thinking about it, and here is what I wish I’d said to the bad news preacher: God’s faithfulness has never depended on the faithfulness of his children. He is faithful even when we aren’t. When we lack courage, he doesn’t. He has made a history out of using people in spite of people.

Need an example? The feeding of the five thousand. It’s the only miracle, aside from those of the final week, recorded in all four Gospels. Why did all four writers think it worth repeating? Maybe they knew some preachers like the one I sat next to. Perhaps they wanted to show how God doesn’t give up even when his people do.

The day begins with the news of the death of John the Baptist. It continues with the return of the disciples from a short-term missionary journey. Following the disciples are five thousand men and their families. Jesus tries to get away from the crowd by crossing the sea, only to find the crowd waiting for him on the other side. He wanted to mourn in solitude, but instead he was surrounded by people. He wanted to spend time with just the disciples, but instead he got a crowd. He wanted time to think, but instead he had people to face.

He spends time teaching them, and then he turns to Philip and inquires, “Where can we buy enough bread for all these people to eat?” (John 6:5). Keep in mind that Philip has been forcing out demons and healing the sick (Mark 6:13). We’d expect him to be optimistic. A bit of faith would be appropriate. After all, he’s just spent several weeks seeing the impossible happen.

But how does Philip respond? He sounds like the preacher I met on the plane. He knows the problem, but he has no clue as to the solution. “We would all have to work a month to buy enough food for each person to have only a little piece” (John 6:7).

He can cite the stats, but he can’t see how to help. He can crunch the numbers, but he can’t construct the answer. And though the answer to prayer is standing next to him, he doesn’t even pray.

Equally disturbing is the silence of the other disciples. Are they optimistic? Read their words, and see for yourself. “No one lives in this place and it is already very late. Send the people away so they can go to the countryside and towns around here to buy themselves something to eat” (Mark 6:35-36).

Come on, guys. How about a little faith? “You can feed them, Jesus. No challenge is too great for you. We’ve seen you heal the sick and raise the dead; we know you can feed the crowd.”

But that’s not what they said. If faith is a candle, those fellows were in the dark.

It never occurred to the disciples to turn the problem over to Jesus. Only Andrew had such a thought, but even his faith was small. “Here is a boy with five loaves of barley bread and two little fish, but that is not enough for so many people” (John 6:9).

Andrew at least comes to Jesus with an idea. But he doesn’t come with much faith. In fact, one would be hard pressed to find much faith on the hill that day.

Philip was cynical.

Andrew was doubtful.

The other disciples were negative.

The preacher I met on the flight would’ve felt right at home with these guys. Look at them: They aren’t praying, they aren’t believing, they aren’t even seeking a solution. If they are doing anything, they are telling Christ what to do! “Send the people away” (Mark 6:36). A bit bossy, don’t you think?

Looks like the disciples are “hell-bound and heartsick.” Looks like they are “too lazy-uh, to rich-uh, too spoiled-uh, too fat-uh.” Let me be clear. I agree with the preacher that the church is weak. When he bemoans the condition of the saints, I could sing the second verse. When he laments the health of many churches, I don’t argue.

But when he proclaims that we are going to hell in a hand basket, I do! I simply think God is greater than our weakness. In fact, I think it is our weakness that reveals how great God is. He told another struggler, “When you are weak, my power is made perfect in you” (2 Corinthians 12:9). The feeding of the five thousand is an ideal example. The scene answers the question, What does God do when his children are weak?

If God ever needed an excuse to give up on people, he has one here. Surely God is going to banish these followers until they learn to believe.

Is that what he does? You decide. “Then Jesus took the loaves of bread, thanked God for them, and gave them to the people who were sitting there. He did the same with the fish, giving as much as the people wanted” (John 6:11).

When the disciples didn’t pray, Jesus prayed. When the disciples didn’t see God, Jesus sought God. When the disciples were weak, Jesus was strong. When the disciples had no faith, Jesus had faith. He thanked God.

For what? The crowds? The pandemonium? The weariness? The faithless disciples? No, he thanked God for the basket of bread. He ignored the clouds and found the ray of sunshine and thanked God for it.

Look what he does next. “Jesus divided the bread and gave it to his followers, who gave it to the people” (Matthew 14:19).

Rather than punish the disciples, he employs them. There they go, passing out the bread they didn’t request, enjoying the answer to the prayer they didn’t even pray. If Jesus would have reacted according to the faith of his disciples, the multitudes would have gone unfed. But he didn’t, and he doesn’t. God is true to us even when we forget him.

God’s blessings are dispensed according to the riches of his grace, not according to the depth of our faith. “If we are not faithful, he will still be faithful, because he cannot be false to himself” (2 Timothy 2:13).

Why is that important to know? So you won’t get cynical. Look around you. Aren’t there more mouths than bread? Aren’t there more wounds than physicians? Aren’t there more who need the truth than those who tell it? Aren’t there more churches asleep than churches afire?

So what do we do? Throw up our hands and walk away? Tell the world we can’t help them? That’s what the disciples wanted to do. Should we just give up on the church? That seemed to be the approach of the preacher I met on the plane.

No, we don’t give up. We look up. We trust. We believe. And our optimism is not hollow. Christ has proven worthy. He has shown that he never fails, though there is nothing but failure in us. I’ll probably never see that proclaimer of pessimism again, but maybe you will. If you do, will you give him a message for me?

God is faithful even when his children are not.

That’s what makes God, God.

This copy of Prayer: A Heavenly Invitation is brought to you by UpWords, the ministry of Max Lucado. UpWords is a non-profit ministry that exists because of the generosity of people like you. It is our prayer that this ministry will continue to encourage the lives of those who seek a deeper relationship with the Lord. If this material has been beneficial to your spiritual life, please prayerfully consider contributing to our ministry with prayer and financial support.

For information about UpWords’ radio, online, and tape ministries featuring Max Lucado, or to contribute to UpWords, write:
UpWords
P.O. Box 692170
San Antonio, Texas 78269-2170
1-800-822-9673
Of visit www.maxlucado.com

“The chief aim of UpWords is to create an arena in which the listener will have a personal encounter with the personality, teachings and claims of the Son of God.”

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.”
Psalm 19:14

“Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.”
Ephesians 4:29

“The one who guards his mouth preserves his life; the one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.”
Proverbs 13:3

“Like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior.”
1 Peter 1:15

“He who restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.”
Proverbs 17:27

“The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.”
Luke 6:45

“The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable, but the mouth of fools spouts folly.”
Proverbs 15:2

“A man has joy in an apt answer, and how delightful is a timely word!”
Proverbs 15:23

“The tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.

“For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing.”
James 3:5-10

“Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips.”
Proverbs 24:28

“A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are the snare of his soul.”
Proverbs 18:7

“The one who desires life, to love and see good days, must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.”
1 Peter 3:10

“The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.”
Proverbs 18:4

“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1

“He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”
Psalm 103:10, 12

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”
2 Corinthians 5:17

“God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
John 3:17

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”
John 5:24

“For I will be merciful to their iniquities and I will remember their sins no more.”
Hebrews 8:12

“I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”
Isaiah 43:25

“Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the LORD, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.
Isaiah 55:7

“I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD’; and You forgave the guilt of my sin.”
Psalm 32:5

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:9

“How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered!”
Psalm 32:1

“Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, ‘Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.’”
Revelation 12:10 – 11

“Straightening up, Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.’”
John 8:10 – 11

“They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, ‘for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.’”
Jeremiah 31:34

“Let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”
Hebrews 10:22

“For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and your sons will find compassion before those who led them captive and will return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.”
2 Chronicles 30:9

(written by Marci Alborghetti from OurPrayer.org)

The last time I visited my good friend Gwen in Key West, she told me, “I’ve been pursuing peace for a long time. What I’ve finally realized is that peace isn’t something to pursue, it’s something to grow inside myself. Now I don’t have to stop whatever I’m doing to pray. I feel that every moment of my life is a prayer.”

As Gwen continued to talk, I realized that “living prayer” was more a way of life than a formal prayer. And I understood that living prayer was the next step toward complete trust. In saying that her life was a prayer, Gwen meant that everything she did, every thought she had, every word she spoke, grew out of her sense that God was with her. Gwen’s living prayer was the result of many years of praying and searching. Those of us who haven’t yet experienced that level of prayer can at least dedicate a particular period of time to try living prayer.

The process may feel a little uncomfortable at first, but it can teach you a new way to be close to God, even if you’re not able to continue it indefinitely. However, if you do commit yourself to this kind of prayer, you may find it becoming more natural and easy every day.It’s important to know that living prayer won’t be the answer to all your problems. Gwen’s life isn’t perfect. Like everyone else, those who practice living prayer sometimes feel down, discouraged and as if they’ve failed. But living prayer isn’t about living in a dream world where everything is exactly right. Living prayer is about living always in the presence of God.

A day of living prayer, whether expressed in words or thoughts or both, might go something like this:

Wake up and thank God for your day, for your life. Ask for help as you face the day’s challenges.Thank God that you are able to get up and start the day. Ask His help in dealing with your aches, pains and other health problems.

As you eat your breakfast, savor the taste even if you’re in a hurry, thanking God for food and drink. Pray for those who are hungry, and ask God to help you to help meet the needs of all of His children.

As you begin your daily work, whether it’s at home or elsewhere, manual or mental, thank God for your colleagues and family members, even those who irritate or frustrate you. If you work alone, give thanks for the peace of solitude. Offer your labor to God, asking Him to help you to perform it well. Pray particularly for anyone you will meet today who is likely to be difficult and for the grace to handle the situation.

As you interact with the people around you, pray for them and pray that you will be a good influence in their lives. Offer special thanks for those who have a positive influence on you.

As you notice the weather, thank God for the miracle of nature, for good weather and for shelter in bad weather.

When you read or hear the news of the day, thank God for the peace and stability in your life. Pray for those who have no peace, and that world and local leaders will be guided by the Lord.

When you break for lunch, gratefully taste whatever food and drink you have, thanking God for the chance to rest. Praise Him for the flowers, the trees, the snowflakes or whatever of His good creation you encounter.

If you have time for exercise during the day, ask God for a healing, healthy workout and thank Him for your body.

When you return to work, recommit yourself and thank God again for the opportunity and ability to work.

When you’re returning home from work, offer thanks for your transportation whether it’s a car, bike, train, subway or your own feet. Pray for the safety of all who are traveling.

Begin your evening by praising God for time to eat, rest or complete any of the day’s unfinished work. Give thanks for those you’re enjoying your evening with. If you’re alone, remember that God is with you and thank Him for His presence. Pray for the people you know who are troubled and for patience with them.

At dinner, enjoy your meal slowly, praising God again for His provision. As you finish your chores, thank Him for the chance to get them done and for rest from labor.

If you read before going to bed, thank God for eyes to see and a mind to discern. If you watch television or a movie, thank God for the time and technology that allows you to enjoy them.

As you lie down to sleep, thank God for the day. Ask for forgiveness for your failures and mistakes, thank Him for your successes and ask Him for healing rest. Occasionally God blesses those of us who are on the path but have not yet arrived at the place of trust with a glimpse of what it is like to live prayer, to live in Him. If we are ready for these glimmers, if we can accept them, they can prove to be breathtaking catalysts for our journey.