love the privilege of praying for others and working as a team
with God to encourage those in need. However I am always saddened when
someone writes in to this ministry to say: "God does not listen to me.
You are probably closer to God. I hope He will listen to you." In other
words, God is seen as someone distant and unloving, someone who plays
favorites.
Nothing could be farther from the truth!
Does
the following promise from God indicate that He is indifferent to our
lot? "For God so loved the world (That includes you, my friend!) That he
gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish
but have eternal life." (John 3:16 NIV) If Jesus was willing to die for
you, He did so with one intention: "So if the Son sets you free, you
will be free indeed." (John 8:36 NIV)
We are the ones who turn
our backs on God, complaining that He doesn't care for us. But if we
take the time to discover Him, we will quickly realize that He has been
with us since the beginning of our existence, ever calling out to us,
ever hoping we will receive His love.
In all reality, there is no
favoritism with God. He offers salvation not only to the righteous, but
to every one of us living on planet earth. We ALL have the choice.
We also have the choice to genuinely talk with Him, ever knowing
that He WILL listen. If we use God as a spare tire, however, we will not
get very far!
"But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt,
because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the
wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;
he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does." (James 1:6-8 NIV)
Most of us doubt. It is part of our nature. We have been raised up
with doubt, in a world of doubt, where people aren't what they are
intended to be. And that same doubt is what hinders us from seeing who
God truly is. It is what keeps us separated from the Most High Himself,
as our perspective is geared towards self instead of towards God or
others.
I once received a request from someone who wanted
healing. Unfortunately, this person didn't want God. Just the gifts He
can give. "Give me the gift without the Giver" was the mentality, and
this person never realized that these two go hand in hand.
And
here is another fact, if pride has invaded our lives, which it easily
does, we will never be able to see God clearly. Why not? Because our
intention is to manipulate God to our own advantage. The only problem
is, this will only bring about grudges and dissatisfaction. "Pride goes
before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." (Prov 16:18 NIV)
It may surprise you, but God is closest to the oppressed and
broken-hearted. They all have one thing in common: They are a lot more
open to His influence, for they truly have nothing to lose.
"Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share
plunder with the proud." (Prov 16:19 NIV)
"The LORD is close to
the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." (Ps 34:18
NIV)
The purest water on earth is water that has percolated deep
within the earth. All of its impurities are filtered out by the layers
of rock and sediment. In geo-thermal areas, such water comes into
contact with hot rock and is reinvigorated by the heat. Water now
becomes lighter and seeks a route back to the surface creating the hot
springs. Water that gets even deeper into the soil is even more
energized by higher temperatures. That kind of water is used in Iceland
to generate electricity.
On the other hand, water that stagnates
in puddles on the surface of the Earth is completely non-drinkable, not
even good for bathing. It is good for nothing other than a breeding
ground for mosquitoes.
The same is true if we stagnate in doubt
and delusional grandeur. Only by being willing to be open to the
influence of God will we ever become reinvigorated. Only then will we
experience God fully.
There is truly no favoritism with God. It's
too bad we can't say the same thing for us humans!
Rob Chaffart
When Water Sinks. Radical Grace from the Book of Romans (2:11)
Today's Bible Verse:
"For God does not show favoritism." (Rom 2:11)
When Water Sinks. Radical Grace from the Book of Romans (2:11)
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