Meaning What We Pray

imageMckenzie and I ran errands with Stephanie today. We went by her office to see some of the expansion that is underway. The rain came right on schedule at noon. We enjoyed a nice lunch out before returning home. (Took a picture with my Georgia girl.)

After a full lunch and rain and a dark bedroom, it wasn’t difficult to take a nap. This evening Mason had his first game of the tournament for the end of the spring season. He did well and his team won 11-1 in five innings. I will return home to Fort Collins tomorrow evening where Debbie tells we still have rain and cool weather.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…  “…Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do.”… Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the Lord our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the Lord our God.”  Jeremiah 42:3,5,6

Jerusalem is taken captive by the Babylonians, the appointed Governor has been murdered, the land is in chaos and people are planning on going to Egypt as a place of refuge from war and provision of food and shelter.

The people come to Jeremiah with an earnest plea for him to seek The Lord. They pledge to obey…regardless of the message. It takes ten days for Jeremiah to return with a message. The Lord says, “stay in  the land…if you go to Egypt what you believe you are avoiding in Jerusalem will find you there.”  (Jeremiah 42:13-22) The message from The Lord is detailed and clear and reveals the thoughts and fears of the people.

The response of the people to Jeremiah is, “…you are lying!…” (Jeremiah 43:1-3) They accuse Jeremiah being influenced by human opinion and not The Lord. As a result they go to Egypt, where Jeremiah prophecies the overthrow of the nation by the Babylonians.

The pattern of human behavior in the Old Testament is interesting to observer. It challenges us today in our lives of trust and obedience and submission. It is easy to follow The Lord when it makes sense to us…when it is what we think should happen. But what is our response when the Lord’s direction seems to be one of hardship, difficulty and just doesn’t make sense or meet our expectations.

That is when true trust and faith is revealed. It is easy to follow in the light, it is another thing to follow in the dark.

Can The Lord’s will be in a direction and in a place that is against my plans and logic? Do I pray for an answer with an answer predetermined in my mind?

A verse from my reading today in 1 John applies here:

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” (1 John 5:14,15)

That is true, even when the answer surprises us and calls us to a deeper level of trust and obedience.