I was relieved when we finally bade winter 2009 goodbye. I was glad to see spring arrive and hoped it would get warmer. But even after spring had been around for a few weeks, it did not warm up consistently with time. Instead, the warm kept alternating with the cold. I tried not to turn on the heat, but finally, when I couldn't take it any longer, I did; the house was too cold. I gave in and turned it on: just for one day.
The alternating temperature changes made me miserable, and I
seldom felt appropriately dressed. When I went outside in warm clothes, I
felt too warm, and when I went out dressed in light clothes, I felt too
cold. Why couldn't it get warm and stay warm? Why should I turn
on the heat when it was nearly mid-May? I found it frustrating and vowed
not to complain when it got hot.
This frustrating experience with inconsistent weather reminds me
of how God feels about lukewarm Christians. He told the church
in Laodicea, "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I
wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm - neither
hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth" (Revelation
3:15-16).
This indicates that God wants us to walk consistently with
Him and grow daily by being in the Word, doing what it says, and praying
without ceasing.
With the concept of inconsistency also comes
double-mindedness. James 1:6-8 tells us a double-minded person is unstable
in all he does. We are admonished to believe and not doubt when we ask God
for wisdom. He is the same God who created the world with the Word of His
mouth. God's power is not demonstrated in degrees or
percentages. Power is power! Through it, He healed the sick, raised the
dead, turned water into blood and wine, raised Christ from the dead, and defied
gravity when Jesus ascended into heaven. So, is there anything too hard
for Him? No! Why, then, do we have doubts when we pray? It could be
because we focus on the problem and not on God, and that must change.
We find it easier to trust God with less complicated issues, but
our faith does not measure up when it comes to overwhelming problems. We
seem to say to God, "I don't know about this. Are you up to this challenge?"
But the truth is, nothing is
too hard for the Lord (see Genesis 18:14).
Since nothing is too complicated for Him, we must trust Him completely, in
every instance, and not just some of the time. Regardless of the
circumstances, God can be trusted; He has never failed and is not about to
now. Even when He doesn't respond however we want, it is still for our good.
With faith should come patience and thanksgiving.
A newborn cries when he/she needs something; he/she does not concern
himself/herself with how the parents will meet that need.
Let's learn from the newborn: ask for everything we need, and
trust that our loving, heavenly Father will provide!
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