Man seems to have this idea that every answer has to come right now and come his way and come on his terms without him having do to anything and when it doesn't he's angry with God, angry with the man of God, angry with his brother, or angry with the people around him.
We see this in 2 kings 5:1 Now Naaman , captain of the army of the king of Aram , was a great man with his master , and highly respected , because by him the LORD had given victory to Aram . The man was also a valiant warrior , but he was a leper . 2 Now the Arameans had gone out in bands and had taken captive a little girl from the land of Israel ; and she waited on Naaman’s wife . 3 She said to her mistress , “I wish that my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria ! Then he would cure him of his leprosy .” 4 Naaman went in and told his master , saying , “Thus and thus spoke the girl who is from the land of Israel .” 5 Then the king of Aram said , “Go now , and I will send a letter to the king of Israel .” He departed and took with him ten talents of silver and six thousand shekels of gold and ten changes of clothes . 6 He brought the letter to the king of Israel , saying , “And now as this letter comes to you, behold , I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may cure him of his leprosy .” 7 When the king of Israel read the letter , he tore his clothes and said , “ Am I God , to kill and to make alive , that this man is sending word to me to cure a man of his leprosy ? But consider now , and see how he is seeking a quarrel against me.” 8 It happened when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes , that he sent word to the king , saying , “Why have you torn your clothes ? Now let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel .” 9 So. Naaman came with his horses and his chariots and stood at the doorway of the house of Elisha . 10 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying , “ Go and wash in the Jordan seven times , and your flesh will be restored to you and you will be clean .” 11 But Naaman was furious and went away and said , “Behold , I thought , ‘He will surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God , and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper .’ 12 Are not Abanah and Pharpar , the rivers of Damascus , better than all the waters of Israel ? Could I not wash in them and be clean ?” So he turned and went away in a rage . 13 Then his servants came near and spoke to him and said , “ My father , had the prophet told you to do some great thing , would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean ’?” 14 So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan , according to the word of the man of God ; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child and he was clean . Such simple instruction not at all what Naaman was expecting, but when he got passed himself and his own idea and became obedient to the simple instruction from the man of God then the answer came. He received his healing.
Have you ever had a situation in your life and your telling someone about it and they say you need to pray and it kind of irritates you, makes you furious? I know I’ve experienced that.
Why is that? Prayer seems like a simple thing to do. Is it because we want our answer now? Or is it because we already know the answer and its not what we want to hear. Maybe we want the person we’re asking to give us a different answer so we can do what we want and blame them if it's not right. God is the best father there ever was, or will be and he requires obedience and every promise he gives to his children comes with a requirement. So why is it that we expect to receive everything from him without doing our part?
We have a part in this walk that's why Gods word says work out your own salvation. I remember reading this story one day and it made me chuckle. A young woman brought her fiancé home to meet her parents for thanksgiving dinner. After dinner, the girl’s mother asked her husband to find out about the young man. The father invited him to his study for a talk. "So what are your plans?" the father asked the young man. "I’m a biblical scholar," he replied. "A Biblical scholar. Hmmm," the father said. "Admirable, but what will you do to provide for my daughter?" "I will study, and God will provide for us, the boy replied. "And how will you buy her a beautiful engagement ring, like she’s going to want, asked the father. "I will concentrate on my studies and God will provide for us," the young man replied. What about later when you and my daughter have children, how will you provide for them?" "Don’t worry, sir, God will provide," replied the fiancé. Each time the father asked a question, the young idealist insisted God would provide. Later, the mother asked, "How did it go, Honey?" "Well," the father answered, "I believe we have a problem, he has no job, no plans, and he thinks I’m God!" The young man obviously didn’t understand that while it’s proper to rely upon God, that doesn’t mean God is going to do everything for us. There is a part of God’s work that He expects us to do. We are to depend upon God, but depending on God doesn’t mean we aren’t responsible to fulfill our God given responsibilities. I’m not sure who wrote this little story but it seems to be what many expect. I was thinking about David when he was up against Goliath the odds were against him. David could have stood there all day saying God will deliver me! God will deliver me! God will deliver me! But it was in the picking up of the smooth stones in the name of the Lord and acting on the knowledge that God was with him and would deliver him that Goliath was taken out. We have a part to play in the battle that is up against us and many times the battle that we are going through is before us because of our own actions or decisions, that we have made and now we are living in consequences that we must fight to get out of. David did not say I am the great David and I come against you. He said I come against you in the name of the Lord of host. He also could have stood there saying all I have is a stick and some stones Goliath has a sword a spear and a javelin but no, even though in the eyes of man he was to small to young and untrained , in the heart of David it was about what God was going to do and he knew the power that God had given him to overcome a lion and a bear and that, that same God would deliver him again. He trusted God and was able to defeat a big enemy even though the odds were stacked against him. Moses sent the 12 spies into the land of Canaan Because the Lord said to spy out the land which I am giving to the children of Israel. When they returned 10 of them had a bad report, there are giants in the land. It was true that the odds were against them. They were afraid because they were comparing the giants to how small they were instead of comparing the giants to how big God is. All of them except for Joshua and Caleb said we can't do it. It says in Numbers 14:5 5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in the presence of all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel . 6 Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh , of those who had spied out the land , tore their clothes ; 7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel ,
saying , “ The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land . 8 If the LORD is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us— a land which flows with milk and honey . 9 Only do not rebel against the LORD ; and do not fear the people of the land , for they will be our prey . Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.” 10 But all the congregation said to stone them with stones . Wow that sounds like anger to me. Why were they angry? Was it because Joshua and Caleb trusted God and they didn't? THE ODDS WERE STACKED AGAINST THEM
Joshua and Caleb believed God The 10 spies that brought back the negative report all died by a plague but Joshua and Caleb were given the land as God had promised.
Because They trusted God. In John chapter 5 1 After these things there was a feast of the Jews , and Jesus went up to Jerusalem . 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool , which is called in Hebrew Bethesda , having five porticoes . 3 In these lay a multitude of those who were sick , blind , lame , and withered , [ waiting for the moving of the waters ; 4 for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water ; whoever then first , after the stirring up of the water , stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted .] 5 A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years . 6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He *said to him, “Do you wish to get well ?” 7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir , I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming , another steps down before me.” The odds looked stacked against this man for thirty eight years, but it wasn't over. Verse 8. Jesus *said to him, “ Get up, pick up your pallet and walk .” 9 Immediately the man became well , and picked up his pallet and began to walk Simple instructions
He believed, he was obedient to take up his bed even though it was unlawful for him to do so because it was the sabbath and he was healed. Joseph sold into slavery because of his brothers jealousy. The odds were stacked him.
But God was with him. He overcame the obstacle of his dysfunctional family and became the ruler over Egypt. When Moses was born there was a decree that all the male children were to be killed. The odds were stacked against him.
His mother kept him as long as she could and then put him in a basket and put him in the Nile. Pharaohs daughter finds him she needs someone to nurse him so Moses sister says I know someone she goes gets his mother and she comes to care for him. Moses overcame the obstacle and became a great leader. In Daniel chapter 6 They threw Daniel into the lions den for praying to God after a decree was made that no man was to petition any god or man for thirty days. The odds looked stacked against him but it wasn't over God shut the mouths of the lions and delivered Daniel. In Daniel chapter 3:
When Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego refused to bow down to the golden image they were thrown into the fiery furnace. The odds looked stacked against them. But it wasn't over. God showed up in the midst of the fire and protected them from even smelling like smoke. Think about Saul. How likely was it that a proud, self-righteous Pharisee, a man who was arresting and killing Christians, would himself become a Christian; and not only a Christian but a preacher? What were the odds of that? But it happened.
When God got involved, the odds didn’t matter. And if God can change a man like Saul, he can change anyone. That’s what we should hope for, and pray for, and expect. "Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him." - Psalm 115:3 "The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths." - Psalm 135:6 The thing to remember, when the odds are against us, when the possibility of success seems remote, is that God isn’t bound by odds or percentages. And he will do in our lives whatever he chooses to do, odds or no odds. He is completely free, always and everywhere, to act according to his good pleasure. "Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you." - Jeremiah 32:17 "For nothing is impossible with God." - Luke 1:37 SO WHAT STRUGGLE LIES BEFORE YOU? ARE THE ODDS STACKED AGAINST YOU? Always Remember..
Nothing is impossible with God!!!!
IT AINT OVER TILL IT'S OVER!!!!
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