Why does God so frequently let us go through the things from which we’ve prayed to be spared? It has a lot to do, I suspect, with the fact that God is in the discipleship business, not the insurance business. What we want is comfort and security, to remain unruffled. What God wants is to change us into something better, something that looks a lot more like him — and through us to change the world into something that looks a lot more like heaven.
And that requires a lot of ruffling.
So, is it a sin to want to avoid trials? No. Even Jesus prayed before his crucifixion, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me.” But notice, he added, “Yet not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39). Why? Because he knew that, no matter how hard it might be to follow, the Father’s path was always the right one.
Jesus promised us something infinitely more valuable than mere external security. He promised us internal security. He promised that God would send an advocate (counselor), a comforter (feather smoother) in the form of the Holy Spirit, to walk beside us and live within us (John 14:16).
The result? While some of our prayers are answered externally, most are answered internally, through his presence within us. In Philippians 4:6-7, Paul advises us to “be anxious about nothing, but in everything, through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, present your petitions to God.” Paul’s emphasis is on persistence. This isn’t a one-and-done, but an ongoing process.
So, if we follow the “formula” this cup will pass us by, right? Nope. Paul promises that if we persist in turning everything over to God in this manner, “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding (defies external circumstances), will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
And at the end of the passage he concludes not “God will do everything I ask,” but, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” We’re inclined to pray, “God, change my circumstances!” But more often than not, God’s response is (ruffle, ruffle), “How ’bout we make this an inside job…
And change you instead?”
I can testify personally (with many stories) that what you have written is true. Several years ago I presented a ‘teaching’ that described and encouraged the following sequence of actions: Pray. Listen. Wait. Trust. Do. Too often we pray, then immediately jump to Do. And too often our Do is just shaking our fist at God and asking Him why He did not ‘answer’ our prayers (in the way we expected). Our other Do is to try to take matters into our own hands. ~Ed.
Sad by true, my friend.
can you add a verse 51 to your blog
Each trial we face does indeed shape us in ways we might not ever have expected. After coming through the suicide death of my youngest son, I now feel as if nothing could be more painful than that. No matter what I face from now on, my faith will carry me through. The mountain tops are barren after all. It is in the valley that we learn the most.
Your faith has truly been tested by fire, dear friend.
God is faithful and he will never leave you nor forsake you.
Thank you, Mitch. Your excellent, and thought worthy post sent me digging for a C. S. Lewis quote. Uncommon for Lewis, it’s “Yoda-like” in and simplicity:
“You can’t know, you can only believe—or not.”
This fits your inside job description of answered prayer. At the end of the day, it’s what I believe about a loving God that matters most.
I couldn’t agree more, David.
Scripture tells us clearly that we are destined for trials (1 Thess. 3: 3). There is an important reason for this. “Your faith will be like gold that has been tested in a fire. And these trials will prove that your faith is worth much more than gold that can be destroyed” (1 Peter 1: 7). Yet, we would still prefer to avoid any pain or inconvenience.
Exactly.
Lol, I was just talking to my husband about this today – the purpose of prayer being not to get stuff from God, but to yield to Him, trust Him, and believe that what HE decides to do is what’s best for us, even when it doesn’t “answer” our prayers.
Returned home a bit ago from the funeral of my very good friends’ son. Lots of internal work going on for many. Thanks, Mitch. God bless!
Bless you back, dear friend. A hard thing to go through indeed.
Mitch, I believe this is spot on! When outer circumstances do not change, we can be sure God is using them to change US. I repeat “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” more times a day than I can count! (And it works!)
Amen, Caroll. I pray that verse every night at bedtime.
Mitch, this is timely and needed. Amen! Everyone has shared my sentiments~and I think you know my heart and belief. I appreciate you, dear friend. God bless you! Jesus, help us all! We know you never promised a life of no suffering~but you never leave or forsake us. Thank you walking us through it.💚🙏🏻
I do know your heart and belief, dear Karla. And thank you for walking us through it, as well. <3
That’s so sweet, dear friend. I appreciate you and miss being here more. Thank you, Mitch. ❣️
<3
Knowing this and understanding this is one thing, but my goodness, I’d like a break from all the ruffling for a change! 😁😄😁😄
I completely understand!
oh gosh – that picture is soooo relatable – I think I live with ruffled feathers all day!
Great post, Linda xx
Thanks, Linda!
🥰
Thank you Mitch for this very encouraging and necessary word.
My privilege, Manu.
Very insightful and very comforting.
Happy to hear you found it so, Maren.
Thank you for the post! It was a good early read for my morning.
God bless you! Eve
Thank you, Eve. You too!
“how about we make this an inside job…” has been on my heart and mind a lot lately. God and I have been having some conversations about life well-lived and what that looks like by God’s standards, not necessarily my own.
Important conversations to have, DK.
Well said, Mitch, thank you. ‘Ongoing’ it is!
I love everything about this post. Especially the ruffled bird. I can identify, sir, I can identify.
Sometimes family members have asked about how I got through some-or-another situation in my life — one of them actually a life and death situation — without giving up or, at the very least, questioning it. I often tell them how difficult it was to go through so many surgeries, the resulting chronic pain, and how it made me physically disabled.
I sometimes tell them about how hard it was to go through those life situations and that still I am tested daily.
But I ALWAYS tell them my faith in God never wavered. While “outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” These things are but a blip on the radar compared to eternity.
A good friend used to say, “You may feel helpless, but you are never hopeless.”
Mitch, I don’t know why I still come up as “Anonymous” when I comment. This is Paula G. *sigh* If it comes up that way again, I’ll just sign off that way. Thanks for your daily insights.
My privilege, Paula. And it’s so great to hear from you. Praying, my friend.
I have to agree with you Mitch.
Many times my feathers have been ruffled and went through some fiery trials. It drew me to go to God and ask Him for wisdom and strength to overcome what I am going through at the time.
Changing me, healing me and delivering me from many things have been somewhat of a ruffled feather effect. Very trying at times I say, but out God was with me every step of the way and I’m not the same person I was 10 years ago.
I had the joy of the Lord come over me yesterday after asking him for strength to finish washing all of the collard greens (3 lbs) in the sink. My back was hurting and my calf started cramping. When I opened the freezer to put the collard greens in the freezer I started laughing with a happiness that went on for a good 10 minutes.
I asked God last year to get everything out of me that people and this world did to me and change me inwardly to be more like his son, our Lord and Savior Jesus. He has continued to do that and tho my feathers got ruffled and I suffered emotionally it was well worth it and I’m changed in my heart and mind by the healing hand of God!
Onward and upward, Cora!
Amen brother!
I really liked this sentiment: Not “God will do everything I ask,” but, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
It captures very well the shift from hoping God will meet your every desire to hoping He will make you able to meet His. It’s like in our personal relationships when we change from associating with people just because we think we can get some benefit from it to actually, genuinely loving them, even when it comes at our own expense.
Amen, Abe. It’s a lifelong process learning to be Christlike, rather than avoiding it, isn’t it?
you left off matthew 51:14 create thee a clean heart
aside from that chapter which other chapters has verses 39 & 51 besides chapter 26
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chapter 51 o verse in the bible
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