Three Simple Ways to Follow Christ

Churches everywhere are constantly telling us that we need to follow Christ.  We are told that following Him is the ultimate road to joy and happiness while at the same time we are sometimes warned that following Him might mean up giving up aspects of our lives that we hold dear.  And all the while that we are left asking the question as to what following Christ actually means.  If we have been a Christian for any length of time, we have probably heard that to follow Christ we need to read the Bible, pray, go to church, etc.  Those are all very important things we need to be doing.  But is that all there is to following Christ?

Many of you are shaking your head no right now because you know there is much more to following Christ than simply following a checklist.   Many years ago, the phrase What Would Jesus Do? went global in its fame.  At its heart was the idea that before you do anything, simply ask yourself the question, What Would Jesus Do?   Then when you figured out your answer, you did what you thought Jesus would do.   There is nothing wrong with that philosophy, assuming that the answer you came up with was actually what Jesus would have done.  However, that question had the potential to lead to ambiguous answers as well as leaving us sill in limbo as to how we actively are to follow Christ.

A few years ago, while writing the devotional book, 10 Minutes to Better Living: Daily Applications From the Life of Christ, I changed the question from What Would Jesus Do?  to a more proactive question for follow Christ, What Did Jesus Do?  I found that learning to follow Christ was not as ambiguous as it had been before.  Look what Jesus did, pray about how God wants you to follow those principles, and then do it.   The following is an excerpt from the devotional showing three simple ways to follow Christ.

Three Simple Ways To Follow Christ’s Example

Read Matthew 4:23-25   

 

Believe it or not, learning how to follow Christ is not a deep mystery.  It is not even a difficult concept to understand.  The hard part is not in the knowing, but the doing.  As you read today’s reading, try to put aside all thoughts that following Christ is merely a set of rules to be followed.  Don’t think about the rules you have learned.  Don’t even think about the things you are expected to do or not do as a follower of Christ.  Today, we want to look straight at three things Jesus did that characterized his ministry.  If we could just be motivated to do a fraction of what He did, then we could change our world for God.

In a summary of Jesus’ early ministry, Matthew writes that Jesus traveled around Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching good news, and healing people who were sick.  As a result of his newfound popularity, people who had any kind of illness or crippling disease were brought to Him for healing.  He was so popular that large crowds from all over the region followed Him everywhere He went.

 

Life Lessons

The four Gospels are full of ways that we can follow Jesus’ example while He was living on earth.  He lived life to the fullest and died for a purpose.  In today’s passage, we do not read words that Jesus says, but we see the example that He set.  We would do well to try to follow that example as best we can.

First, we are told that Jesus preached in the synagogues in each town He entered.  Though you may not be a preacher and you do not have a synagogue, you can still follow His example by teaching others in your neighborhood, family, church, or work how to live the Christian life. You can do this primarily through your example, but you can also do this by talking to people about what it means to live the Christian life.  In other words, the things that God has already taught you, pass on to others.

Secondly, we are told that Jesus proclaimed the good news of the Gospel to everyone in which He came in contact.  This means that the friends we have that are not yet Christians, we should be talking to them about Christ.  This does not have to be a difficult thing and we don’t have to have any special training.  All we have to do is live the life that we know God wants us to live, invite our friends to church, and be ready to share with them when the time is right about what Jesus has done for us.

Thirdly, Jesus healed every kind of disease and illness.  Though we might not be able to heal people from their sickness, we can heal many of the pains and hurts that they are going through.  We can offer them hope and peace that is found only in a life with Jesus.  Sometimes just a listening ear and a gentle hug is part of the healing process that they need.   And, it should go without saying, but we should continually be praying for those we know who are hurting.  Don’t just pray for them.  Let them know you are praying for them.

 

Making it Personal

Are you currently talking to other Christians and encouraging them to deepen their walk with God?  List a few ways that you are doing this.

Are you currently living a good example in front of your non-Christian friends that might draw them to Christ?  In what way?

How many people in the last year have you invited to church?

A Personal Perspective on the National Day of Prayer

Thursday, May 2, 2013 is set aside as the National Day of Prayer.  Throughout the nation, churches will be gathering on that day to pray for our nation.  Many will be praying that God will work a mighty miracle and our country will turn back once again to its Christian roots.  They will be praying 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sins and will restore their land.”  That is a great prayer to pray and I really hope thousands of churches pray for the healing of America.  God knows how much we need healing.

However, I truly believe God is not going to just sprinkle some magical dust that floats over our land, falling on people, causing them to repent and turn to God.  I’m not saying He can’t or won’t do that.  It would be great if He did.  But I personally am convinced that if God is going to heal our land, it is going to happen, one person at a time.  Will they be praying for our nation?   Yes.  But more importantly, I believe God is going to work when individuals and small groups begin praying for those we have direct influence over.  If God is going to move again in this once great nation, I believe that it going to start with individuals.  And I believe it will then multiply to churches and then to communities.  And then we will begin to see a mighty work of God.

A couple of weeks ago, while I was in the midst of my own form of depression, God began to speak to me concerning prayer.  I have always believed in prayer and those in my small group at church know me as one who focuses on and talks about prayer.  In  fact, I sometimes believe that they wish I wouldn’t be so adamant about prayer.  But I cannot help it.  It is something I believe God has called me to do.  But a couple of weeks ago, God took me to John 17 to the greatest prayer ever prayed.  I won’t go through all the details of Jesus’ prayer in that chapter.  It would take far longer than this or any blog should be.  But in that chapter, God showed me very specifically how I should be praying.  Following Jesus’ example in that prayer, we see how we should pray for ourselves, for our family, for our small groups, and for our church.

As a result of what God began to show me, I began working on a major project that I am tentatively calling, How to Transform Your Church, One Praying Person at a Time.   I am excited to see where God is going to possibly take this project.  I know it will at least turn into a book and perhaps even a six week small group study, complete with video and discussion questions.   All I know at this point is that God has shown me some really great insights into how to revolutionize our prayer lives and He wants me to share it.

 

So on this National Day of Prayer, I will be praying, for our country, yes.  But I will also be praying from John 17 for myself, my family, my small group, and my church.  If everyone joins me in those prayers, then our nation WILL began to change.  One praying person at a time.  Will you be that one also?

How To Handle Rejection

REJECTION!  Just the mention of that word stirs emotions inside of us that conjures memories of pain and loneliness.  For some, it might take them back to middle or high school when they were cut from the team or failed to land a part in a school program.  Many will be reminded of that boy or girl that they were so in love with who broke their heart.  Perhaps your parents were divorced and you took that rejection personally.  Maybe you didn’t get into the college you wanted or perhaps you were rejected by a potential employer.   We all have faced rejection in our life.

The bad news is we are probably not finished facing rejection.    I know I am not.  I have faced my fair share of rejection both in my teenage years and now into my midlife.   Sometimes that rejection can be life altering like being fired from a job or losing your spouse.  And sometimes, it can be more simple and basic like people you believed you could count on, forsaking you in times that you thought you really needed them. A few years ago, in the daily devotional I wrote called, 10 Minutes to Better Living: Daily Applications From the Life of Christ, I wrote an entry about how we should follow Christ’s example in how to handle rejection.   Little did I know then that a few years later, those very words would be a comfort to me as I sought to take that advice and follow Christ’s example in handling rejection.  Today, looking at Luke 4:14-30, we are going to look at how Jesus handled rejection.  Looking at an exert from the devotional I wrote for the book, 10 Minutes to Better Living, we see some great lessons for us to follow the next time we face rejection.

At this point in His earthly ministry, things were going well for Jesus.  Word had spread about His teachings and He was gaining popularity.  But then He went to his hometown of Nazareth where people remembered Him as a child.  They had nothing bad to say about Him, but since they knew Him growing up and knew His family, they assumed He was just “one of them.”

That day, He spoke in the synagogue and read a prophecy about the coming Messiah.  When He had finished reading, He told the people that this prophecy had been fulfilled in Him that day.  They asked Him to do miracles. Knowing that they were not going to believe Him anyway, He chose not to perform the miracles.  They got mad at Him, formed a mob, took Him to the side of a cliff, and tried to throw Him off the cliff.  However, He worked a miracle by vanishing in their midst and walked away from them unharmed.

 

Life Lessons

In His very home town, Jesus got rejected big time.   His friends and family rejected Him and even the “church” rejected Him.  It got so bad that the people actually tried to kill Him.

Chances are you have been rejected in very hurtful ways many times in your life.  Some of you may have even been rejected to the point where you felt your life was threatened.  Others of you have been rejected to the point that you wished you would die.  Everyone faces rejection.  It is a sad part of life.  Rejection happens when you don’t get the part in the play you wanted.  It happens when you do not make the team.  It happens all the time when people get rejected for a date.  Teachers reject you, friends reject you,  your boss fires you, and sadly sometimes even your closest friends or  family rejects you.  It can be hard to deal with.  However, Jesus, in the time when He was rejected, left us with an example to follow each time we face rejection.

We all have gone through rejection in the past.  Some of us might be going through rejection in the present time, and we will all face rejection again in the future.  Therefore, Jesus’ example of facing rejection is perfect for all of us.  Looking at His model, we see how He handled rejection.

First,  know who you are.  Jesus knew who He was and why He was there.  When you know who you are and do not waver in that knowledge, it is a little easier to overcome rejection.  And if you are a follower of Jesus, you are a child of God.  Don’t worry about what others say.  Stand firm in the fact that you know who you are in Jesus Christ.  Yes, the pain might still be there, but continually remind yourself that you know who you are, even if those rejecting you don’t realize it.

Secondly, know your purpose.  Jesus knew His purpose on earth was to be the Savior.  Have you found your purpose?  Ask God to begin showing you your purpose.  Everyone who is a child of God has a purpose that God wants in our lives.  Pray daily for that purpose and read His Word daily to help you discern what His purpose for you is.  If you already have a good handle on your purpose, it is far easier to handle rejection when it comes.

Thirdly, when people reject you, move on.   When Nazareth rejected Him, Jesus left them.  He did not quit what He had been called to do.  He simply moved on.  As tempting as it might be, don’t quit just because you face rejection.  Jesus didn’t.  He moved on to the next city.  You must move on to the next thing God has for you.  If you don’t get the job you applied for, apply for others.  Move on.  Don’t  just mope around doing nothing.  If you feel rejected in something, don’t quit.  Ask God to show you something else.  Never give up.  Follow Christ’s example and just move on.

Making it Personal

Have you faced rejection before in your life?

Are you currently experiencing some kind of rejection?  Write a prayer pouring your heart out to God over your feelings of rejection.

Do you know who you are in Christ?   Write it down.

Do you know your purpose in life?  If you do, write it down.  If you don’t, write a short prayer asking God to begin to show you what your purpose is.

If you are facing rejection right now, what is it that God might want you to move on to?   As He gives you direction, write it down.

When Life Brings You Down – Friday Comes Before Sunday

I don’t know about you, but I go through periodic down or depressing times in my life.  I’m talking about those times where my circumstances and feelings collide and it seems that everything of any importance goes wrong.

I’m sure many of you have faced those times in your life.  Some of those downer times in life are major events such as a death of someone close to you or a loss of a job.  No one would argue that in those desperate situations that you should not feel down.  You wouldn’t be human if those major things didn’t bring you down.

But then there are those other things that bring you down that perhaps no one else understands.  Perhaps you feel disrespected or taken advantage of.  Maybe you don’t feel that others have the same passion that you do about something and as a result you feel like they don’t really care about you.  Or perhaps you feel alone.  You know what kinds of things bring you down.  And it doesn’t help that others who are not or have not walked in similar shoes simply cannot understand what you are feeling.  Therefore, those downer feelings become even more intensified.

It is only fitting that I am writing this on Good Friday because this is the day that we have set aside to reflect on Christ’s death.  It is, however, such a misnomer because for those who were there on the day that He died, there was nothing good about it.  The disciples had not only lost their leader and best friend, they were afraid and scattering.  One even lied three times about even knowing Jesus.  Mary, Jesus’ mother, had just lost her son.  Anyone who has lost a loved one can easily relate to those despairing feelings Mary was going through.  And then there were those  countless others that had just seen their hope of a better future be put to death.  There was nothing good about that Friday.

However, as we all know, the story did not end on Friday.  Had it ended there, all hope for the future would have been lost and all of Jesus’ teaching in the past would have been worthless.  But the story did not end on Friday.  Sunday was right around the corner.

Every year on Easter Sunday, churches are full as they celebrate the resurrection of Christ.  It is this supernatural resurrection that allows the terrible events of Friday to turn into the glorious power of Sunday.   Had the story ended on Friday and Sunday would have never come, then Friday’s death would have been meaningless.   Instead Friday became necessary so that Sunday could give us the opportunity of Salvation and bring us a better and stronger life than we had before.

So when those downer times of life come, whether it be those major heartaches that everyone recognizes or those personal feelings that no one understands, keep in mind that those times are Friday’s in your life.  Sunday’s resurrection power is right around the corner.  Although it may not seem like it at the moment, but Friday’s pain is often necessary to experience Sunday’s glorious joy.

If you are experiencing some kind of Friday in your life, no matter how much it hurts right now, take comfort, my friend, Sunday’s resurrection is right around the corner.

I am so grateful to God that Sunday came and thus the resurrection.   As a result, we are given the opportunity to receive not only eternal life, but God’s power that raised Christ from the dead in our lives today.

Steve Biddison is the author of several devotional books including several devotional books that can found here

O The Places We’ve Been – A Rewrite of a Dr. Seuss Poem

Today as we celebrate the birthday of Dr. Seuss, I thought it appropriate to pay tribute to the great children’s writer by rewriting one of his most famous works.  Only this time, instead of writing to children, this poem is rewritten for adults – especially ones who might be thinking their best years are behind them or wondering if God is still going to use them.  Enjoy

OH THE PLACES WE’VE BEEN

Congratulations!
You are still alive today
You’ve been to great places
Near and far away
With the brains in your head
And shoes covering  your toes
You did steer yourself
In the directions you chose

You learned about life  and other things too.
And through it all you discovered, just what to do.

You looked  up and down streets. Looked at them with care.
About some you knew that you shouldn’t go there.

But even with a head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,

You sometimes made bad choices on a not-so-good street..

But when you found no street
That you wanted to go down.
In that case, of course,
You headed straight out of town.

Life was opener there

in the wide open air.

Out there things did happen
and frequently did
that you never saw coming
when you were a kid

When the bad things did happen
You learned not to worry or stew
These things were all part of
How you learned and you grew.

OH!
THE PLACES You’ve been

You’ve had times way up

Where your life was a sight!
You were successful in things
And soared to high heights.

Your memories of good times were special indeed

You kept up with life because you had the speed.

You learned to enjoy your life and do what you need.

To succeed and be great, the best of the best
Working hard in your life and enjoying God’s rest.

Except when times were bad
Because, sometimes they’re sad

I’m sorry to say so
but, sadly, it’s true
both good and bad things
have happened to you.

But don’t get all hung up
thinking the best is behind
Your life is not over
A new life awaits you to find

Your life is not over
if you feel like a dump
And the chances are, then,
that you’re just  in a Slump.

And when you’re in a Slump,
and I know its not fun
But with God’s help in your actions
it is easily done.

It’s time to come back to a place where the streets that are marked.
The windows are lighted. And your path is not dark.

It could be new place or even places you’ve been
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right…
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find,
That getting back on the path is hard on the mind.

Don’t let it confuse you
or give you a frown
It’s time to discover a new part of town.

It’s time to get up, you are not staying down
You have much more to offer so get off the ground
This is your life, stop waiting around

…for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for your hair to grow.
Don’t sit there waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, just for waiting’s sake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Don’t just sit waiting.

NO!
That’s not for you!

Somehow you’ll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You’ll find the bright places
where God’s works are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,
once more you’ll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you’re that girl or guy!

Oh, the places you’ll still go! There is still fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.

Invest is some others who need the wisdom that’s yours

Show them what’s right for the hims and the hers.

Except when they don’t.
Because, sometimes, they won’t.

I’m afraid that some times
investing in others hurts too
There will be Games you can’t win
Because they won’t always listen to you

You are not Alone!
If it feels like it or not,
God’s love is something
That you’ve always got.

And when you focus on Him, there’s a very good chance
That things are better than they seemed at first glance.
His guidance is with you both hither and yon,
And will give you the grace to want to go on.

And on you will go
though life might seem foul
On you will go
though your enemies prowl
On you will go
though the Satan’s own howl
Onward up many
a challenging creek,
though your life mission may strain you
God never gets weak.

On and on you will hike
and I know you’ll hike far
in your newest adventures
whatever they are.

You’ll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You’ll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life’s
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

You will MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So…

get yourself going, don’t sit here and stay
But take a few moments to ask God and pray
you’re again off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is still out there
So…get on your way!

We Ask Ourselves How Could the Newtown Tragedy Have Happened

Once again our nation is reduced to tears of sorrow as one lone madman senselessly stole not only the lives of so many innocent young children and their teachers, but stole a piece of our nations’ heart.  Who would have believed that this was even possible?  These were children.  Children who had their whole lives in front of them.  Children, though they were not perfect, were not deserving of such a heinous crime.  It was not just a crime against the children, but against all humanity.  For if one person could needlessly slaughter 27 innocent people that he did not even know, what are we as a human race capable of doing?

As this tragedy unfolded, so many of us around the country cried out for answers?   Why did something like this have to happen?  No matter how much we cried and how hard we prayed, there were no real answers.   When something as tragic as this happens, there never are answers.  Sure, there are those who try to give answers.  We need to outlaw guns, or at least certain types of guns.  We should have a better way of finding and helping those with mental and emotional problems.  Or we need to arm our teachers so they can protect our kids.  We should have never taken prayer and Bible out of the schools.  Those are just a few of the many responses that have surfaced, all trying to answer the simple question of why.  But none of those are real, lasting answers.  None strike at the heart of why these evil things happen.   These are questions that simply cannot be answered.  Yet we have to ask how this could have happened.

So where do we go?   There will be many of you reading this that will greatly disagree with what I have to say.  Others will triumph me for saying what they too believe.   Some will call me names and some will love me.  And either is okay.  But I am firmly believe that what happened in Newtown has been brewing in our nation for a while.  No, not this one horrendous act.  This was formed in a mind of a sick individual.  We never saw this coming.  But in hindsight, as we wonder how this could have happened, perhaps we should have seen it.

Over a decade ago, I was serving as a youth pastor at a church when the tragedy of Columbine entered into our lives.   We cried at those events and prayed for the families of those affected then just like we are doing for the families in Newtown.  One week later, I preached a message to my youth group saying that though we could never adequately explain what had happened, we did need to understand that this was not just about some crazy individuals who were bent on seeking revenge, but that this was also spiritual in nature.  It was part of the age old battle between good and evil.    Evil had just won a battle, but were we going to let it win the war?  The testimonies that came out of the Columbine massacre as well as such organizations as Rachel’s Challenge that has gone into schools across the nation showed that we were able to take what was meant for evil and make something good come from it.   But can we do the same after losing such young, precious, innocent souls?   Right now, many wonder if we can because we don’t have the answers to the question that burns in our heart – how could this have happened?

I challenged my youth group over a decade ago, as I challenge our nation today, to see this as it really is.  We are a country who has thumbed our nose at God and have tried our best to remove Him from our society.   Christians will quickly point out that God cannot be removed from our society just because they pass laws saying we can’t pray in school.  And they are right.  However, the fact that we as a nation no longer even consider ourselves to be a Christian nation (those words came straight from our current President), then we are no longer standing for the things God teaches.  As a result, we have slowly allowed evil into our society.  Even in schools, we are so much about treating people “fairly” that we forget justice.  Our homes are too busy trying to keep up with society that we don’t teach our children the difference between right and wrong.  And yet we ask ourselves how these tragedies could have happened.

As despicable as the events in Newtown are in our minds (and believe me, I am as shaken as any of you are by this.  I have a nine year old son and I know how much it would kill me had he been going to school in Newtown), I have to wonder if perhaps we as a nation have allowed this to happen.  What have we taught our children over the past several decades?   What did our parents teach us and what did we pass on to our children as to the value of human life?  How much did Adam Lanza value human life?   He took 27 lives.  We as nation are appalled by his actions against humanity.  Yet, for almost four decades now we have turned a blind eye to virtually the same crime in the killing of innocent unborn children.  But that doesn’t affect us the same way because our courts have said it is legal.  Our courts have taught us that there is no real value in unborn human lives.  And we the people of this once great nation have followed right along with them.  So people like Adam Lanza take it one step further and do not see value in human lives that are six years older than the unborn children we kill each day.  And we ask ourselves how this tragedy in Newtown could have happened.

Believe me, I am not discounting the horror of the Newtown shooting.  That day is going to change the lives of the people in that community forever.  My prayer is that it will actually change the lives of people all over America and we will again turn to God and see that doing our part to propagate such evil in our nation must be stopped.   Who will commit to help change this nation to one who once again stands against evil instead of helping propagate it?   Who will pray with me and work with me in any way they can to make sure that we never again have to ask how something like this could have happened?

Steve Biddison is the author of several books, including several Christian devotionals.

What To Do When You Have Unanswered Prayers

The following is an excerpt from the devotional, 10 Minutes To Better Living: Daily Applications From the Life of Christ.

Devotional Passage: Luke 1:18-25    

Several years ago the country singer Garth Brooks came out with a song entitled Unanswered Prayers.  The song tells of a grown man realizing that he was thankful that God did not answer the prayers he prayed as a teenager that God would give him a certain girl.  Years later he came to understand that he was far better off without her.  But I can guarantee that the knowledge he had as an adult didn’t keep him from having pain and heartache as a teenager.

You can probably point to times in your life that you have really prayed for something and God just didn’t seem to answer that prayer.  The knowledge that one day you will understand why doesn’t really stop the pain you feel right now.  Today we are going to learn from the life of Zechariah and Elisabeth how we should react when God just doesn’t seem to answer our prayers.

After having heard from the angel that in their old age they were going to have a son, Zechariah questioned what he had just heard.  The angel then told Zechariah that since he did not believe what God was telling him that he would be mute until the time the child was born.    So for the next nine months or so, Zechariah could not speak a word.  However, it soon became obvious that Elisabeth was pregnant.  During these nine months, Zechariah was no doubt frustrated by his inability to speak.  However,  I am sure that he praised God daily for answering the prayer he had thought was going to be unanswered forever.  He was going to have a child.

Life Lessons

I am sure that you can point to sometime in your life that you have prayed for something and God just did not seem to answer it.  We all go through those times and we always will.  Unfortunately, that is part of the everyday Christian life.  We don’t always get what we want.  We don’t always get what we want from our employers, our spouses, or our friends, and we don’t always get what we want from God.  But in today’s reading, we see a family that prayed and prayed and finally got what they wanted. 

Zechariah and Elizabeth had been praying a godly prayer for many years that they would have a child.  There was nothing wrong with that prayer.  It’s probably a better prayer than we pray sometimes about wanting God to give us the new sports car.  But for years their prayer went unanswered.  It was not because God was punishing them or that they were not living right.  The Bible explains that they were very Godly people.  In fact, their lives were so Godly that they are an example to us on how to live our lives, even when we don’t seem to get our prayers answered.

Zechariah and Elizabeth probably prayed for a child for 30 or 40 years with no answer.  But through all this time, they did three things that we should be doing in our prayer life when it seems our prayers go unanswered.  We will look at the first thing today.

1. They stayed faithful to God.  They did not give up on God because He was not answering their prayer.  They continued serving God no matter what He gave or didn’t give them.

2.      The second thing they did during their long wait to hear from God was stay hopeful.  Despite years of unanswered prayer, they remained hopeful that one day God was going to answer their prayer.  Their prayer probably went something like this, God, You know the desires of our hearts and how we want You to answer our prayer for a child.  But, Lord, I am willing to accept that You might not want to answer that prayer if it means You are going to get more glory out of us remaining childless.  However, we will remain faithful and hopeful that You will grant it to us someday.  If not, give us the grace to accept Your will.  Amen.

 

3.      The third thing they did was stay busy.  Zechariah and Elisabeth did not sit around moping and pouting during all those years they were not getting the answer to their prayers.  They may not have gotten everything they wanted in life, but they were still doing what they could where they could for God.

Making it Personal

If you are going through a time where you are not getting answers to your prayers, follow the examples of Zechariah and Elisabeth.  Stay faithful to God, stay hopeful in what He might do, and stay busy doing what God wants you to do instead of feeling sorry for yourself.  You never know what God is going to do.  Zechariah and Elisabeth were doing all these things and finally, in God’s time, they saw their prayer answered.  You never know when God is going to grant you your request.  It might be just around the corner.  It might be next week or next month or even next year.  The truth is we don’t know when God’s timing is.  Only He knows.  He wants us to stay faithful, hopeful, and busy while we keep praying.

Is there something you have been praying for that seems to have gone unanswered?  Write a personal prayer to God asking Him again to answer that prayer.

While you go through these times of unanswered prayers, are you staying faithful to God, living for Him, and following His instructions for life?

Have you given up hope that God will answer or are you still remaining hopeful?

Are you staying busy doing what you should be doing and not sitting around doing nothing because God has not yet answered your prayers?  If you are staying busy for God, what are you doing?