Only Believe

Recently the Lord gave me something for which I had been asking Him for several months. It was a big thing. What was interesting, however, was that almost immediately I noticed that I was drawing back inside. I sensed a bit of, "After He did something that big for me, I’d better be happy with that, and not ask Him for anything more." Fortunately, I recognized the fallacy of that thought, and fairly quickly banished it, but it got me thinking about our response to God’s gifts, and why so few of us seem to receive much from Him.

Most people I’ve run across (including myself) seem to have one of two extreme and inaccurate beliefs. In many cases we have both beliefs at the same time, regarding various situations. The one extreme belief goes something like, "I must take care of myself and provide for myself and earn or deserve every good thing that I have. If someone gives me anything, I must pay them back." The other extreme belief goes something like, "I am not responsible for what is taking place in my life, and therefore I cannot change anything or do anything to improve my life. I am merely a victim." Both beliefs, as I said, are inaccurate.

Accuracy is found in an intense but simple statement that Jesus made. "This is the work that God requires of you, that you BELIEVE …" In that instance, Jesus was talking specifically about believing in him, as God’s son and messenger, but there is good evidence that in every instance, that is the work that God requires of us. When He says, "Delight in me, and I’ll give you the desires of your heart," our greatest challenge will be believing Him, because we find it easier to hold on to one of our false beliefs. We feel safer working for the desires of our hearts, and when our efforts aren’t accomplishing anything good, we take a sick sort of comfort in the belief that we are merely victims.

We are not victims, however, because we have the option to believe what God said. It is not just one or two people that God wants to be good to. He is good, and therefore He wants to do good to everyone. He can’t and won’t be pushed around, however. He does His thing on His terms. We’ll never experience the fullness of what He has for us if we don’t ask Him, trust Him, hope in Him, wait for Him, believe Him, obey Him, and receive from Him. Most (if not all) of the junk we’ve got in our lives is there because we didn’t do those things.

So if you don’t have what you want, forget about blaming your parents, your spouse, your kids, your boss, or your government. Forget about working harder and longer. Set your mind to engage in the one work that God wants from each one of us:

Believe every word He says to you.

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