Psalm 66:16-20 reminds us that God hears the prayers of genuine seekers: “Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me. For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke. If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me.”
Whatever has us guessing, distracted, or frustrated, let us resolve that we will not get ahead of God; that we will not take matters into our own hands and end up with serious regret and sorrow in the wake of our impulsiveness. God has every intention of answering us — in His perfect time and way!
Frederick Meyer (1847-1929) spent the last few years of his life working as a pastor in England’s churches, but still made trips to North America, including one he made at age 80 (his earlier evangelistic tours had included South Africa, Asia, as well as the United States and Canada). A few days before his death, Meyer wrote the following words to a friend: “I have just heard, to my great surprise, that I have but a few days to live. It may be that before this reaches you, I shall have entered the palace. Don’t trouble to write. We shall meet in the morning.”
Often God seems to place His children in positions of profound difficulty — leading them into a wedge from which there is no escape; contriving a situation which no human judgment would have permitted, had it been previously consulted. The very cloud conducts them thither. You may be thus involved at this very hour. It does seem perplexing and profoundly serious to the last degree; but it is perfectly right. The issue will more than justify Him who has brought you hither. It is a platform for the display of His almighty grace and power. He will not only deliver you, but in doing so He will give you a lesson that you will never forget; and to which, in many a psalm and song in after days, you will revert. You will never be able to thank God enough for having done just as He has.
“Has the voice of God long been silent to thee — no fresh command, no deeper insight into truth? Separate thyself not only from what is clearly wrong, but from all that is questionable, and the Lord will speak to thee things it is not possible for a man to utter (express)…Whatever Abraham renounced, when he left his home or gave Lot the right to choose, he received back in the usual measure of God, with an overflowing overplus (more than what he actually needed). God gave him the entire land, including Lot’s portion. We can never give up for God, without receiving in this life more than we gave.”
I think most of us wonder from time to time if our lives have or are truly making a positive difference within the limited sphere of our influence. Having been involved in quite a variety of Christian ministries since 1975 (not to mention earlier attempts to impact fellow military comrades for Christ), I ponder this one often! For those of us who take our faith seriously, nothing is more important than leaving behind a legacy of effectiveness for the Kingdom of God.
F.B. Meyer (1847-1929) spent the last few years of his life working as a pastor in England’s churches, but still made trips to North America, including one he made at age 80 (his earlier evangelistic tours had included South Africa and Asia, as well as the United States and Canada). A few days before his death, Meyer wrote the following words to a friend: “I have just heard, to my great surprise, that I have but a few days to live. It may be that before this reaches you, I shall have entered the palace. Don’t trouble to write. We shall meet in the morning.”