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When the Rubber Meets the Road
How many would say, “Deep down, when it gets down to it, I have a difficult time trusting God with those whom I love the most?” Perhaps, it’s to the point where you find yourself practically begging Him to hear your pleas for them. There’s a fear that He may not even listen, because you believe He doesn’t love them on the same level as you. Let’s not forget the anxiety attached to how God might answer your pleas, or how long He takes to answer them. After all, no one should suffer for any length of time. They deserve utopia!
God’s Love is Kind and Intentional
Let’s start simple: God loves them far more than you. That includes you, mamma bear! As great as mother’s love might be, His is far greater. Whose idea was prayer to begin with? It was God’s. How did He open the door to prayer for us? Through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, Whom He sent on their behalf. Furthermore, He came on your behalf as well, which means you can trust Him. It is not necessary to beg. It is necessary to believe Him!
Ephesians 1:3-7 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved (NASB).
Because of misconceptions of His nature, people overlook the fact that God’s intention of His will toward us is kind. Moreover, before your loved ones were born, He had already predestined them to be adopted as sons and daughters in Jesus Christ (see also Romans 8:14-17). Before they said yes to His invitation, He said yes. By the way, that applies to you as well. That also means, it is His will to save those who have yet to call on the name of Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Trust Him with the Results
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.
Take heart, God is their loving Father Who has their best interests at heart. He knows exactly what they need to get them where they need to be. He will use circumstances for the good, regardless of how bad they look. Appearances can be deceiving. For example, when people go through hardship, they often discover how faithful, and trustworthy He is; even when it may not seem like it when they’re in the thick of it.
Sometimes His answer includes chastisement, but even that serves a greater purpose, which includes the peaceable fruit of righteousness (read Hebrews 12:5-11). The Lord’s discipline ultimately leads to peace, which is rooted in His righteousness. Initially, they may experience hardship and chaos; but in the end, they’ll find His peace ruling in their hearts.
Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. . . and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit” (John 15:1-2).
He gave us the basis of having confidence of answered prayer, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love” (John 15:7-9 [read verses 1-11] NASB).
1John 4:17-19 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love Him, because He first loved us.
The opposite of fear is love, and faith works by love (see Galatians 5:6). If you love God, you have proof He loves you. You could not love Him if He did not first love you. If He loves you, He loves them, and vice versa. You can trust Him!
