Tag: God’s Will

When Faith Isn’t Enough

There’s a popular verse that says faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains (Matthew 17:20). So what happens when someone prays in faith—believing with all their heart for a miracle—only to find that their mountain doesn’t move? What do we say to the person who truly believes for healing, only to lose a loved one to cancer, or to watch their own health fail? When the Bible says “the prayer of a righteous person avails much” (James 5:16), how do we reconcile that with unanswered prayer?

For many Christians, these are heart-wrenching moments of crisis. Faith feels like it’s failed, but the reality is far more complex. Prayer, faith, and God’s purposes are not transactional but relational. And just because a specific answer doesn’t come doesn’t mean faith is irrelevant—it just means God’s plan is greater.

Jesus Himself dealt with this tension. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed for the cup of suffering to be taken from Him (Matthew 26:39), but He also prayed for the Father’s will to be done above all. This shows us that faith is not about manipulating outcomes to fit our desires, but about trusting God’s greater will, even when it contradicts our hopes.

The crux of the issue is understanding that faith isn’t a guarantee for our specific desires but trust in God’s perfect plan. A Molinist perspective sees God’s sovereignty and human free will in harmony. God, in His infinite wisdom, knows all possible outcomes. He sees not just our immediate suffering but the eternal good that He is working through it. When we pray in faith, we are invited to participate in God’s will—not to command it.

Jesus performed countless miracles during His earthly ministry, but even He did not heal everyone or remove every obstacle His followers faced. The Apostle Paul pleaded three times for God to remove a thorn in his flesh, and God’s answer was “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Faith isn’t about always getting what we ask for—it’s about receiving God’s grace in all situations, trusting that His will is good.

So what do we say to the person whose prayer seems unanswered? We remind them that God’s will is ultimately for our eternal good, and that His plans reach far beyond what we can see or understand. The promise of the Gospel is not a comfortable, pain-free life, but the hope of eternal glory (Romans 8:18). In the meantime, God often uses suffering to deepen our faith, grow our character, and reveal His strength in our weakness.

Does faith play a determinative role in prayer? Yes, but only in concert with God’s will. Even the smallest faith is effective, not because of the size of our faith, but because of the size of our God. The mountains in our lives may not always move the way we expect, but the God who made the mountains is always with us.

Faith, ultimately, is trust—trust that God is good, even when the outcome is not what we hoped for. And in the end, for the Christian, death itself is not defeat but the final victory. Physical healing may not always come, but ultimate healing—eternal life with God—awaits all who trust in Him. Faith isn’t just for this life; it’s for the life to come.

Why Your Life Needs to Burn Down… Sometimes

When I read today’s passage, one thought struck me above the others: Israel, now “desolate,” would finally have its “Sabbath Rest.” This isn’t just about a nation lying in ruins—it’s about the spiritual renewal that only comes after the flames of destruction have swept through.

Imagine a forest. For centuries, forest fires were a natural part of its life cycle. The flames would burn away dead wood, making room for new growth. Today, we try to stop any fire from breaking out, thinking we’re protecting the forest. But without those periodic burns, the underbrush grows thick, the dead wood piles up, and eventually, a fire does come—and it’s far more devastating.

Israel’s desolation was like that necessary fire. The nation had accumulated so much spiritual “dead wood”—idolatry, injustice, and disobedience—that God allowed a cleansing fire to sweep through. This wasn’t just judgment; it was a reset, a forced Sabbath rest. In the ashes of what was, God was preparing the ground for what could be—a new beginning, a renewal.

What does this mean for us? Sometimes, God allows parts of our lives to “burn down” so that we can experience true spiritual renewal. We might resist, thinking we’re protecting ourselves, but without these periods of cleansing, the weight of unaddressed sin, unresolved issues, and spiritual complacency only grows. When God strips away what’s unnecessary, He’s making room for new growth—preparing us for something better.

So, if you’re going through a time of desolation, don’t despair. It might be that God is clearing the way for something new. Let the old burn away, and embrace the Sabbath rest He’s offering—a time to reflect, repent, and renew your commitment to Him. After the fire, new life will spring forth.

Are Your Plans Aligned with God’s Will?

As I read Isaiah 30:1-5 this morning, I was struck by the gravity of making plans without consulting God. The passage vividly describes such actions as sinful and rebellious. In these verses, the Israelites sought alliances with Egypt instead of seeking God’s guidance. This decision, made without divine consultation, led to their downfall.

The concept here is clear: when we exclude God from our decision-making process, we are essentially fighting against His will. This rebellion is not merely a mistake but a sin that compounds other sins, leading us further away from His path.

To fully grasp the weight of this message, it helps to understand the historical context. The Israelites, facing the threat of Assyrian invasion, sought the powerful nation of Egypt for protection. This seemed a logical and strategic move from a worldly perspective. However, it was a direct contradiction of God’s command to rely solely on Him for deliverance and guidance.

How often do we find ourselves making plans and forming alliances based on our understanding and wisdom without first seeking God’s counsel? Whether it’s career decisions, relationships, or daily choices, the temptation to lean on our own understanding is strong. Yet, Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

When we take matters into our own hands, we not only risk failure but also miss the opportunity to experience God’s best for us. His plans are always superior to ours, filled with purpose and aligned with His perfect will. By seeking His guidance, we align ourselves with His divine plan, ensuring that our steps are ordered and blessed.

Take a moment today to reflect on areas of your life where you might be making decisions without consulting God. Are you relying on your own understanding, or are you seeking His wisdom and guidance? Commit to bringing every plan before Him in prayer, asking for His direction and trusting in His perfect will.

Whose Will Be Done?

“I admit the deed! — tear up the planks! — here, here! — it is the beating of his hideous heart!” The satisfying release can almost be felt as we reading the thrilling conclusion of Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’. It is the story of a man whose guilt consumes him, until he can do nothing other than admit the deed. His conscience haunted him. It is a similar condition in which we find Joseph’s brothers during today’s reading.

They are struck by the famine Joseph predicted, and so make the trek to Egypt where food has been stored for exactly this occasion. Joseph’s Brothers bring money to Egypt to purchase food as their own supplies have nearly run out. They do not recognize Joseph when they come before him to request to purchase food. Joseph questions the brothers extensively before telling them that unless they bring their youngest brother, they’ll not be allowed to purchase any additional food. So they pay for their portion and head back to Canaan.

Along the way, they find that they have not only the food they purchased, but also the money paid in their bags. A secret blessing from Joseph. But they cannot even receive the blessing, they were still, after all these years, consumed with guilt about what they had done to their brother. It is a curse! they thought, God was surely punishing them. They could never go back.

But eventually they were forced to return. Now we pull God’s careful positioning of Joseph back out of the pocket from yesterday. Because it was during this trip that Jacob revealed himself saying, “God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors” (Gen 45:7, NLT). Does this mean that God orchestrates evil events to bring about good? Some faithful Christians would say that He does. But I would say that God, in His omniscience, knows what each of us would do in any given circumstance and that He factored in the evil free-will choices of mankind when he providentially arranged the world.

Is it good that you did a bad thing because it achieved God’s Will? No. But God’s Will cannot be defeated by the works of mankind either. His Will be done. Amen.

Genesis 42:1-45:15 | 016/365