Proverbs 23:18 For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.
There is a growing number of people in the church who have stopped expecting anything from God, and therefore, there is no disappointment when nothing happens. This type of self-preservation relationship has become a rote and neutral existence that has no life in, or out, of it. As a matter of fact, this lack of expectation in their Christian walk has started to destroy the joy in their everyday lives. Rev. 3:15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other.
This type of Sunday madness can bring harm to our personal relationship with our loving God because the Lord is continually reaching out to our souls to expand His love within us. If there is no receptivity from our hearts, then how do we go forward? Mark 4:25 And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. 25 For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.
God is a living being and so are we. Life moves, breaths and feels in a constant forward motion. If life cannot stand still, then how can we stand inert and mute in a living body; the church? Acts 17:28a For in him we live, and move, and have our being.
I have personally had this struggle with God when I have gone through trials that seem to be overwhelming. I have asked the Lord, “Why pray by what I think faith is if the prayer is ignored?” Some of you might be saying, “Who said the prayer was ignored?” I agree with your analyzing, but it does not change the fact that it feels that way.
Of course this is the acting out of fighting the good fight of faith, and this fight can leave us feeling beat up. We, who have had this struggle, are not the first ones to go through this. Jeremiah was fed up with the responsibility of the word in his life, but when he tried to stop the motion of the living word in his heart it was impossible not to be who God called him to be. Jer. 20:9 Then I said, I will not make mention of Him, nor speak any more in His name. But His word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
Moses struggled with the feelings of his inability to provide meat for the large population. Moses was fed up to the point of sarcasm Num. 11:12 Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou should say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father bears the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers? Moses was basically saying, “When are you going to answer this prayer?” Then God answers. Num. 11:23 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Has my arm lost its power? Now you will see whether or not my word comes true!”
I could speak of Job, Hezekiah, Gideon and many others who had just wanted to shut it down and give up. The thing that always changes the circumstances were the words. Then the LORD said!
This is the point: that God eventually comes through. Prov. 23:18 For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off. So, giving up on prayer is not the answer to your prayers, because the Holy Spirit lives in us and He intercedes on our behalf all the time with prayer. Rom. 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Jesus, our Lord, who lives in our hearts, intercedes for us; therefore, we are constantly in the way of prayer whether we want to pray or not. We are continually surrounded by it. Heb. 7:22 By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. 25 Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them.
Our expectation will not be cut off because the Lord Jesus is working toward our victory. Jude 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. The Godhead has put way too much into our eternal lives to leave us floundering around with a mediocre relationship. Half-hearted attempts at communication will not do. God desires all of our being and He has the right to ask for it. Thank you, Lord, for your constant pursuit of our lives. You are a good God.
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