Happy New Year!
"Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe." — John 4:48
Big Idea #7. Every "no" has a reason; let Jesus deal with the reasons.
When people say "no" to God, this should not surprise us. Deep inside we all wonder, "Can we really trust this Guy who runs the universe?" and "What is He going to do with my dreams, my marriage, my kids, my plans, my fears?"
And everybody has objections. If you and I are honest with ourselves and with God, there are places inside where we have objections. ("God, do anything you want with me, but please just don’t let my kids suffer." Or whatever.)
There’s only one way to navigate past any of these sticking points: Turn them over to Jesus. I don’t know how to reassure you that God knows what He’s doing. I don’t even know how to reassure myself. But I do know that I can take all my objections to Jesus. Bringing us to the place of belief is the supernatural work of God.
Remember that the serpent came to Eve in the Garden and told her all kinds of twisted half truths about God. What is the difference between the one who stands and the one who falls? The one who stands takes the doubts, the objections back to God. What about this, Father? What do I need to know?
Every time Jesus deals with another reason behind a "no," we are strengthened. I used to pray, "God, make me slippery, so the enemy can’t get a grip on me." When Jesus takes away the lies, he takes away the leverage of the enemy.
Be encouraged!
Dwight
Dwight Clough is the author of four Christian books and is an active member of Lake City Church in Madison. This devotional is also available via email and you may review the archives back to 2002. To contact Dwight or Kim, use their contact form. You may also support their ministry.