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Disappointing Jesus

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither. And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.”
Luke 9:41–42
When John Paton, the missionary to the New Hebrides islands was working to translate the Word of God into the language of the people he served, he wanted to be sure he conveyed the meaning accurately. As he was trying to come up with just the right word for faith, one of the native workers who had been converted and was helping Paton came into the house after a long day of toil and labor. Collapsing into a chair, he propped his feet up and declared how good it felt to sit down. When Paton heard him use his word that meant “lean your whole weight on,” he realized he had found the best translation possible for faith.
When we do not lean our whole weight on what God has told us, we rob ourselves of power and blessing and the answers to prayer that we need. But there is more. We also rob those around us of the impact and influence we should have on their lives, depriving them of the help that they need. But there is still more. When we do not walk by faith, we disappoint the Lord. Refusing to believe His promises is an insult to His nature and character. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). God has never broken a promise, yet all too often we listen to the voices of doubt and refuse to act upon what God has told us in His Word.

Today’s Growth Principle: 

The Christian life can only be lived successfully as we walk by faith in what God has promised us.

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“You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.” --Nehemiah 9:6 So much of our prayer life can be shallow, weak, and self-centered. But when you read the great prayers of the Bible, you discover that they are God-centered. A fascinating example is the prayer in the book of Nehemiah chapter 9. It’s the longest recorded prayer in the Bible, and so much of it focuses on the nature and acts of God throughout history. In the book of Psalms, you can see this pattern in the prayers of David also. Even in times of danger or need when David was greatly burdened, he would spend time praising God for who he is, and recounting the good things God had done in the past. This is an important key to breathing life into your prayers! It can be easy to become focused on your problems. But when you pray, put your cares aside for a moment and let your mind focus on the Person to whom you are speaking. Remind yourself of who he is and how much he has done for you. Remember how the Lord’s Prayer begins: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…” (Matt 6:9). Of course, the Lord wants you to bring your cares to him—he tells you to in his Word. But when you pray, let your very first words, and the attitude of your heart, be to bring him praise and glory.  LET YOUR PRAYER LIFE BECOME INCREASINGLY GOD-CENTERED!