Don't Know What To Do? Ask God...And Believe Him!
Beloved,
I am still reveling in the afterglow of our time together with our Bluestone cousins. I was blessed. Reverend Dennis said that he and his congregation were blessed. I pray that all of you who came were blessed.
Each time, before I preach, I pray. I ask God to help me to do what God would have me to do that will please God the most. I ask and I trust that my prayers will be answered and whatever God gives me, in that moment, is what God would want me to have to do what God wants me to do.
It ceases to be about me and becomes about God in me, through me, not for me, but for God's glory.
Do you approach God that way?
When you pray, and do not get your way, do you continue to trust in God or do you start doing things your way? It may be your habit of doing the latter that may keep you from getting God's better for you, your life, and for those being influenced by you and the way you live your life.
Today, my family is facing some transitions. My oldest daughter, Olivia, is starting college at Spelman College in Atlanta. I am asking God how to continue raising and training my daughter who is a young adult and not a little girl. My oldest son, Hamilton, is driving to Atlanta for some job interviews. I am asking God how to guide him in becoming gainfully employed as a young man and no longer my little boy. My other three children are at different stages of continued educational pursuit between college, high school, and middle school. I am asking God how to be a positive, progressive, impactful influence on their lives as they continue to grow into the people that God has planned for them to be.
Basically, I have a lot to pray to God about and for.
And then, and then, and then, I have to trust what God gives me to feel, think, say and do. If not, then I might as well not pray.
James, the brother of Jesus, put it this way in James 1:5-8,
"If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord."
Ask in faith and you should expect to receive something from God.
Ask in doubt and you should not expect to receive anything from God.
God makes it simple. We should keep it simple too.
Try it. Try God. Trust in God. Pray to God. And expect to receive from God. And, try this. Only do that. Try God. Trust in God. Pray to God. And expect to receive from God.
As today is a meaningful day for me, I know it is a meaningful day for all of you reading this email. We all have our things, our issues, our situations, our concerns that we are going through.
Assuredly, there is an other side to through...if you go through with God and trust Him to lead and guide you along the way.
Pray to Him. Trust in Him. And believe in Him.
I look forward to seeing you on Sunday. It is going to be a great day. I have prayed about it and I am trusting God for it and I am believing that God will bring it to pass for His glory.
Invite someone to come and share in the glory of God with the people of God. If you are being blessed, pass it on. That is the way we will continue to grow the growing church that is Zion Memorial, all for the glory of God.
And, remember, God loves you and I love you too!
Be blessed,
Rev. Cain
