MEDITATIONS
FROM CHRONICLES
February 20 , 2008
Reading: 2 Chronicles 14:9-15
"LORD, it is
nothing for you to help” 2 Chronicles
I am writing these thoughts today to remind me and my readers that God
does answer prayer, sometimes in a most spectacular way. I cannot put the exact
details into print but, let it be known that, if I had any doubts before today,
it is nothing for my Lord to help. That which seems impossible is nothing to
Him. My wife and I were facing a situation which was causing unbelievable
stress, so much so that I worried for her health. Someone whom we love dearly
could not be found and had not been heard from for three months. Contact was
made where he was last known to have lived and his roommate had not seen him
for three weeks and had no idea where he was. We received a phone call
informing us of this situation at 5:00 pm. I immediately turned to the Lord in
prayer and asked that He would lay it on the missing person’s heart to call.
But then I added, “and please make it soon.” I almost
felt embarrassed to add this requirement to my prayer; after all, I have always
believed God answers prayer in His own time and in accordance with His purpose.
I actually used the words “I beg You.” Ten minutes
later the phone rang and guess who was on the other
end? Yes, it was the person from whom we had not heard for three months.
I also wish to testify that earlier today I had read the account of Asa,
King of Judah, which includes the text at the top of the page. Yes, I believe
in God’s timing. I confess I have questions about prayer. For instance, why
does God answer some prayers as we pray and not others? Why are some prayers
answered immediately while others are answered sometimes a long time in the
future? Can you really believe an immediate answer to prayer is a coincidence
of circumstances?
Asa believed it did not matter whether it was a
big problem or a small one. His God was not influenced by the size of the
problem. He turned the situation over to God and believed his prayer was not in
vain.
“Help us, O LORD,
for we rest on You” 2 Chronicles
14:11.
Is this not the key? Is this not where our Sovereign God wants us to be?
The Hebrew word translated rest is ‘sha` an’ and means to ‘lean, rely,
rest’.
“Who among you fears the LORD? Who obeys the
voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in
the name of the LORD and rely (sha` an)
upon his God” Isaiah 50:10.
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and
lean (sha` an) not unto thine own
understanding” Proverbs 3:5.
“So the LORD struck the Ethiopians before
Asa and Judah, and the Ethiopians fled” 2 Chronicles
Thank You, my God,
for the confidence You have placed in my heart that You are a God who answers
the prayers of those whose trust in You and who lean on You.
Teach me to lean,
teach me to lean,
Teach me to lean
on Jesus;
To rest in His
love,
To rely on His
word,
Teach me to lean
on Jesus.