Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – July 19, 2016
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3
A couple months ago, my husband and I went on vacation. But before we headed for the airport, he had a few loose ends to tie up for work, and I needed to purchase a pair of flip flops. So, just a of couple hours before our flight was scheduled to depart, we drove to Kinkos where he had a few copies made. I dropped him off and then beelined it across the shopping center parking lot to the sporting goods store. My plan was to hurry inside, snag a pair of flip flops I had seen just a couple weeks before, then zip back over to pick up my husband. We figured we would finish our respective errands just in time to reconnect, then we could rush to catch our flight.
When I got inside the store, I headed straight to the back of the building where I had seen the flip flops. Bummer! All sold out! I sat on the floor and tried on another brand. Nope. These won’t work. Too scratchy between the toes. I hurried around to the end of the next aisle to try on a pair of water shoes. I sat on the floor once again to try them on. Great! These will work! I almost ran toward the checkout. My husband is probably waiting for me. I paid, then moved quickly toward the sliding glass doors.
That’s when I realized I had lost my car keys. Oh no! Well, maybe I left them in the car. Nope, the car was locked and they weren’t inside. I ran back to the store and hurried toward the aisles where I had tried on the shoes. I searched the floor where I had been seated. No keys. I hope I don’t make us late for our flight! I checked inside my purse. No keys. I checked my pant pockets. No keys. Then I felt the front of my sweatshirt. A-ha! Yay! They were in the front pocket right where I had left them for safe keeping. As I ran toward the front door, I thought, sometimes we are looking for something we already have.
Then it hit me that this is kind of how we sometimes are when we pray. We say, “Lord, please be with me” when He has already said, “I will never leave you or forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). We ask God for—or look for—something we already have from Him. Or, we pray, “Lord, please give me wisdom” then doubt He will, even though He has promised, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let Him ask God. . .” We ask for something we already have. Or we pray, “Lord, please help me escape temptation” then doubt He will help even though He has already promised, “ . . . he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). We ask for something we already have. Or we ask Him to give us His grace, to save us from our sins. But we think we have to earn our salvation. So we seek after something we already possess, simply because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.
Are you asking God for something He has already promised you?
“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God.” (2 Corinthians 1:20)
Prayer
“Lord, thank that because I am your child I always have your favor. Thank you that I don’t have to beg and plead with you and wonder if you will help me. I never have to ask you for, or seek after something from you, that you have already promised me. Amen.”Application
Search the internet for unconditional promises of God. Choose a few and write them on note cards. Carry them with you for a week and memorize each one as a reminder that you don’t have to ask God for something that He has already given you.Related Reading
Romans 10:9; 1 John 1:9; Matthew 11:28-29Post/Tweet today
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