"Show!"

Our little man is a sensitive soul.  If he has sustained an injury, or endured a verbal lashing from a certain disgruntled four-year-old, or has been reprimanded by his father, he is quick to call out for his mommy.  However, if mommy is in plain sight, he then resorts to calling out for a "show" to calm his aching heart.  His cries are loud, dramatic, and slightly pathetic; however, effective as his enormous blue eyes well with the largest of crocodile tears.  "SHOOOOOOOW!" (sniff, sniff) "SHOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!"

This week as I endured cry after cry, attempting to pacify our sweet boy with cuddles and less television (the American Academy of Pediatrics would probably frown upon TV for soothing purposes), it occurred to me how many times I have sought temporary forms of relief, settling for a generic and quick fix to soothe my weary and troubled soul.  This thought is especially convicting, when faced with the reality that because of my relationship with Christ, I have direct access to the One who is able to provide lasting comfort and peace in the face of any trial, minor or significant. 

"But if we hope for what we do not have yet, we wait for it patiently.  In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." Romans 8:25-27

 I pray that as my faith matures through life's many seasons, my heart's cry will be that of, "Lord, Lord," that I might save the television for entertainment, and the Doritos for snack time.  In a perfect world, I would eliminate the Doritos all together.

from Streams in the Dessert

He will do this. (Psalm 37:5)

I once believed that after I prayed, it was my responsibility to do everything in my power to bring about the answer. Yet God taught me a better way and showed me that self-effort always hinders His work. He also revealed that when I prayed and had confident trust in Him for something, He simply wanted me to wait in an attitude of praise and do only what He told me. Sitting still, doing nothing except trusting in the Lord, causes a feeling of uncertainty, and there is often a tremendous temptation to take the battle into our own hands.

We all know how difficult it is to rescue a drowning person who tries to help his rescuer, and it is equally difficult for the Lord to fight our battles for us when we insist upon trying to fight them ourselves. It is not that God will not but that He cannot, for our interference hinders His work. C. H. P.

Spiritual forces cannot work while we are trusting earthly forces.

Often we fail to give God an opportunity to work, not realizing that it takes time for Him to answer prayer. It takes time for God to color a rose or to grow a great oak tree. And it takes time for Him to make bread from wheat fields. He takes the soil, then grinds and softens it. He enriches it and wets it with rain showers and with dew. Then He brings the warmth of life to the small blade of grass, later grows the stalk and the amber grain, and finally provides bread for the hungry.

All this takes time. Therefore we sow the seed, till the ground, and then wait and trust until God's purpose has been fulfilled. We understand this principle when it comes to planting a field, and we need to learn the same lesson regarding our prayer life. It takes time for God to answer prayer. J. H. M.