James 4:2 (NLT) – “You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous for what others have, and you can’t possess it, so you fight and quarrel to take it away from them. And yet the reason you don’t have what you want is that you don’t ask God for it.”
How simple God has made it for us. All he asks of us is that we ask of him. And yet, we grumble and complain. We live within the ‘Elder Brother’ mentality. When God pours out blessings on others, we become jealous and try to discredit them when they prosper. However, much like the elder brother in the story of the Prodigal Son, we fail to pause long enough to ask our Heavenly Father for his blessing.
Could this attitude stem from a fear that God doesn’t love us as much as he loves others?
Here are a few questions to ask yourself. Seek out God’s truth for each of these questions in his word.
Do you think you have to earn his approval to get on his good side so he’ll do what you hope he will do?
Do you believe God plays favourites? Do you feel like you aren’t God’s favourite?
Do you know the difference between working with God and working for God?
Are you of the mistaken belief that God doesn’t care about the practicalities?
Is your Christianity culturally based or is it relationally based? Do you believe that Jesus sees you as his close personal friend?
Do you spend more time presenting your needs to God than you do worshipping him and getting to know him through his word and through quietly sitting with him?
Luke 11:9-12 (NKJV) -“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
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All Bible verses attributed to the ESV version unless otherwise indicated.
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Until Next Week,
©2019 Katherine Walden
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