God’s will be done – Be Still…

1 John 5:14 – Knowing What to Pray

“And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.” (1 John 5:14)

The advantage of this memory verse is clear—the confidence that God hears our prayers. But there is an action step for us. We need to be praying what pleases God. Other translations refer to our prayers being God’s will. So, if we ask God for things that are his will, he hears us. That makes sense, doesn’t it? I’m confident he hears all the other babbling we do, too.

Context: This verse appears during the conclusion to John’s first letter (he writes three letters total). John assumes he is writing to fellow believers, wants them to know about eternal life, and to further assure that when God hears us, he answers us. Continue reading “1 John 5:14 – Knowing What to Pray”

1 Chronicles 19:1-19 – Defender

Read 1 Chronicles 19:1-19

David and his army are quite the defenders of their promised land. The skirmishes that we read about in this reading could have been avoided. David’s intentions in giving tribute to an old ally seemed legitimate. Even in David’s day, people in power misunderstood each other and took offensive action.

If only the grieving son, Hanun, had not listened to his commanders. As such, these commanders were on the ready for war, so of course every action, including David sending his sympathy, became a potential act of war. Hanun didn’t skip a beat before gathering some help to defeat David.

Ecclesiastes 3:16-22 – Justice for All

Read Ecclesiastes 3:16-22

There is a line in this passage that should be a wake-up call for many. It reads, “In due season God will judge everyone, both good and bad, for all their deeds.” Granted, Solomon was lamenting over corrupt courts, among other things. But his statement rings with truth. Nobody is exempt from God’s justice. We don’t have to worry about all the injustices we see in this world because we know they ultimately don’t matter. God is going to take care of things.

I’ve noted before the tragedy Solomon faced because he didn’t know about the Messiah Jesus. He doesn’t have the hope for eternity we do that keeps us going when we see injustice and abuse of power all around us. We may still find it difficult to truly embrace how God’s power is always in control.