|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
God’s ways’ of answering prayers
There were prayers everywhere! In Churches across Andhra Pradesh and in the Christian homes, many prayed.
Were the prayers answered, in the way we desired? Yes, I am referring to the tragic demise of
Dr.Y.S.Rajashekar Reddy, the Chief Minister of Andra Pradesh. The moment news filtered in that
his helicopter bound for Chitoor has gone off the radar on 2nd September, many of us prayed fervantly
for his safe return. Many of us remained
glued to the TV sets through the late hours of that fateful day hoping to hear the good news of his return.
By noon of 3rd Sept, we had to face the sober, heart-rending truth that our leader would not return alive.
Here was a leader, who had done so much good to so many in the society. Should the omniscient God allow
such a leader’s life to be cut short in its prime? After all, is not everything supposed to be in sovereign God’s control?
Even as our hearts ache with sadness, let’s remember the fact that God DOES NOT COMMIT MISTAKES. Period.
If there is one book in the Bible, which blares this truth, loud and clear, it is the Book of Job.
There we see a good man Job facing a plethora of trials in his life. He lost all his property first,
next his precious children and finally his health. Quite unaware of the cosmic contest being fought
in the ethereal realm, do we see Job responding to his trials with composure expected of a saint?
NO, FAR FROM IT! Please come out of the myth that Job faced his trials quietly, without uttering a word in protest!
Do not we see him blowing hot and cold in the matter of faith? If for one moment, there is a bold affirmation that
His redeemer lives
(Job 19:25), then at the other there is a bitter complaint on God’s fairness or rather apparent
lack of it in the whole of 21st Chapter. For all practical purposes, from Chapters 3 to 31 Job resembles a cat on a
hot tin plate, highly agitated about his pathetic state of affairs, though in all fairness, in his defense,
it has to be said that HE DOESN’T ONCE TURN HIS BACK TO THE ALMIGHTY, unlike some prominent backsliders
eg…Solomon or the Judean King Joash
(I Kings 11:1-13/
II Chronicles 24:17-18). At this point,
it would serve us well, to remember that that it is NOT SIN to be agitated about one’s problems.
In the Book of Psalms, do not the psalms of doubt, anger and pain outnumber those of unalloyed praise?
However, we need to remember that whatever be the nature or the extent of our difficulties,
we need to take them honestly (giving full vent to our sentiments) to the good Lord, rather than
look elsewhere for solutions! Coming back to Job, finally, how does the Almighty answer all of Job’s
complaints about getting a raw deal from the Creator despite the latter’s seeming obedience on all matters?
Let us “visit” Chapters 38-41 of Job for seeing God’s answers’ to all of Job’s objections. Honestly,
they represent a masterpiece of qualitative argument steeped in creative logic breaking all chains of rationale,
which Job had bound himself in, so much so at the end of God’s “explanation”, we see God’s erstwhile critic
(Job 40:1,2-NLV) confessing “… I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes"
(Job 42:6). Now what had done the
trick-if you permit me to use that expression-so as to bring about such a radical change? If we look into
Chapters 38-41, we never once see the Almighty specifically answering the specific questions raised by Job,
rather the PERFECT ONE, gives Job a glimpse of various facets of HIS AWESOME CREATION designed to perfection,
as though to question the perturbed Saint “My Dear, I had never once erred in ALL THESE MATTERS, would
I then err only in my dealings with you”? Now this logic gets to the confused saint. Like a shaft of
light it penetrates and dispels all the darkness, he had so erroneously enveloped himself in!
In all matters, difficult as it is, let us trust Him. With our finite minds, it is near impossible to fathom
the working of an infinite God
(Isaiah 55:9). Since, I had started this essay with “prayers”, I want to expound
the subject “God’s different responses to prayers”.
I. Immediately:
In second Chronicles 20, we see a good Judean King Jehoshaphat virtually being brought down to his knees by the daunting
prospect of having to defend himself from the onslaught of three advancing armies. It is said that, that once problems bring us,
down to our knees, we are ACTUALLY in a perfect position to pray! That’s exactly, what this good King did. He called for a
national prayer and the good Lord immediately gave him a reassuring reply through a prophet that there is nothing to
worry (vs 17)! What followed in the following verses of the said chapter is straight from Ripley’s Book of Believe it or not
(but you better believe it, for your own good)! Jehoshapat’s tiny army (relatively speaking that is) marches forward against
its formidable foes with guess what… CHOIR LEADING IT! Shades of David versus Goliath…hey but David at least had a slingshot
but what about those in the choir? Mind-boggling! Simply put, this was faith at its pristine best! That the good Lord made
the enemies fight amongst themselves and slay each other is totally a different story…shades of Stalin-led Russia versus
Nazi Germany in WW II (after having signed non-aggression pact with each other in 1939)! What I want to highlight is
immediacy of response from the good Lord to a passionate prayer. Yes, He does answer prayers immediately…at times.
II. Tarry:
“Lord of what use is my enormous wealth, if I do not have an heir?” Remember the plaintive cry of Abraham
(Gen 15:2),
when he did not have a son in the “healthy” stage of his life? “Lord, please come soon, Lazurus whom you love
is in deathbed”…remember this SOS
(John 11:3) from the Bethany sisters’? What was the Lord’s response to both
these pleas’? He tarried and then gave them, what they wanted! What was the reason for His delay?
He wanted to further strengthen the faith of His beneficiaries besides letting the observing World be awed and
attracted by His faithfulness to those who trust in Him!
Would Abraham and Sarah have rejoiced as much, if Issac had been born to them like any other child normally,
when they were brimming with physical vim, vigor and vitality? IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A MIRACLE AT ALL!
But miraculous birth of Issac, when they were well past the age of childbearing simply cemented their
faith in their miracle-working God. Ditto the same with the Bethany siblings. Healing a seriously sick Lazarus,
may not have augmented their faith as much as raising a dead Lazarus did! Plus, it would not have won so
many souls for the Kingdom
(John 11:45 /
12:10-11)-remember many who had not believed in the Lord before Lazarus’
resurrection started believing in Him, after this stupendous miracle!
III. Deny:
Not once but three times Apostle Paul, a man who by virtue of his tremendous work for the good Lord could
“transact any business” with the Almighty, cried “Lord please remove this thorn from my flesh” but every single
time the Divine reply was “My Grace is sufficient for thee”…so much so Paul affirms that in his weakness is his
strength, because more he is weak, more he would rely upon Divine sustenance
(II Cor 12:8-10)!
Yes, in the larger interests, sometimes the good Lord says a “NO” to our fervent prayers; we have to learn to
accept it. Want to be further persuaded in this matter? Then come along with me to the Garden of Gethsemane on
that dark night, when Judas would betray his Master and what do we see? The Son of God enrobed as He was with
frail human flesh crying out to His Father even as the cruel cross loomed before Him “Father, take away this
cup from me…YET I WANT YOUR WILL TO BE DONE”
(Luke 22:41-42)!
Yes, because the Saviour put the Father’s will BEFORE His own will which quite naturally screamed for release
from an excruciating death on the cross, today I am penning this essay and you are reading it…otherwise, you and
I would be sinners lost in the gloomy dark world of sin…without any light and without any hope.
In conclusion, let me affirm dear friends, we have every right to pray, for EVERYTHING in line with His will
(I John 5:14) but HE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO ANSWER US, THE WAY HE DESIRES…FOR OUR OWN GOOD! Simply put,
it is pre-eminent God’s prerogative to answer the way He wills!
(Suresh Manoharan)
|
|
|
|
|
