A Thought

“You ask and do not receive because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” James 4:3

Though I should not be, I continue to be astounded at the number of persons who turn away from the Church and the Lord because they are convinced their prayers were ignored. In their minds because their personal petitions had not been granted, it was proved to them there is no God – or – He is not a God worth following. They have discovered for themselves yet another “contradiction” in the Bible (“If you ask anything in My name, I will do it” John 14:14).

There is nothing in Scripture I am aware of that indicates on any level that the Lord does, or will do, “personal favors” nor does personal enrichment do much to glorify the Kingdom of Heaven. James and John both reveal what we should ask and what we should seek. It is to the glory of His Church for the sake of the Gospel. When we can show the Lord we mean to work the Gospel to His glory and not our own, we will ask and will receive all we need (but not necessarily our every heart’s desire) to that end.

It is entirely about the Gospel of the Lord. The Lord means for others who do not know to come to know, and the Lord means for His Church to be about making sure others know. Let us learn to ask and to work to that end. Then, and only then, will we find riches and prosperity beyond our imaginations … when we prove to the Lord we can be so trusted.