Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

MONDAY JANUARY 4


IS HE LISTENING?

READ:
Matthew 27:46
______________________________________________________________________
My God, my God,
why have you
forsaken me?
______________________________________________________________________

"Sometimes it feels as if God isn't listening to me." Those words, from a woman who tried to stay strong in her walk with God while coping with an alcoholic husband, echo the heart cry of many believers. For many years, she asked God to change her husband. Yet it never happened.

What are we to think when we repeatedly ask God for something good__something that could easily glorify Him__but the answer doesn't come? Is He listening or not?

Let's look at the life of the Savior. In the garden of Gethsemane, He agonized for hour in prayer, pouring out His heart and pleading, "Let this cup pass from Me" (MATT 26:39 NKJV). But the Father's answer was clearly "No." To provide salvation, God had to send Jesus to die on the cross. even though Jesus felt as if His father had forsaken Him He payed intensely and passionately because He trusted that God was listening.

When we pray, we ay not see how God is working or understand how He will bring good through it all. So we have to trust Him. We relinquish our rights and let God do what is best.

We must leave the unknowable to the all_knowing One.

He is listening and working things out His way. ____Dave Brannon

**Lord, we don't need to know the reason our prayers sometimes
go unanswered. Help us just to wait for Your time,
because You are good.
______________________________________________________________________
When we bend our knees to pray, God bends His ear to listen.

***************Today's Bible Reading __ Matthew 26:39-42; 27:45-46***********************
39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground
and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be
taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping.
"Couldn't you men keep watch with me for one hour?" he
asked Pete 41 "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into
temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

42 He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it
is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it,
may your will be done."

MATTHEW 27
5 FROM NOON UNTIL THREE IN THE AFTERNOON DARKNESS CAME OVER
ALL THE LAND. 46 ABOUT THREE IN THE AFTERNOON JESUS CRIED OUT IN
A LOUD VOICE, "ELI, ELI, LEMA SABACHTHANI?" (WHICH MEANS "MY
GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?").

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Jesus prayed that "this cup" would be taken
away (vv. 39, 42). In the Old Testament cup is a metaphor for
both God's blessings (PSS. 16:5; 23:5) and God's wrath (PSS. 75:8. ISA.
51:17; JER. 25:15). In today's reading Jesus referred to His imminent
humiliation, torture, and death. He knew He had to become
the object of God's wrath and experience abandonment by
His Father (MATT. 27:46) as He died to take away the sins of the
world (JOHN 1:29). Knowing that this cup came from God (18:11),
Jesus submitted Himself to the Father's will (MATT. 26:42). Bible
commentator Warren Wiersbe wrote: "The Father has never
forsaken any of His own, yet He forsook His Son(MATTT. 27:46). THIS
WAS THE CUP THAT JESUS WILLINGLY DRANK FOR US." ___SIm KAY TEE

ok sorry for the caps. didn't wanna go back and correct cuz it's late here and my daughter will not stop texting me from bed...Hope ya'll had a Merry Merry Christmas..