“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
How often have you prayed, forcing every part of your being to believe that God would grant you your request, only to be disappointed? How often have you placed all your treasure in the hope of such and such a thing only to lose it all and embarrass yourself?
Just because we believe in something doesn’t make it truth, and just because we strongly desire for something doesn’t mean we’ll get it. So where, then, does faith enter in?
“And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consumed them: and I make of thee a great nation.” Exodus 32:9–10 Moses interceded on Israel’s behalf, and God turned from His plan to destroy them.
God saw the wickedness of Nineveh and sent Jonah to prophesy against them, to tell them that in forty days Nineveh would be overthrown. But the people of Nineveh repented, fasted, and cried out to God. “And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.” (Jonah 3:10) Nineveh was not destroyed, despite what Jonah thought should be done.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not bend down to the image Nebuchadnezzar built. When faced with the fiery furnace, they replied: “O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”( Daniel 3:16–18)
They didn’t know for sure God would deliver them, only that He was able. And yet they obeyed God rather than man. Their faith wasn’t placed on a prayer for deliverance rather on the God of gods. They willingly chose obedience, without the promise of deliverance, over safety. That takes faith. And that faith is founded not on what they could get from God, but rather on who God is.
David prayed that his baby boy would not die. He fasted and pleaded while the boy was alive. When the child died: “Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.” (II Samuel 12:20)
David didn’t get what he prayed for but that didn’t stop him from worshiping God. When asked why he stopped fasting and praying he answered: “While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.” (II Samuel 12:22–23) David’s faith did not rest on his desire. If it had, he could not have worshiped God when denied his wish.
Before my sight, God has performed miracles. I’ve experienced His healing hand. I’ve seen a man liberated from the demons that possessed him. I’ve seen God’s protection, experienced His salvation, and have known His amazing peace in times of trial. I know God answers prayer.
But I will admit that the greatest test of my faith is when God doesn’t answer prayer the way I want Him to. In those times my focus must be as David’s—on eternity. Do I doubt my salvation when God doesn’t give me what I want? No. That is a sure thing.
The unanswered prayer doesn’t test what God has already done, the saving of my soul from the consequences of my sin. The unanswered prayer tests my faithfulness to move forward in love and obedience. Will I be as David and pick myself up, clean myself off, change my outward appearance, and worship God?
To become angry at God and decide to forgo church attendance and all aspects of worship doesn’t change who God is. God is still there. God still saves souls. God still loves me. Such negative reactions against “my faith and my God” only reveal my faithlessness and how stubborn and wicked my soul is.
True faith does not rest on receiving the desires of my heart. True faith is revealed by what I do after my prayer has been denied. Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, I need to recognize that God is able and be willing to obey His commandments even if He chooses not to give me what I want.
And there lies the key to faith: obedience. Faith dependent upon receiving desires is not faith in God. That is misplaced faith. But faith set on eternity, on an understanding that, yes, God is able and He is sovereign—that kind of faith God counted the heroes of the Bible as having. Read about them in Hebrews 11. And that kind of faith is what keeps you marching forward in your walk with God even when it seems you’ve lost all your worldly treasures.
My faith is not founded upon what I receive today, but on what God has promised for my tomorrow—an eternity with Him in Heaven. I believe God answers prayers. I believe He can be swayed to turn from His intended course through prayer. But I cannot allow my faith in His goodness, His sovereignty, His love, His mercy, His grace, His righteousness, His judgment, and all that He is, be dependent upon whether my prayers are answered the way I want them to be.
I pray God has blessed you with this story. I pray that if you have not called upon the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, to be saved, that today you will. I also pray that if you have suffered, that you will find the peace, joy, and comfort God provides when you turn to Him in the midst of your storm.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and forevermore.
Yours prayerfully,
Lynn Squire
• Write about Joab’s Fire on your blog, Twitter, MySpace, and Facebook page.
• Suggest Joab’s Fire to friends.
• When you’re in a bookstore, ask them if they carry the book. The book is available through all major distributors, so any bookstore that does not have Joab’s Fire in stock can easily order it.
• Write a positive review of Joab’s Fire on www.amazon.com.
• Send my publisher, HigherLife Publishing, suggestions on Web sites, conferences, and events you know of where this book could be offered at media@ahigherlife.com.
• Purchase additional copies to give away as gifts.
To learn more about Joab’s Fire, please email me at ldsquire@yahoo.com or visit www.lynnsquire.com.
You may also contact my publisher directly:
HigherLife Publishing
400 Fontana Circle
Building 1 – Suite 105
Oviedo, Florida 32765
Phone: (407) 563-4806