It took nearly 40 minutes to preach this message at the 55+ community where I share God’s word each week. For the ease of reading, I divided it into two parts. You can find part one at this link.
What will we do when God says “No” to our prayers? Let me help you find a far better answer than Harris and Sampson gave. When disappointment or disillusionment creeps into our thoughts, ask yourself the following three questions:
The first is this: Is God good and compassionate all the time and in all circumstances? His Scriptures says He is. For example, Psalm 145:17 “The Lord is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds.” Again, Psalm 103:13-14 “Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.
God says He is good and compassionate all the time and in all circumstances. Will you decide to believe Him, even when your heart is breaking?
The second question is this: Can I trust God to do what is right and good all the time and in all circumstances? His word says He is trustworthy. For example, Romans 8:28-31 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose . . . What then shall we say to these things [that happened to us and around us]? If God is for us, who is against us?”
Will you decide to trust Him, even when your heart is breaking?
Here is the third question: Do I also believe God loves me as much as He loves Jesus? Jesus says God does. In His so-called High Priestly prayer (John 17:20-23) Jesus prayed, “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word . . . I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.
Will you believe the Father loves you as much as He loves Jesus, even when your heart is breaking?
Let me cite only two examples of people, common, everyday people like you and I whose circumstances forced them to ask and to answer those three questions.
The first example is Horatio Spafford. I’ve referred to him before. In 1871, Spafford’s 4-year-old son died of Scarlet fever. Two years later, business demands kept Spafford from joining his wife and four daughters on a family vacation in England where their friend Dwight L. Moody would be preaching. While enroute on November 22, 1873, their steamship collided with another, and sank within minutes to the bottom of the ocean, killing 226 people. Among the dead were all four of Spafford's daughters. His wife, Anna, survived the tragedy. When she finally arrived in England, she sent a telegram to Spafford. It read "Saved alone. What shall I do?"
Spafford immediately followed on the next ship sailing for England. As his ship crossed the spot where his four daughters drowned, Spafford wrote these words:
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, let this blest assurance control, that Christ hath regarded my helpless estate, and hath shed His own blood for my soul. . . . And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight, the clouds be rolled back as a scroll; The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, even so, it is well with my soul.
How could Spafford write such words? I’ll tell you how. Because he had lived a life of faith and trust and love toward His Savior.
The second person I want to introduce to you is George Muller (d. 1898). Muller and his first wife opened orphanages across Bristol, England to care for homeless, and destitute children. By the end of his life, Muller and his wives had housed, fed, and clothed more than ten thousand orphans and opened nearly 120 schools which offered Christian education to more than 120,000 children.
After nearly 40 years of marriage to his first wife, Mary, death took her from his arms. His second wife, Susannah, died after 23 years of marriage. Muller also buried his four children, the oldest at age 68, another at 15 months, and two still-born infants. Nevertheless, shortly before his own death in 1898 (he was 92), and undaunted by his own life-tragedies, Muller preached a message from Lamentations 3:21-22. This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Muller told his congregation: “While everything changes here on earth, Jesus our friend is the same. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. As he was millions of years ago, he is now. What he was when he walked in Galilee and Judea and Samaria. He is now. His heart full of beauty and tenderness and compassion.”
Muller continued: “I say to you all, you may be the oldest, the greatest, the hardest of sinners. But if you turn to Christ, He will forgive you. There is power in the blood of Christ to take away the worst of sins.”
“Knowledge cannot make you happy. Christ alone brings you happiness again and again. I know seven languages, but I will still go to hell if I did not know Christ.” And now read the final words of his message in the context with the deaths of his two wives, and four children: “I cannot describe the joy and the peace which comes from knowing the Lord Jesus. I am a happy old man. Yes, I am a happy old man. I walk around my room knowing I am not alone because you are here with me. I have buried my wives and my children, but still you are with me. I do not feel alone or forsaken because I have you and your smile. And that is better than life itself.”
What shall you and I do when we don’t like God’s answers to our prayers? Shall we turn away as Joshua Harris and Marty Sampson did? Or shall we live as Spafford and Muller, and the rest of that great cloud of witnesses we read of in Hebrews eleven – trusting God, and striving to love Him so much that nothing, not even the deepest soul-wrenching heartache and sorrow and pain – no, not even hearing Him say ‘No” to our prayers – nothing shall move us from our faithful relationship with Him and Him alone.
Oh, Holy Spirit, please help us.
What will we do when God says “No” to our prayers? Let me help you find a far better answer than Harris and Sampson gave. When disappointment or disillusionment creeps into our thoughts, ask yourself the following three questions:
The first is this: Is God good and compassionate all the time and in all circumstances? His Scriptures says He is. For example, Psalm 145:17 “The Lord is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds.” Again, Psalm 103:13-14 “Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.
God says He is good and compassionate all the time and in all circumstances. Will you decide to believe Him, even when your heart is breaking?
The second question is this: Can I trust God to do what is right and good all the time and in all circumstances? His word says He is trustworthy. For example, Romans 8:28-31 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose . . . What then shall we say to these things [that happened to us and around us]? If God is for us, who is against us?”
Will you decide to trust Him, even when your heart is breaking?
Here is the third question: Do I also believe God loves me as much as He loves Jesus? Jesus says God does. In His so-called High Priestly prayer (John 17:20-23) Jesus prayed, “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word . . . I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.
Will you believe the Father loves you as much as He loves Jesus, even when your heart is breaking?
Let me cite only two examples of people, common, everyday people like you and I whose circumstances forced them to ask and to answer those three questions.
The first example is Horatio Spafford. I’ve referred to him before. In 1871, Spafford’s 4-year-old son died of Scarlet fever. Two years later, business demands kept Spafford from joining his wife and four daughters on a family vacation in England where their friend Dwight L. Moody would be preaching. While enroute on November 22, 1873, their steamship collided with another, and sank within minutes to the bottom of the ocean, killing 226 people. Among the dead were all four of Spafford's daughters. His wife, Anna, survived the tragedy. When she finally arrived in England, she sent a telegram to Spafford. It read "Saved alone. What shall I do?"
Spafford immediately followed on the next ship sailing for England. As his ship crossed the spot where his four daughters drowned, Spafford wrote these words:
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, let this blest assurance control, that Christ hath regarded my helpless estate, and hath shed His own blood for my soul. . . . And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight, the clouds be rolled back as a scroll; The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, even so, it is well with my soul.
How could Spafford write such words? I’ll tell you how. Because he had lived a life of faith and trust and love toward His Savior.
The second person I want to introduce to you is George Muller (d. 1898). Muller and his first wife opened orphanages across Bristol, England to care for homeless, and destitute children. By the end of his life, Muller and his wives had housed, fed, and clothed more than ten thousand orphans and opened nearly 120 schools which offered Christian education to more than 120,000 children.
After nearly 40 years of marriage to his first wife, Mary, death took her from his arms. His second wife, Susannah, died after 23 years of marriage. Muller also buried his four children, the oldest at age 68, another at 15 months, and two still-born infants. Nevertheless, shortly before his own death in 1898 (he was 92), and undaunted by his own life-tragedies, Muller preached a message from Lamentations 3:21-22. This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Muller told his congregation: “While everything changes here on earth, Jesus our friend is the same. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. As he was millions of years ago, he is now. What he was when he walked in Galilee and Judea and Samaria. He is now. His heart full of beauty and tenderness and compassion.”
Muller continued: “I say to you all, you may be the oldest, the greatest, the hardest of sinners. But if you turn to Christ, He will forgive you. There is power in the blood of Christ to take away the worst of sins.”
“Knowledge cannot make you happy. Christ alone brings you happiness again and again. I know seven languages, but I will still go to hell if I did not know Christ.” And now read the final words of his message in the context with the deaths of his two wives, and four children: “I cannot describe the joy and the peace which comes from knowing the Lord Jesus. I am a happy old man. Yes, I am a happy old man. I walk around my room knowing I am not alone because you are here with me. I have buried my wives and my children, but still you are with me. I do not feel alone or forsaken because I have you and your smile. And that is better than life itself.”
What shall you and I do when we don’t like God’s answers to our prayers? Shall we turn away as Joshua Harris and Marty Sampson did? Or shall we live as Spafford and Muller, and the rest of that great cloud of witnesses we read of in Hebrews eleven – trusting God, and striving to love Him so much that nothing, not even the deepest soul-wrenching heartache and sorrow and pain – no, not even hearing Him say ‘No” to our prayers – nothing shall move us from our faithful relationship with Him and Him alone.
Oh, Holy Spirit, please help us.
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