Whenever the insistence is on the point that God answers prayer, we are off the track. The meaning of prayer is that we get hold of God, not of the answer. - My Utmost for His Highest
Children (the really cute, little ones) do not go to the oven when they want bread, they go to their parents. This is Chambers' point. He goes on to say that we look for signs, wonders and displays of God's power without recognizing the Eternal God in the mundane, the commonplace, because the just, the righteous man is recognized not by his astute reading of signs and wonders, but by his astute reading and believing in the Word of God. And that dejection comes from the disappointment of our lust for an on demand-God. When God does not respond to us when and how we would like when answers are not produced when we demand. Like the child is dejected when they demand (as the cute little imps are wont to do) candy and receive fruit instead, we too are dejected when we demand and do not receive or we (on our better days) demand good and receive best (foolish little humans!)
Hab 2:4, Rom 1:17, Heb 10:38
The Bible says in the above verses, the just/righteous man shall live/be known by his faith. The just, righteous men of old were followed by signs and wonders, but not for their benefit. Moses was given the sign of the staff-serpent and the leperous hand for the benefit of the Hebrews and for Pharaoh. Jesus performed miracles for the people's benefit, not to prove himself. The righteous man is known by his faith because he does not seek or ask God to prove Himself, he trusts what he knows of the Lord and believes the Lord will see him through until the day of Christ. Asking God to prove Himself especially on this side of the Cross is a travesty and a sure sign of the absence of faith. "Give us this day our daily bread" is and should be our prayer. After praying it, we believe it and go about life with the conviction that our daily bread will be provided. When we cannot see it we call out to the Lord and seek his face. And the Lord said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel. (Num 18:20 ESV) The inheritance of God's peculiar people, his kingdom of priests is God himself. He is our daily bread, we do not go to the oven for bread, we go to God.
The Bible says in the above verses, the just/righteous man shall live/be known by his faith. The just, righteous men of old were followed by signs and wonders, but not for their benefit. Moses was given the sign of the staff-serpent and the leperous hand for the benefit of the Hebrews and for Pharaoh. Jesus performed miracles for the people's benefit, not to prove himself. The righteous man is known by his faith because he does not seek or ask God to prove Himself, he trusts what he knows of the Lord and believes the Lord will see him through until the day of Christ. Asking God to prove Himself especially on this side of the Cross is a travesty and a sure sign of the absence of faith. "Give us this day our daily bread" is and should be our prayer. After praying it, we believe it and go about life with the conviction that our daily bread will be provided. When we cannot see it we call out to the Lord and seek his face. And the Lord said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any portion among them. I am your portion and your inheritance among the people of Israel. (Num 18:20 ESV) The inheritance of God's peculiar people, his kingdom of priests is God himself. He is our daily bread, we do not go to the oven for bread, we go to God.
God makes it very clear in the life and times of King David, Queen Esther, and others that he is Almighty sovereign in the mundane. These two examples saw no miraculous miracles in their lives, yet they saw the hand of God in their lives. We ought to be pleased to live as they did, by faith and not by signs.
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