Have you ever encountered this sentiment:
It is a subtle but insidious lie that has the potential to (and probably has) damaged the trust in God of many Christians.
How many of us have been told that if we just believe, God will make it happen?
We believed as hard as we could, but God did not make it happen.
So, what happened?
Did we not believe enough? Did we not have enough faith?
What Happens When God Does Not
How many of us have ever had a prayer request go unanswered or rejected?
How many of us have ever known that God will, but then He does not?
How many single mothers have been told to just believe? How many have prayed, I know that God will provide me money to pay the rent.
When it does not happen, what happens to this mother’s faith?
How many unemployed persons have been told to just believe? How many jobless but hard-working people have prayed, I know that God will help me find a job.
When it does not happen, what happens to that person’s faith?
How many families of sick children have been told to just believe? How many have prayed, I know that God will heal my child.
When it does not happen, what happens to that family’s faith?
What happens to a person’s relationship with God when they know He will, and then He does not?
If you prayed knowing that God will, but then He does not, what happens inside of you? Doubt creeps in. Doubt leads to anxiety. Anxiety leads to fear. Fear destroys relationships.
If you believe God will, and He does not, maybe it encourages you to pray harder. When that does not work, maybe you need to behave better. When that does not work, maybe you need to confess all your sins!
When that does not work, where do you go, if you still believe that God will?
Might someone believe at that point that they are not worthy of God’s love?
Might someone stop believing that God will?
Might someone stop believing that God… is?
It happens all the time, and it is because of the deception about what faith really is.
Do you see how poisonous this lie can be?
If we believe a lie about the God of the Bible, our whole world can be shattered.
It stems from a misunderstanding of what faith is, and it includes the lie quoted in the image that started this discussion.
Not Knowing Is Not Doubt
There is a story in the book of Daniel, chapter 3, that lends some evidence for my assertion.
Daniel’s friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, happen to be part of the King’s counselors. The King had commanded that, upon hearing the blaring of horns and trumpets, all his counselors were to bow down to and worship a statue the King had erected.
When the horns blared, all the counselors who heard it bowed down, as the King had commanded. However, the trio of Hebrews refused to do so, and their fellow counselors told the King about it. The King was angry, so he summoned the three Hebrew men.
“Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?”
Daniel 3:14, 15 (NIV)
The three Hebrews were not having it:
“King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.”
Daniel 3:16, 17 (NIV)
Here, the Hebrews’ knowledge of God compels them to confidently proclaim that God can save them.
They know that God can.
Then notice what they say:
But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
Daniel 3:18 (NIV)
They proclaim that even if their God does not save them, they will remain loyal to Him.
In saying this, they acknowledge that they do not know what their fate should be if they are thrown in the fiery furnace. They do not know if God will save them.
They do not know if God will.
The faith of these three Hebrew men is undeniable and unassailable. Still, they did not know what God would do in this particular circumstance.
They know that God can. They do not know if God will.
Not knowing God’s will is not the same as not trusting God. Who of us can know His plans at all times anyway? There is a reason He is God and we are not!
Their faith was not in the circumstances within which they found themselves, nor in God’s willingness to make changes to those circumstances. Their faith was in God’s character of love and His ability to accomplish His objectives, no matter what happened to them.
Jesus Asked
Consider this prayer of Jesus:
“Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me.”
Mark 14:36 (NLT)
Jesus confesses that God can do whatever He wants, including deliver Him from those seeking to torture and murder Him. Jesus’ humanity cries out to be saved from the coming suffering and death.
However, Jesus did not know if God would deliver Him. That is why He asked.
“Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
Luke 22:42 (NLT)
Are you willing, Father? If you are, please make another way.
Jesus knew God could. He did not know if God would.
God is able. Is He willing?
Ultimately, God took the cup of suffering away from the three friends of Daniel.
God did not take the cup of suffering from Jesus.
So, do not worry, my friend. The only way to know if God will is to ask Him. Nobody can know what is God’s will without actually hearing from God.
Yes, there are some things we can know about the will of God, as revealed in the Bible:
- It is God’s will that all hear the Good News about Him.
- It is God’s will that we treat each other with unconditional love.
- It is God’s will that we be ready to explain our love for God whenever we have that opportunity.
There are some things we cannot know without first asking, such as:
- Does God want us to have that job?
- Does God want us to marry that person?
- Does God want us to move to a remote village and teach English?
- Does He want us to give a dollar to that beggar?
We cannot know these things without hearing from God about them!
In other words, to know these things, it will require us to ask God to tell us. Then, we must wait for God’s answer.
We Must Ask
God is not a vending machine. Prayer is not a coin.
God is not a genie in a bottle. Prayer is not rubbing a lamp.
Faith is not a blind belief in what God will do. Faith is not a blind belief in believing that God will.
Faith is not some complex philosophy that requires deep study. Faith is simply trust in God.
To have faith in God simply means to trust Him no matter what. The only way to trust Him is to get to know Him.
(If you do not know Him, I encourage you to start right now! Pray to Him and, if you can, go read the Bible. He promises if you seek Him, you will find Him.)
Whether God wills it or not, whether God does it or not, faith is believing that God loves you to death, no matter what, and will accomplish your complete healing.
Faith is trusting God in any circumstance, regardless of the outcome.