Written by Paul Lane
The Word
17 If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?”
Acts 11:17 (ESV)
9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
For God So Loved the World
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
John 3:9-21 (ESV)
Reflection
Often, we hear of miracles, answers to prayers, and the like. But how often do we then connect it back to God’s plan? We pray that the Lord gets us through financial trials, personal problems, or physical healing. And the Lord is faithful and true, so He does help us without hesitation. God usually provides the answer right away. It just takes a while for us to realize it. But have you ever then prayed, “Thank You Lord for using my trial as part of Your plan for redeeming mankind”? You see, if it stops with the answer to your troubles, then it’s all about you. Once it is connected to the purposes of the Lord you can see that you are living in God’s plan.
I love the interaction Nicodemus has with Jesus. Some like to refer to it as “Nic at Night” because of the lateness of his visit. He comes with very honest questions, but he does not quite know how to ask them. So, yes, he’s probably holding on to his old life, and his old ways. But the thing to remember is that he comes to Jesus, wanting honest answers to his questions. The answers the Jesus gives him do not fit into his world view, so he struggles. Jesus uses words he can understand, but the message is completely foreign to him. God’s plan does not fit within the box he brought.
There have been a number of occasions in school, and at work, when I went to a teacher or a mentor with a question, and the answer did not fit my expectation. Usually, I had so collapsed my vision that I was looking for a specific answer, when I should have been looking to understand the family of answers and the nature of the problem. I always found that after wrestling with these kinds of answers for a while, I would come back smarter, wiser, and far more prepared to handle the next problem.
So, when we bring our problems, concerns, request to the Lord, we should not hold to our expectations too tightly. In most cases, we are asking for too little, missed an instruction that the Lord has already given us, or we are settling for something beneath what God intends for us. We are free to aim lower than what the Lord intends for us, but do not be too surprised when God does not also settle for it. God intends a thing for you, and He will have it or will have to, after long suffering, be done with you.
Application
When you ask the Lord for something, what are you expecting? If the Lord provides the answer in a different form than what you expect, would you know it and would you be able to accept it? Next time you pray, consider Nicodemus. Come to the Lord as you may, but be willing to accept any answer that the Lord might provide. If you get an answer that causes you to struggle, rejoice. It means that the Lord intends for you to grow. It will be the type of answer that will keep your mind occupied for a long time, and you will be more complete than ever before.
If you are seeking forgiveness, rejoice, because Jesus provides a way to be forgiven which is part of God’s plan to redeem man.
If you are in need, rejoice, because God is not short on resources and it is within His plan for you to use them to accomplish His goals.
If you are in pain or need healing, trust that the Lord is working. Yes, pain and suffering are, perhaps, our most difficult challenges in life, and it is best that we acknowledge that. But we should not lose sight of the Lord’s provision of mercy, grace, and love. Sometimes the Lord’s answer is that you are healed or your pain is relieved, but sometimes the Lord’s answer is something different. Ultimately, we should be looking to what Jesus says in John 3:21 “21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
Prayer
5 Oh that my ways may be steadfast
in keeping your statutes!
6 Then I shall not be put to shame,
having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
7 I will praise you with an upright heart,
when I learn your righteous rules.[Or your just and righteous decrees]
8 I will keep your statutes;
do not utterly forsake me!Psalm 119:5-8
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