Answered Prayers? Yes? No?

[Neil D]

Thank you so much all of you. It really means a lot to me.

I have had a long heart-to-heart with the Lord on Sabbath just gone (while dialysing - I had nothing else to do lol) and we have decided that I will leave everything to Him and accept whatever is His decision.

I am now concentrating on learning more about Him and His purposes - and His love.

Graeme

PS

Nan, I loved that idea of the two sides of the tapestry - it gave me much food for thought. Thank you!

I just got back, and was looking thru these threads, and saw this...

I got one thing to say, Graeme....

Damn!

I know, ...not kosher...but what else is there to say? It seems shallow to say I can't tell you how sorry I am. I ain't into the miracles stuff either...too many days in the hospital to see the other side of things....

Look, God doesn't mind anger....I am sure there have been days where He may have shook His fist at me...but as in Lamintations 3-

15 He has filled me with bitter herbs

and sated me with gall.

16 He has broken my teeth with gravel;

he has trampled me in the dust.

17 I have been deprived of peace;

I have forgotten what prosperity is.

18 So I say, "My splendor is gone

and all that I had hoped from the LORD."

19 I remember my affliction and my wandering,

the bitterness and the gall.

20 I well remember them,

and my soul is downcast within me.

21 Yet this I call to mind

and therefore I have hope:

22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

23 They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;

therefore I will wait for him."

25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,

to the one who seeks him;

That is all that I will say, Graeme....My heart goes out to you and I do feel for you...Give your wife an extra hug....tell her it is from some ol' yank from the states who wishes her well.

Peace be to you and your family....And yes, you are in my prayers.

[Nan]

Graeme, I was very glad to read your post, and I am glad you found Corrie's thoughts helpful.

[LifeHiscost]

we have decided that I will leave everything to Him and accept whatever is His decision.

I am now concentrating on learning more about Him and His purposes - and His love. Graeme

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

Matt 11:28,29 NKJV

Regards!

[Woody]

Habakkuk challenged God with this ...

How long, O Lord, must I call for help,

but you do not listen?

OR cry out to you, "Violence"

but you do not save?

Why do you make me look at injustice?

Why do you tolerate wrong?

[Planey]

Thanks again to all for your comforting posts.

I have tried to look outside of our lives and realised there are very many people in the world who are suffering much more than us. We still have many blessings. And God has promised that His grace is sufficient for all.

Thank you all my friends.

Graeme

[Woody]

[puddles]

Planey,

I received this and immediately thought of you and your wife and wanted to share it with you. This was written by Herb Montgomery of Renewed Heart Ministries.

***

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no changing or shadow of turning.—James 1:17

Do you know what one of my favorite things about God is? It is the fact that you can tell Him anything, you can let Him in, so to speak, and He is never going to change in reference to you. He’ll never pull back, never will the expression on His face change. In our darkest moments, He does not withdrawal, but presses in even closer with His eternally loving embrace to heal, help, and cause us to grow. He wants you to let Him into your deepest darkest secrets. He wants an intimate relationship with you. He promises not to condemn, but to help. He will always be honest with us, but it will be in kindness and love. He’s not afraid to tell us where we are wrong. And where we are not in the wrong, He will come "to our defense with the wrath of a God." He will stand by us through it all. And, after all, no matter what you tell Him, no matter how deeply you let Him in, doesn’t He already know anyway? This leads us to today’s passage, on which I would like you to meditate this week.

James tells us that with God there is no changing or shadow of turning. What does he mean by shadow of turning?

Have you ever just sat on your front porch and watched the shadows turn as the sun moves across the sky? Why do the shadows turn? This happens because the position of the sun to these objects is constantly changing. God is whispering to us in this passage, "tell me anything, let me in, my position toward you, my relating to you, will not change! No matter what you could tell me, I will not pull away, I will remain.”

C.S. Lewis stated in his book The Problem of Pain "Why else were individuals created, but that God, loving all infinitely, should love each differently? And this difference, so far from impairing, floods with meaning the love of all blessed creatures.” Yes God loves each of us infinitely, but each of us is different and, thus, God wants a unique and individual, intimate relationship with each of us, as well. (This thought is also reflected in John’s statement in Revelation 2:17.)

Dear friend, do you need a God that knows everything there is to know about you and still loves you nonetheless for it? I give you my God. He truly is the most beautiful being I have ever encountered….

- Herb Montgomery

www.renewedheartministries.com

[Planey]

Thank you, puddles. I have been trying to repair my relationship with Jesus, and it is a comfort to realise it is only my side that is disfunctional. And that He wants me back close to Him.

Graeme

[Taylor]

Praying for you and your wife Planey and sending you both a hug.

[LifeHiscost]

it is a comfort to realise it is only my side that is disfunctional. And that He wants me back close to Him.

Graeme

I'm with you, Planey. There have been times when I didn't know why I couldn't discern God's grace. Only as time passed and I could look back in retrospect did I see that the light of His love for me had never diminished, only my capacity to discern His presence and His love.

It even makes me weep when I recognize that Jesus felt that same loss of capacity to see the Father's love, only while bearing the sins of the world on His heart, your sins and my sins that made the load that much heavier.

Praise God that Jesus didn't change when He bore that load, unlike His servants, each one having a point where they would break under the load.

Praise God that many will never have to reach that point where they break in order to see how helpless they really are, without God's amazing grace.

"....God is love." 1 John 4:8 KJV

"I and my Father are one." John 10:30 KJV

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8 NASB

God's blessing!

[Naomi]

Hello Planey,

I only just now read this thread. You and your wife are, and will be, in my prayers. I haven't walked in your footsteps, but I feel your pain.

God is there and He loves you.