Ch. 2: God is Willing (pt 1)

How many times have we come up with reasons why we won't ask God to help us? We come up with 10,000 excuses/ reasons such as "My problems are so insignificant that I really shouldn't bother God with it" to "God will think I am so selfish for asking for this therefore I won't." Or my favorite "I got this, I can handle it...I'll let God help me with the next problem I have." However none of these statements are true. they are all lies! Lies that we tell ourselves over and over again. God is willing and waiting for us to come to him with our struggles...we only need to ask.

To illustrate this point, Bill talks about a story found in Luke that Jesus told about a Judge and a Widow. In the story, there is a window who has been wronged and she seeks the help of a local judge. However, the judge doesn't care about anyone beside himself. Its only after the window keeps bugging him that the judge finally concedes and helps the widow. Bill goes on to say that this story is typically misinterpreted by many people in which the see God as the judge, someone who will only help if you pester them long enough. In fact the exact opposite is true!

Will not God bring about justices for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly- Luke 18:7-8

I know I am guilty of thinking at times that God only cares about the big important things. He doesn't want to help me with the little things as well. Or that I need the right formula/key in order to get God to answer my prayers. Once more these are all lies that I tell myself and the truth of the matter is that he does care. GOD DOES CARE ABOUT ME. He cares about everything that has to do with me. From the smallest thing I struggle with to the largest. All I have to do pray to him and ask for his help and he will be there. I just need to keep reminding myself of this fact but that is easier said then done sometimes...

Another way that people tend to misinterpret this story is that they think that we as humans are the widow. Once more this is not true and as Bill describes in the book, the widow was abandoned, had no family and no connection with the Judge. Whereas, we are not abandoned, and in fact are a part of God's family. Now as I write this I think about my family both biological and otherwise and I know that for most of the members, if I ask them for help with something they will give it without hesitation. How much more do you think a perfect and loving being like God will be like? Granted the help he provides may not always be in the form that we like/chose but it is always in a way that is best for us.

Taste and see that the LORD is good - Psalm 34:8