Pastor John,
In today’s Pearl, your father said, “Don’t allow yourself to even feel right toward God until He does what He says He’ll do. Tell Him about it!” You cannot say that without intimate experience with God. Right? You don’t speak that way about God or anyone, unless you know them … and know their behavior.
If and when God doesn’t do what I think He might ought to, I say in my heart, “God, you know best,” and that is the best response that I have had. If I am feeling weak in spirit, I might pout or get disheartened first. But your father says, to paraphrase, “You knock on God’s door and tell Him that He owes you one.”
Who says that?! Preacher Clark spoke of Him as One He knew well.
I wouldn’t stand at God’s door waiting…because I have no experience. I wouldn’t know what I was waiting on. I don’t know Him, just of Him and even at that… only in fragments. Your father appears to have known God well enough to expect Him to do what He says and then to respectfully ask God for it if He didn’t feel that He delivered. He didn’t make an excuse for not receiving His blessing. It goes right along with “Heal us or tell us why not, God!”
I find this incredible and very encouraging. Your father respected, feared and loved God, I am certain. But He also believed Him! And knew from experience that He was good for His word. Wow. Saying we need that kind of experience in our life is telling it short, I imagine. Incredible.
I’m printing and framing this one. I want the reminder to believe God … and to know that a person can know God in a way greater than I do. Thank you for this.
Jerry