Maybe All God Asks is That We Don't Say No

“And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.” (Eze 37:3 AV)

One might think the prophet’s answer was non-committal or taking the safest choice.  Rather, the prophet’s answer shows us a great principle.  The question above regarded the valley of dry bones.  Ezekiel saw a valley filled with dry human bones and the LORD asked Ezekiel if it were possible these bones might once again live.  For these bones to live, sinew, flesh, and blood must be added.  That would be quite a miracle, even for God.  So, the prophet remarked that if it were possible, the LORD would be the only one who would know it.  The prophet did not respond ‘no’.  He could have.  He didn’t respond ‘yes’, either.  He simply stated if it were possible, the LORD would know.  Sometimes, the LORD asks if we believe He can and will do a specific thing.  Sometimes, we can respond in the affirmative.  Sometimes, ignorantly so, we respond in the negative.  But sometimes, faith is sufficient if we do not limit God.  If we merely believe it is possible with God and not limit Him to what we think He can and will do, that might be all that God asks us to believe.

If the truth be known, this is where most of our prayer requests belong.  It is not that we believe cannot do something.  Our issue is, will God do what we ask?  I am sure the Ezekiel did no doubt that God could, if He willed it so, to bring bones back to life.  After all, God created all things out of nothing.  It is not that we doubt God can cure a patient, bring revival, or solve a serious financial problem.  Just the other day, we prayed for protection for overseas relatives that feel threatened by a non-friendly nation.  For the LORD to work things so this little nation was not invaded by a larger one would be miraculous.  It would be something only God can do.  Watching the movie Midway, one is struck by God’s hand on the whole thing.  Only God can do that.  Even the most recent assassination attempt on a presidential candidate was divine protection is the most recent times.  God is able to do all things He wishes to do.  God is not limited by natural forces.  What we begin to ask is not whether God can.  We wonder if God will.  Sometimes, faith in the ability of God is all that He asks.  All that He may ask is that we not limit what He can do because we choose not to believe. 

Sometimes, sufficient faith is faith in the possible and not in the probable.  As long as we don’t say ‘no’, the LORD may do a work.  He may not require a ‘yes’.  I am sure the LORD would be extremely pleased if we say ‘yes’ every time he would ask this question.  But maybe that is not what He seeks.  As long as we think God can do it, even if we doubt that He will do it, might be just enough.  When we read the giants of faith, we assume they had unfaltering faith in every circumstance of life.  This is not true.  Abraham’s lapse of faith produced Ishmael.  Moses’ lapse of faith kept him from entering Canaan.  Paul’s lapse of faith found him under house arrest in Rome.  To think we have to be a super-Christian, believing God will do all things of which we ask is misguided.  This is how Christians often become disillusioned with God.  They place expectations on God and are disappointed when God doesn’t answer as they had hoped.  They pray for a loved one to accept Christ.  When they do not, God has somehow failed.  They ask for their electric bill to be paid and when their power is shut off, somehow God is not as big as they thought.  Sometimes, all that God asks is that we give Him the benefit of the doubt and believe that He can.  Not necessarily that He will.