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What If God Said Yes
Have you ever prayed and waited on God’s response and His answer was “NO”? I have.
I have questioned God, I have been angry with God, I have bargained with God, and I have repeated my request to the point of nagging, thinking that I could change the answer! I have tried to out-plan God, I have tried to go around God, thinking that I know better than He does about my requests.
As I have grown in my faith, I have learned the folly of my efforts! As a child of God, He wants the best things for me and I do not always see His way as the best for myself! I have studied and read and tried to learn about yielding my will to His. It is still a struggle! As I read the scripture about Jesus death and resurrection, I was struck by something I have read many, many times. Jesus prayed to the
same God that we do, asking things in His name. As God’s Son, Jesus had a special relationship with his Father, and we read many times of His prayers. This special time was a tremendous burden to Jesus and he knew what He faced. He ask God three times to “Take this cup from me.” Three times, God answered “No”. I am not a theologian, and I do not know all of the implications and hidden things in this verse, but I saw the Son of Man deal with the answer “NO”. I am so ashamed of my response to “NO” when I read the response of Jesus’ requests! He said “Not what I will, but what you will”.
Where would we be if God had answered Jesus prayer with “Yes!”?
“They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”
Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. “Abba, Father,” he said, “Everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him. Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” (Mark 14:36-42, NIV)
Brinda Blair
Magee, MS
