A couple weeks ago at Chapter Camp, as part of the Leading Witness track we studied Luke 9-11:13. Now, the way we studied these passages was by group manuscript study. This means that the whole section was printed on paper without verse numbers or separation by chapter, meant to look more like it would have in it's original form. We study it inductively, taking a section and first observing everything we can about the passage, then moving into interpretation, then finally application. You are not supposed to go to other Gospels or New Testament books as cross-references, only the Old Testament, although you are allowed to use sources to try to understand the culture and context of the day. The point is to try to find out what it meant to the original audience in those times so that you can correctly apply the meaning to you now.
Studying this way, especially in a group setting, can be revolutionary. With several people working together to observe, you collectively see and learn much more than you would've if you studied on your own. For me, one of the most powerful moments of Scripture study was when we looked at the equivalent of Luke 11:5-13.
In the first part of the passage, Jesus tells a parable about a man who is asked for bread in the middle of the night for his neighbor's visitor. This part may seem a little confusing, but the staff member leading the study pointed out that in those times it was normal for those in a town to come together, serve and care for a visitor, because the town shared provisions and no one person had everything. It would be unthinkable that the man wouldn't get up and share his bread, in fact it would be shameful if he did not. The second part of the passage is pretty clear, with Jesus giving examples of how earthly fathers provide for their children, then saying, "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"* This passage came right after when the disciples ask Jesus how to pray and he teaches them the Lord's prayer. Not only is it a reminder of how much God loves us, infinitely more than the most loving people we have in our lives, but it is a part of God's character that He must provide for His children. The staff member pointed out that God doesn't need to give us anything, but because He loves us and because of the promises He made us, His character is such that He must respond. We are His children, He doesn't give begrudgingly.
I needed this reminder. I know that God loves me, listens to my prayers and provides, but I don't always seem to remember or live as if this is true. I realized that I often find myself sort of wishing for or thinking about things without actually coming before God and asking Him for them. It's as if I hope that God will just sort of hear and respond, without me actually praying about it. Now, I believe that God in His omniscience does hear and know those thoughts, but it is not the same thing as actually praying, asking and trusting in God. Jesus wants us to ask. One of the things we discussed in our group setting was why were the disciples just hearing about the Lord's Prayer now? They had already been with Jesus quite a while. We realized that they came to Jesus and asked. God desires a relationship with us, He want us to come to Him.
I realized that I needed to trust in God and His love for me and pray this way, which I had not been doing much of recently, or if I had been if was for other people. So I decided to change that. After camp, I went through this passage again and prayed and journaled and wrote down six specific things that I'm asking and trusting in God for this summer, three of a more tangible, measurable, nature, three of a not so tangible nature.
Now there is a possible trap to fall into with this. But first, I need to share a short story. During my senior year, I was on DCF's student leadership team. The other three members were all close friends of mine. We had devotions as a leadership team together, and would take turns leading it. My one friend once had us look at a passage of the Old Testament, and asked us to recall times we had been angry at God. I couldn't recall any. There were several things that had happened in my life that were the sort of events that you often hear people "getting angry at God" over, but it just never really occurred to me to be angry at God. Looking back, I think part of it may be that it's not in my nature to really get, and especially stay, angry at anybody. At the time, even though I said out loud that I've never been angry at God that I can remember, my friend just sort of said, "Have you ever been angry at God? We've all had times when we've been angry at God," and moved on and talked about how we are to respond to God in those circumstances, with me continuing to think, no, actually, I haven't. Of course that would've defeated the purpose of his devotion if he had just stopped there for me, and it was still good to think about if the occasion ever did arise. However, I thought, is there something wrong that I've never felt this way? I feel like tons of people have talked about times when they've been angry at God. I didn't particularly dwell on it, but I obviously never forgot.
Back to me having asked God for six specific things, three of a tangible, measurable nature. I tend to be a pretty optimistic person. This can lead to a lot of disappointment, because I tend to view my optimistic ideas as realistic. That being said, with some of things I asked God for, action on my part is a part of my request. For example, let's say I'm going fishing for an hour, and ask God to provide 100 fish. I still expect to be a part of it, I'm planning on fishing and trying to catch fish, my request isn't that fish just jump out of the water and flop onto the boat. Let's say that in the first 15 min, I only catch 1 fish. I begin to get mad, because I'm not getting what I asked for. However, I have only been fishing for 15 min, I have not yet fished for the full hour, so I am getting unreasonably upset, and saying, perhaps without realizing it, that God couldn't provide the other 99 fish in the last 15 min if He wanted to, it has to be spread out over time. I found myself doing just this sort of thing. I asked God for something specific in a specific timeline, and for a minute after some initial disappointments along the way I found myself actually getting angry. I thought, You say to ask, here I am asking, and You're not providing. Then I thought- wait a minute- did I just have my first experience with getting angry at God?
Perhaps the reason I had never been angry at God was because I wasn't trusting in Him enough on a regular basis for everything in my life. However, I still didn't think that being angry at God was a good thing or something I aspired to. Later that night, during my small group at church, one of the things we looked at was Matthew 7:7-11. This passage is very similar to the second half of the Luke passage I mentioned before, practically the same. Someone brought up for discussion, what about those people who say, "I've asked and God didn't answer!" We then talked about how often these people (and we) are set on a very particular response, and because of this actually blind ourselves to how God is responding and what He is trying to show us. Or it's possible that we won't know or see this until further down the line- how many times have you heard people say that they haven't realized what God was doing in a particular situation until days, weeks, even months or years down the line? We as humans don't have the clarity of seeing the future. It comes down to trusting God and trusting in who He is.
I realized that my momentary anger at God was completely irrational. The end of the timeframe I had set for my request wasn't even close yet! In fact it still isn't! It was a ridiculous thing to think and feel. Furthermore, what I asked for may not be what is best for me. Let's go back to the fishing analogy. Even though I asked for 100 fish, in reality it may not be a good thing for me. Maybe my boat is unstable and cannot support so many fish and would sink if I caught that many. Maybe the fish carry a disease. There could be several factors that I'm unaware of, but that God in His omniscience is aware of. If I ask for something specific- God will respond- but not necessarily in the way I desire or expect. I have to trust that God is good, loves me, and in His omniscience has a reason for not providing in the way I expected.
* In this verse Jesus mentions only the giving of the Holy Spirit, while my thought that I expand on in this post involves all sorts of giving. Even if Jesus only was referring to the giving of the Holy Spirit here, there are several other verses other sorts of provision of God are mentioned, such as Matthew 7:11, Philippians 4:14-20, Matthew 6:31-32, Psalm 34:10.
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