ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS TO ASK JESUS
Jeremiah 32:27 I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?
The Babylonian army was outside the walls of Jerusalem and building ramps to invade the city. It was only a matter of time before Jerusalem would fall. Hundreds of Jews would die, and many more taken into exile. Certainly all seemed lost. What Jeremiah had been telling King Zedekiah and all Judah was coming true, yet Jeremiah was being seen as a traitor and kept in confinement in the courtyard.
While there the Lord spoke to Jeremiah that his cousin Hanamel would be coming to him to have him by Hanamel’s field. In some ways for Jeremiah to give up his silver to buy land that chances are he would never see again or be able to use didn’t make since. Common sense would say keep the silver and use it to influence the Babylonians into helping him, but Jeremiah bought the field anyway. He had a deed for the land made, and it was signed and witnessed and then put in a clay jar so it would last a long time. God was doing this as a sign that all was not lost, and that once again Israel would return to their land. It was then God challenged and encouraged Jeremiah by telling him, “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?
While we know in our heart that nothing is not too hard for God, we sometimes question if God will do it for us. It took 70 years for the Jews to be able to return back to their Promised Land and even then they faced opposition. It took several thousand years for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham about one of his descendants blessing the world. (Jesus) It took over 400 years for the Jews to return to their promised land after being slaves in Egypt. We believe that God can do anything - BUT! The little word but is a stumbling block for many of us. It is a word that causes doubt that in turn destroys faith and trust. Satan and the powers of darkness are so good at using other people and things to remind us of the but. Sure God may do something for others but. God can do anything, but why should he do it for you? God has never done it this way before, so why should he do it this way now? But - But - But - But! How many times do we have to hear it before we become convinced that Satan and the powers of darkness are right. For some people it only takes once!
I have learned the quickest way to know if God wants to do a miracle for me is to hear the word but, it seems I can at times hear the voice of Satan and the powers of darkness much clearer than I can the Lord. The reason is Satan and the powers of darkness yell the loudest when they are threatened the most! They don’t want us to trust in the Lord, because they don’t want the Lord to be glorified! Well, to that I say tuff! I would much sooner see Jesus glorified in my life any day than to follow the advice of Satan and the powers of darkness. They certainly don’t have my best interest in mind that is for sure. They tried to convince Adam and Eve that God didn’t have their best interest in mind, but they are liars every one of them. The Lord has and always has our best interest in mind for us. The only reason the Lord doesn’t help us at times is that he respects our free will. James 4:2 tells us that we have not, because we ask not. All we have to do is ask! God doesn’t care how hard it may be in our thinking, his arm is not too short. Jesus can handle our toughest request. So why don’t we go quickly to the Lord for help when the impossible comes our way? Probably because of trust and faith. Who are we to ask God for anything let alone the impossible? We are God’s children! We are the Bride of Christ Jesus that has been bought and paid for with his own blood! We are not our own, but Christ’s who lives in us!
Jesus even said that if we have faith the size of a mustard seed we could see mountains moved. First of all faith is our belief put into action. Second it is faith in Jesus and not in what will be. We turn on the water faucet and expect water to come out not because of the faucet, but because there is water behind the facet. Jesus is our water and our prayer is the faucet. We don’t have faith in our prayer or a prayer chain, because our faith in the prayer being answered is in Jesus doing it for us!
When I first became a Christian I didn’t know the difference between the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. I prayed general prayers, but never thought to ask the impossible. After all who was I, and besides God wasn’t doing it for other people, at least that I knew. Well, I soon realized it wasn’t who I was , but rather whose I was! Jesus had his eyes on me and wanted to help me in any way I was willing to trust him. Well, I took this to heart and began to pray about everything and to my wonderment Jesus right away started helping me. And he hasn’t stopped!
At first I thought I would write my prayer requests on a piece of paper and place it on our fireplace mantle, and then move it to the other side of the mantle when Jesus answered it. Very soon I found our fireplace mantle with stacks of paper, but on the answered side. It was clear to me that all Jesus wanted from me was his trust and all that require was for me to ask him. It wasn’t long and I no longer need visual evidence of Jesus love for me and that he was more than capable to help me with any need I had, so I stopped putting paper on my mantle and just laid my hearts requests and praise at his feet to rejoice in when I stand before him.
Jesus has come to my rescue so many times that I can not even remember them all. He has literally saved the lives of my personal family many times when they could have easily died. He has healed us of our sicknesses. He has gotten me out of problems that I had gotten myself into, and even brought two people that were brain dead back to life with one being declared brain dead for 40 days! One time a man had a truck accident and his head was crushed so badly that his brain was exposed to air and dirt and he was out of the hospital and home in three weeks. Another time a little baby whose head had been rushed and had four cracks in it’s skull lay dying in my arms and although the doctor personally told me nothing could be done to help it and it would soon die, before it could reach the Louisville, Kentucky hospital by helicopter, it was healed to the point I personally heard three doctors say they didn’t know why they had sent the baby to their hospital. In a couple of days it too went home.
Once I was working on my car under a tree and when I went to put my tools away I couldn’t find a small socket. After praying, Jesus told me that it was under my front left tire. As I started to walk back to move the car, Satan quickly and very plainly told me that I was foolish to think that it was under my tire. How could it get under my tire, and when it wasn’t there it would only destroy my faith in Jesus. Well, by this time I could recognize the voice of Satan, so got in and move my car back. When I got out to look the tire had left an imprint in the grass so I knew right where to look. As I moved the grass around, there is was just as Jesus had said. I got out my knife and dug it out. Jesus knew it was there all the time, and all I had to do was to ask him. Later he reminded me that I had moved the car back to test it out, and then returned it under the tree. Jesus is so good!
A month or so ago I lost a small 3x4 inch piece of paper that I was using.
It really wasn’t important, but just not finding it drove me nuts. It had to be in my man cave where I had been working, but I looked everywhere and even moved my desk. Finally I thought what a fool this Poole had been. I hadn’t bothered to ask Jesus. Maybe it was because it was just a insignificant piece of paper, or I just thought I should be able to find it, but I hadn’t asked Jesus. Anyway I asked him and right away he said it is under three books I had laying on the floor. Once again I heard Satan's voice tell me, “Are you kidding me! First why would you bother Jesus to find a piece of paper that you could have easily gotten another one from your desk, and second how could it ever have gotten under three books? Well, I pretty well got a confirmation that it must be there if Satan and the powers of darkness would deny it so much. Well, you guessed it! It was right where Jesus said it was. Healing the man and baby with a crushed skull, bringing back two people that were brain dead were not too hard for Jesus, and finding an insignificant little piece of paper was too little to do for me! Is Jesus good or what? Oh, he is good alright!
The only prayer that Jesus will not answer is the one that is not good for us, or what we are not willing to ask him for. Remember, if you have asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins and to come into your heart, he considers you his bride. The Heavenly Father considers you his child. The Holy Spirit see’s you as his friend. Is there anything too hard for the Lord?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for loving us so much. Thank you for saving us from going to hell, and enabling us to be able to go to be with you in heaven. Thank you for all the many times you answered our prayers. You are a wonderful God and Savior!
