Proverbs 15:29
The Lord is far from the wicked:
But he heareth the prayer of the righteous.
I have a believer friend who is very confused at the present seeming reality of answered and unanswered prayers. He sees people who really love God in all sincerity and truth, people who put themselves out for His name, and yet seem to be denied the realization of deep yearnings or even of daily needs. On the other hand, he sees people who don’t seem to care about God spread themselves like a green bay tree and seeming successful in every way.
My friend has a hard time realizing that the blessings of God are not measured in dollars and cents but even more, I would say he is guilty of impatience. In the early chapters of the book of Revelations we are shown the martyred people of the Almighty tucked under His altar pleading with Him for the vindication of their lives and for the vengeance of their spilled blood. He told them to wait. The Father of all those who live in Him told them to wait until all is done, suggesting that soon though there will be a time of universal retribution.
It is like in court: the sentence is not given until the sentence is given. In our case, the final and ultimate answering of all our prayers will also be accomplished at the sound of the gavel, at the time of His return. Some things He accords us now as an earnest of His Goodness towards us, but the bulk of answers to our prayers is reserved for the Word to come.
Then and only then we will be able to see with our eyes who God vindicates and who He rejects and I, for one, think that many of us will be surprised. Those whom we say He rejected in this age (and He may have in times past) may be found near His bosom if not but for the sole sake of the promises He made to their fathers; while those whom seeming acceptance led to arrogance towards the first, may find themselves with the judgment with which they judged others meted unto them.
Whereas we certainly are meant to assess each other if not we would not be able to exhort each other, Yeshua advised us not to judge (condemn with final sentencing) each other. He knows that our means of judgment are incomplete and that we need to wait for the world to come for all things to be established.
In the meantime, we still know that,
The Lord is far from the wicked:
But he heareth the prayer of the righteous.
I have a believer friend who is very confused at the present seeming reality of answered and unanswered prayers. He sees people who really love God in all sincerity and truth, people who put themselves out for His name, and yet seem to be denied the realization of deep yearnings or even of daily needs. On the other hand, he sees people who don’t seem to care about God spread themselves like a green bay tree and seeming successful in every way.
My friend has a hard time realizing that the blessings of God are not measured in dollars and cents but even more, I would say he is guilty of impatience. In the early chapters of the book of Revelations we are shown the martyred people of the Almighty tucked under His altar pleading with Him for the vindication of their lives and for the vengeance of their spilled blood. He told them to wait. The Father of all those who live in Him told them to wait until all is done, suggesting that soon though there will be a time of universal retribution.
It is like in court: the sentence is not given until the sentence is given. In our case, the final and ultimate answering of all our prayers will also be accomplished at the sound of the gavel, at the time of His return. Some things He accords us now as an earnest of His Goodness towards us, but the bulk of answers to our prayers is reserved for the Word to come.
Then and only then we will be able to see with our eyes who God vindicates and who He rejects and I, for one, think that many of us will be surprised. Those whom we say He rejected in this age (and He may have in times past) may be found near His bosom if not but for the sole sake of the promises He made to their fathers; while those whom seeming acceptance led to arrogance towards the first, may find themselves with the judgment with which they judged others meted unto them.
Whereas we certainly are meant to assess each other if not we would not be able to exhort each other, Yeshua advised us not to judge (condemn with final sentencing) each other. He knows that our means of judgment are incomplete and that we need to wait for the world to come for all things to be established.
In the meantime, we still know that,
Adonai is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
Psalms 145:18
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