Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.”And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?”They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.”
The Contrast
I.
“Do for us whatever we ask,” the arrogant brothers cry,
Facing their humble Teacher, looking Him in the eye.
Their anthem resounds throughout history,
A self-loving motive of power and greed,
Approaching God as a genie for them;
“My carnal wish is what I want of Him.”
God grants their desire and leaves them in their sin.
II.
“I will do whatever You ask,” the humble believer cries,
Kneeling before his Master; unwilling to lift his eyes.
His anthem resounds throughout history,
Sounded by the gentle, the humble, the meek.
Seeking, serving, trusting, obeying,
They submit to their Master’s perfect ways.
“Thy will, not mine, for all of my days.”
God grants their desire, bringing glory to His name.
And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?”
This verse struck me in my Bible reading the other day. How aptly it describes human nature! How often we long to do great things and ignore the simple tasks God has placed right in front of us. This verse especially stood out to me because recently, I read this quote in a novel and was amazed by it: “All of us would like to believe that we could accomplish one brave, selfless act for God and for His kingdom. But it takes greater courage to faithfully accomplish the daily, thankless tasks for Him.”
In all actuality, that statement could not be truer! We live in a world that magnifies courageous exploits and often passes over the “daily grind” of everyday life. But God works differently from the world. He sees and honors all the little tasks done for Him–sweeping the floor, washing the dishes, playing a board game with a pleading child, and changing a baby’s diaper. Sometimes, that is even more precious to Him than doing something the world would consider a great deed.
“It takes greater courage to faithfully accomplish the daily, thankless tasks for Him.” Indeed, because magnificent achievements often get rewarded, and there is satisfaction in completing them. But the mundane chores of home life are not always noticed or appreciated; therefore, it is sometimes harder to do them consistently.
The verse from 2 Kings that I posted above is a great summary of this. Naaman came to Elisha the prophet, longing for healing from the deadly disease of leprosy. But when Elisha commanded him to wash in the Jordan, Naaman balked. This is when his servants told him, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?”
Naaman would rather have done something great for his healing. At the very least, he wanted to wash in one of the great rivers of his homeland, not the dirty Jordan River. We often feel the same way–we think that great things are the things that matter the most, the things that are most important, and we would usually rather do those things than menial everyday tasks.
But often, God calls us to the everyday; to the menial; to the ordinary; to the mundane. And these things are extremely important to God! Let us not overlook or shun the everyday tasks, longing for “greatness.” Instead, let us value them and do them as unto the Lord, knowing that true greatness in God’s eyes is obedience–whether He calls one to receive a gold medal for Him or clean the bathroom for Him. If He called us to do something amazing, would we not do it? How much more then, when He calls us to clean the house?
He sees every sparrow that falls; surely, He cares about every small task we do as well!
Colossians 3:23 (NKJV) And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.
Psalm 46:10 (NKJV) Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
Here is something I wrote in my journal a few days ago–a reflection on several Scriptures that revolve around the same theme.
Be still…
You say, yet how can I be still?
When I am caught in my turbulent seas?
One moment–trusting, calm, content,
Filled with faith in Your promises
And hope for the future.
Next moment–doubting, anxious, discontent,
Filled with fear and discouragement for the future.
Yet You say, “Be still.”
You alone can calm the winds and waves,
Give this heavy-laden soul peace and rest in You.
Speak these two words to my raging storm.
Quiet me with Your love.
Command these tempests to cease…
Silence me to know
YOU ARE GOD
And You are perfectly,
Continuously,
Always
FAITHFUL.
Zephaniah 3:17 (NKJV) The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”
Mark 4:39 (NKJV) Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.
Matthew 11:28-30 (NKJV) 28Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
“Trust” is such a common word in Christian lingo that it almost becomes a type of cliche. When we go through hardships, often we are told to “trust God.” When others experience difficulties, we advise them to do the same. Sometimes I wonder how often we add those words onto our sentences, and on the other hand, how often we actually practice them. What does it mean to truly, wholeheartedly trust God?
“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God…” (1 Peter 5:7) Trusting God means that we humble ourselves before Him and accept His perfect plan and will in all things. It means that instead of questioning Him and His wisdom in our lives, we submit in faith that all His promises are true and that His ways are higher and best for us. It is acknowledging that He is GOD, and we are not–and admitting that we have absolutely no right to question His ways. Trust says “You know what is best, and I don’t. Even though I can’t see Your plan, I submit to Your will, and I trust You.” Isaiah 45:9 “Woe to him who strives with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth! Shall the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ Or shall your handiwork say, ‘He has no hands’?“
Trusting God is faith. When we trust God, we display faith and confidence in His character, His Word, His will, and His promises. Trust says “God, I can’t see You right now, but I know You are here. I can’t see Your hand, but I know that You love me and care about me, even if I don’t feel it. I know that You will fulfill all your promises to me.”
Trusting God involves dependence. When we trust God, we demonstrate our reliance on Him for everything, even our next breath. We place our lives and futures in His hands, and we acknowledge that without Him, we are nothing.
Full surrender always follows total trust. When we completely trust God, we place our lives on the altar before Him as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2). We empty ourselves before Him, pouring our everything over His feet, as a precious sacrifice. We acknowledge that we are the clay and He is our Potter; and we give Him free reign to do whatever He wills in us–to mold us according to His perfect will. We give Him everything–our dreams, desires, pain, and disappointments. We give up the false sense of control we have held on to, giving all to Him. We surrender our wills to Him.
Recently, the Lord has been speaking to my heart through the latter chapters of the book of Job. In these verses, the LORD Himself audibly speaks to the troubled soul of Job–tearing away all his doubts and replacing them with a fresh sense of God’s greatness, majesty, and sovereignty. “Would you indeed annul My judgment? Would you condemn Me that you may be justified?” (Job 40:8)
The only response to God’s awesome grandeur as revealed in Job is Job’s statement after listening to the Lord: “Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes.” When we truly have a sense of God’s power, might, glory, and majesty as revealed in His Word and His creation, we have no other proper response than to worship Him and submit in trust and faith. And even if all is stripped away, may we humbly declare with Job, “The Lord gives and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD…Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” (Job 1:21, 13:15)
And how amazing that the God we trust is not only so great, but is also good. And He withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly (Psalm 84:10-11); He knows us intimately and cares about us affectionately (Psalm 139); He works all things for our good (Romans 8:28); and so much more. How terrible it would be if He were great but not good or vice versa. What a God we serve! How can we not trust Him?
Next time you hear the phrase “trust God,” take a moment to think about what it really means to trust God. Thank Him for all He is, and ask Him to help you trust Him wholeheartedly. He is worthy of all our trust!
As you know, this is a critical time for the United States in view of the election. No matter what happens, let us be reminded that OUR GOD IS IN CONTROL! He removes kings and raises up kings (Daniel 2:21). He has a plan, and He is still on the throne. We can rest assured knowing that He is perfectly sovereign.
As we pray and seek God’s face, we must be prepared to speak against evil, as Daniel did. There are at least two things we as Americans can do in this regard during this season:
Pray! 🙏Pray that the Lord’s will be done, that the darkness will be exposed, and that the truth will prevail. Pray for each of our leaders (and potential leaders). Pray that we, as a nation, elect a candidate who will protect us and our freedoms, “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2)
Vote! 🗳️ Voting is the way that we, as the people of God, take a stand against evil. If you are unsure about voting, I would strongly encourage you to prayerfully reconsider. I firmly believe that voting is essential for Christians. Although the political right is not perfect, it is a million times better than the outright evil of the political left. If we do not vote, we are, in essence, actually casting our votes for all the unhidden evil represented by the left. If, by not voting, we believe we are “washing our hands” of the matter, we are, in reality, not attempting to stop evil and allowing it to go unhindered. Voting is a simple way to stand up against wickedness! No, neither candidate is perfect. But would you rather vote for someone who openly declared her contempt for Christians and full support of abortion, immorality, open borders, and more, or someone who clearly supports Christians and is not propagating (but rather is limiting) the sinful, wicked agenda? I included a video in which Dr. John MacArthur speaks on this topic, and he reminds us that we are not voting for a pastor, but we are voting to stop the spread of evil as much as possible. Please watch the video here if you have a chance: https://notthebee.com/article/john-macarthur-says-the-choice-for-christians-this-election-is-very-clear In other countries, people do not have any say in who is leading them. God has given us a gift–a vote, a chance to stop the spread of evil. Every vote counts, and this simple act could make a huge difference in the history of the world. Isaiah 1:17 NKJV Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.
Thank you so much for reading and for praying about these issues. May the Lord bless you, and may His will be done!
13And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”
A group of thousands of tired, fearful people huddle around an elderly man. Perhaps some of the women are weeping softly. Not far behind the people, one sees the dust of hundreds of speedily moving enemy chariots. Close in front of the people lies a huge body of water. Suddenly, the elderly man–the leader of this group–lifts his hand, holding his staff. “The Lord will fight for you!” His triumphant words ring across the water. Instantly, accompanied by the sound of rushing wind, the water rises up and parts. The people cry out in thankfulness and hurry toward the water–a dry path has been made between the walls of water.
The image of the Red Sea parting for the Israelites is so astounding and meaningful to me. A while back, I wrote a poem about that amazing event.
Part the Sea
Standing at the edge
Of the Red Sea.
Foaming, placid waters
Lapping at my feet.
How to cross this mighty sea
Stretching beyond my sight?
How to pass through it?
My heart is filled with fright.
Then, turning around, what horror!
With my own eyes I see
The massive thousands of thousands
Of Egypt’s great army.
Trapped behind, trapped ahead,
With no place to go,
I lift my eyes heavenward,
To the One Whose power I know.
“Lord, there’s nothing I can do,
Nothing in my might.
Please work a miracle;
Help me walk by faith, not sight.”
Powerful, yet gentle,
His answer returns:
“Don’t be afraid, child,
You will not be hurt.
Stand still and watch
My salvation–here–today!
I will fight for you;
I will make a way!
The only thing for you to do
Is to stand still and trust.
Wait quietly in My presence;
Your enemies will be crushed.”
I obey in awestruck silence
Waiting on the Lord.
The Egyptians push ever closer;
But I hope in His Word.
At the moment when I thought
It was much too late,
When I thought my heart
Could no longer wait,
The sea split in two,
Rising on each side.
The path in between
Was smooth and dry.
Words cannot describe
The parting of the sea;
Its majestic splendor
Was God’s path for me.
Rushing, gushing, foaming,
The depths broke in two.
Walls of raging water
Split the fathomless blue.
Monstrous floods of liquid
Held back by God’s hand,
Torrents of bottomless water,
Restrained by His command.
I step onto the path,
Firm and dry and sure,
Glancing timidly at the Sea
Parted by the Lord.
Raging water on right and left,
As if in the eye of the storm,
I’m on the miracle path given
By the Almighty Lord.
He did this wonder for me–
A simple, wretched fool!
He defied gravity
For me, His simple tool.
I doubted His power, discouraged
And even lost heart in prayer.
But now–looking at the water–
Is this how much He cares?
Tears fill my eyes as I walk
Carefully through the sea.
This marvelous wonder was worked
For doubtful, sinful me.
I cross to the other side
And watch the miracle reverse.
The sea rages back into place,
Drowning the Egyptians first.
I sing to my Lord!
He has done marvelous things!
He is Almighty and powerful–
The King above all kings!
The Creator is forever mighty–
Gravity can’t get in His way!
No matter how deep our seas,
His might will make a way.
No matter how wide the ocean,
His love is wider still.
No matter how tall the mountains,
He created those hills!
Our God is greater–He still parts seas!
Precious Lord, we pray,
Please part the sea for us.
Please fight for us today!
Isaiah 50:2 (NKJV) 2Why, when I came, was there no man? Why, when I called, was there none to answer? Is My hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Indeed with My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness; Their fish stink because there is no water, And die of thirst.
Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psalm 103:1-5
I love Psalm 103. It is full of beautiful reminders of our Lord’s lovingkindness and compassion. The first five verses in particular have stood out to me recently.
We are reminded to bless the Lord and to “forget not all His benefits.” Too often, we tend to forget the many blessings our Lord showers upon us, pining over what we do not have. He has granted us so much, and we must tell ourselves over and over to remember all His blessings and His amazing goodness to us. He is always, entirely good! Everything He does is good and wonderous (Psalm 72:18).
The final verse of this section–verse 5–is so amazing. We learn that our Lord satisfies our mouth with good things! There are several things that come to mind as I think about this verse.
1. Our Lord fully satisfies! He is all-sufficient for us. If He were the only One we ever had on this earth, He would be enough. Psalm 107:9 says, “For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness.”
2. Everything the Lord gives is good–even if it doesn’t seem like it! He withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly (Psalm 84:10-11), and He works everything out for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). Thus, we can trust that everything the Lord allows and gives is good.
3. In order to receive the fullest blessing from the Lord, we must empty ourselves. Psalm 81:10 says, “I am the LORD your God, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt; Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” In order to receive God’s blessings, we must open our mouths. And to get the fullest of what He has for us, our mouths must be emptied of trivial things so HE can fill them. For example, picture someone stuffing his mouth with candy. The Lord has a large slice of cheesecake to offer, but the person has filled his mouth with candy and cannot accept what is so much better from the hand of the Lord. This example may sound funny, but it is so true. What the Lord has for us is so much better than what we think we need!
All in all, our Lord satisfies us fully. He renews our youth and makes us as strong as eagles.
Psalm 84:11 (NKJV) For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly.
Psalm 84 is truly beautiful, through and through. But one phrase from it has really struck me in particular, from verse 11: “No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
How often we are tempted to blame God for our problems and even get bitter at Him. But oh, what presumption that truly is! Who are we to tell God Almighty what to do? Does not He know best in all situations?
This verse tells us that we can always trust God’s heart. No good thing will He withhold! Yet, how frequently do our aching hearts get frustrated with God for withholding what our flawed minds deem as blessings? How different our lives would be if we truly believed this verse and preached it to ourselves, over and over!
Picture a toddler begging his parent to let him run toward the edge of a cliff. The child thinks it is a good thing–he will get his exercise and will be the first to see the lovely view beyond the cliff’s edge. But the parent knows that the child, unsteady in his footing, would fall over the edge in an instant. “Trust me,” says the parent. “No good thing will I withhold from you.” How foolish would it be for the child to insist that he knew better!
In Luke 11, Jesus talks about God’s good gifts. He compares God’s provision to a father who would never give a stone to his son asking for bread. I wonder how often we think we are asking for bread, but God sees that we are actually asking for a stone!
Not only does God withhold no good thing, but He also works everything out for good (Romans 8:28)! Our God is so good! To deem Him less good because of a seemingly withheld blessing is to act spiritually immature, to mistrust God’s character, and to doubt His Word.
To be sure, there is no such thing as a withheld blessing for a child of God. If you are tempted to think so, please remember that our God withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly. Our lives overflow with His goodness, and we can trust Him entirely-always.
Psalms 34:10 (NKJV) The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.
Isaiah 45:9 (NKJV) “Woe to him who strives with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth! Shall the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ Or shall your handiwork say, ‘He has no hands’?
Recently, the image of the Potter and the clay has captured my mind. I began thinking about it after doing a word study on Psalm 37:4. I examined the Hebrew word for “delight”. According to Strong’s Concordance, two definitions for that word are “soft” and “pliable”. It is so convicting to realize that one way to delight myself in the Lord is to submit to Him entirely, making myself soft and pliable in the hands of the Master Potter. Isaiah 45:9 tells us the utter foolishness of a clay vessel trying to order its Maker around. We ought to simply submit.
In the classic Hind’s Feet on High Places, the image of the Potter is brought up when Much-Afraid travels through the desert. Here is the beautiful description: “There, on the next floor, they came to another and smaller room, in the center of which stood a great wheel, flat, like a table. Beside it stood a potter who wrought a work on the wheel. As he spun the wheel he fashioned his clay into many beautiful shapes and objects. The material was cut and kneaded and shaped as he saw fit, but always the clay lay still upon the wheel, submitting to his every touch, perfectly, unresisting.” Later in the book, another beautiful example of submission is given when Much-Afraid says “Only have your will and way in me, Shepherd. Nothing else matters.” The book also presents the imagery of laying our wills down on the altar. May we give the Lord our wills and desires; may we ask Him to conform our will to His own.
This hymn sums it up well: “Have Thine own way, Lord, have Thine own way! Thou art the Potter, I am the clay. Make me and mold me after Thy will; while I am waiting, yielded and still.”
My own words fail to say much more on this topic because there is so much that could be written about it and because my heart has been so deeply impacted by the imagery and truth of the Master Potter and His handiwork. But here is a simple poem I wrote. I hope it captures the tip of the iceberg.
32And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah…
Hebrews 11 is the great “faith chapter” of the Bible. We begin reading it, and we see figures we’d expect: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and his parents, and Rahab. Each of these certainly showed marvelous faith, even though they combatted moments of doubt.
Then, we reach verse 32…and pause. Did we really read those names? Gideon–Barak–Samson–Jephthah? It seems to go from bad to worse! Gideon had such weak faith that he asked for numerous signs in order to go to battle against the Midianites. Barak refused to fight unless Deborah–a woman–accompanied him. Worse yet, Samson relied on his own strength instead of God’s (see a previous article I wrote about him here: https://the-alabaster-jar.com/2022/02/28/like-samson-2/) And perhaps the worst–Jephthah lacked faith to the extent that in order to try to “persuade” God to give him victory, he made a rash oath and ended up sacrificing his only daughter!
And even if you look at the heroes mentioned earlier in the chapter–Abraham doubted the Lord’s word by taking Hagar as his wife, Sarah laughed at God’s promise…and I could go on! So what should we glean from this?
The first thing that strikes me is pure encouragement! Realizing that these heroes of the faith are counted as such should encourage us immensely, for we see our own doubts mirrored in theirs. Doesn’t it reassure you to see these amazing, yet sinful, doubtful people in the “Hall of Faith”? Doesn’t it give you hope that God forgives our doubts and shortcomings and rewards what little faith we have, faith like a mustard seed?
There is a line in a song I love that always causes me to think: “Faith just like a seed, the only way it grows.” We may have faith as small as a mustard seed. But the good news is, if it is planted on fertile soil, it will surely grow mightily!
If Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah made it into the Hall of Faith, surely God sees and rewards our faith too, weak though it may be. Let us be encouraged by these unlikely heroes, learn from their mistakes, and let Jesus explode our faith in growth! There is no grain of faith too small for Him to use!
Luke 17:6 (NKJV) So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
