September 13; The Lord Will Answer Our Every Prayer
MANAGEMENT BY THE BOOK:
365 Daily Bible Verse &
One-Minute Management Lessons For The Busy Faithful

Chapter Nine: Finance; September 13

Jabez cried out to the God of Israel,

“Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory!

Let your hand be with me,

and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.”

And God granted his request.

1 Chronicles 4:10

Soli Deo Gloria

“Are you allergic to a Sharpie® pen?”

“What?” I asked.

“The felt tip marker—it’s waterproof.” The State Trooper had one out ready to write.

Your Business Professor doesn’t much care for body art. I ask, “Why?”

“To identify the body.”

***

The lawman wasn’t smiling as the gale force winds were blowing on the North Carolina shore. Our extended family had rented a substantial home mounted high on pilings as protection from flooding. We were settling down for a hurricane party, high water, high winds, good food, good company. We were down for a good time come Hell or high water.

What could go wrong?

We heard something on the radio about two red, triangle flags flapping; the silly local yokels whining. The Christian community was supposed to be active in these parts. Didn’t they know the power of prayer? Had they no faith?

Every morning as we would send our children off to school, we would pray the prayer of Jabez. We were doing the Lord’s work and felt that we had answered His calling. We were doing the right things so our territory, our influence should expand, of course. It was right there in the Bible.

We would pray unceasingly. We would pray for not merely our desires but for God’s Will to be Done.

We had surrendered our careers and financials to the Creator. But we held back on an important event in our lives: a vacation. We would ride out the storm confident that our prayers would be answered in precisely the method we voiced. We prayed for a good vacation and The Creator would surely answer. Nothing is too hard for the Lord, right?

***

The Trooper armed with the marker asked for my arm to make the coroner’s job easier. As Charmaine looked at me confused I thought of the old sermon about God’s Will,

The Police pull up in a four-wheel drive vehicle, dismount in the storm and pound on the front door. A death-dealing tempest is rising. The God-fearing homeowner sends him away saying, “God will save me. “

Two hours later the in-coming ocean floods the Believer’s ground floor. A Coast Guard vessel pulls up and demands that the gentleman evacuate the house.

“No,” says the homeowner, “The Lord will save me.”

Night falls and the threatening flood-tide rises driving the Christian to the roof. The Civil Air Patrol sends a helicopter, lowers a rope ladder and begs him through a bullhorn to climb up to safety. The Faithful Church Goer waves off the pilot.

The water sweeps the house off the pilings drowning the Devout. He is immediately in the presence of the Creator. The Christian was saved for eternity but not from the flood and he is angry about it.

He confronts God and demands, “You promised to never forsake me or leave me,” he demands. “But you did nothing and left me to die.”

The Creator of the universe is surprised (this doesn’t happen often). “I did nothing? Goodness,” He says, “I love you…”

Now the Christian is perplexed–

“…I sent a Jeep, a boat and a helicopter.” The Lord continued, “Why didn’t you listen?”

The Lord answers every prayer: sometimes ‘yes’ or ‘no’ or ‘not now.’ But our actions and the outcomes should always be to His Glory.

***

I stared at the blacked-ink marker and stopped. I thanked the State Trooper, packed up kith and kin and headed for the high ground and lived to tell the story, escaping a killer storm. We believe in the God of miracles. But we’re not stupid.

The cop was an answered prayer.

Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request. 1 Chronicles 4:10

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