Daphne Delay

Does God Want Me to Beg Him to Answer My Prayer?

Short-Lived Faith

We live in an hour where short-lived faith won’t suffice.

What I mean is, if you and I are going to endure to the end as Jesus encouraged, it’s going to take more than Sunday morning faith.

Last year, my daughter-in-law climbed Mount Kilimanjaro (or “Kili” as they like to call it). It was a trip her dad has made multiple times, at least once with each of his children. She’s the youngest of the family and it was finally her turn. I’m very proud of her. Not many people can say they’ve climbed the highest free-standing mountain in the world. But after hearing her stories, I can definitely tell you I never would’ve made it— at least, not in my current condition.

I just don’t have the stamina for the hike. I don’t have the experience, the muscle, or the want-to (if I’m honest). It’s hard work. But I’m told the summit view at the top is worth it. And that’s what makes me think of what it must take to endure to the end.

Jesus repeatedly used the phrase, “O you of little faith…” in which most people assume He meant little as in small in size, amount, or degree. But actually, the phrase “little faith” means short-lived. It describes duration.

Think about the story of Peter walking on the water (Matthew 14:22-33 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone. Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o'clock in the morning* Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, "It's a ghost!" But Jesus spoke to them at once. "Don't be afraid," he said. "Take courage. I am here!*" Then Peter called to him, "Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water." "Yes, come," Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong* wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. "Save me, Lord!" he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. "You have so little faith," Jesus said. "Why did you doubt me?" When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. "You really are the Son of God!" they exclaimed. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ). He had faith to jump out of the boat when Jesus said to come. He even took a few steps— until “he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’” Jesus immediately reached out to rescue him. And as He did, He said, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (verse 29).

Peter’s faith wasn’t small. Peter’s faith was short-lived. We should give kudos to him for having faith big enough to jump out of the boat in a storm! There’s no doubt in my mind that Peter had big faith. The problem was that his faith was short-lived. The minute he paused to look around, his faith stopped.

Short-lived faith starts strong, but doesn’t make it.

Short-lived faith has big dreams, but lacks endurance.

Short-lived faith won’t suffice in today’s world.

Jesus is still asking this question today: “O you of [short-lived] faith, why did you stop believing?” Was it the pressure? Was it a lack of stamina? Was it a lack of desire? I think any of us, on any given day, might have to answer yes to one or all of these questions. So what do we do?

We increase the longevity of our faith by watering the seeds of faith every day. I wasn’t trying to be clever when I said it’s going to take more than Sunday morning faith. It’s actually true. Too many people rely on one spoon-fed feeding a week at church on Sundays and then wonder why the trials of life are overwhelming. “O you of little faith…”

You and I must do more than that. We will never reach the summit if we only let the guide (the pastor) feed us. At some point, we have to pick up our Bible, spend time in prayer, and exercise our faith in hard times. In order to have endurance faith, we have to have endurance period.

As one person said, “It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves” (Edmund Hilary).

I encourage you to make the climb, step out of the boat, and press through this hard season. Jesus was right there for Peter and He will be right there for you and I too. Our instruction is, just don’t stop.

More Than Approval

I liked to be liked, don’t you? I mean, seriously, who doesn’t? No one runs around hoping everyone hates them. It’s just not built in our DNA, no matter who you are.

But I can also testify that wanting to be liked has probably been the greatest source of my regrets than any other thing. There seems to be a fine line between walking in love and wanting approval. If I’m after approval, it’s easy to be swayed the wrong way. If I’m walking in love, I’m also walking with God and therefore, can be led away from lies and destructive thoughts and feelings. But sometimes walking in love looks like walking away.

Take Moses for example. The Bible says,

“Faith enabled Moses to choose God’s will, for although he was raised as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, he refused to make that his identity, choosing instead to suffer mistreatment with the people of God. Moses preferred faith’s certainty above the momentary enjoyment of sin’s pleasures. He found his true wealth in suffering abuse for being anointed, more than in anything the world could offer him, for his eyes looked with wonder not on the immediate, but on the ultimate—faith’s great reward!” (Hebrews 11:24-26 It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) TPT).

When you read the story of Moses in Exodus, it’s obvious he ran from Egypt out of fear after killing a man and getting caught (Exodus 2:11-15 Many years later, when Moses had grown up, he went out to visit his own people, the Hebrews, and he saw how hard they were forced to work. During his visit, he saw an Egyptian beating one of his fellow Hebrews. After looking in all directions to make sure no one was watching, Moses killed the Egyptian and hid the body in the sand. The next day, when Moses went out to visit his people again, he saw two Hebrew men fighting. "Why are you beating up your friend?" Moses said to the one who had started the fight. The man replied, "Who appointed you to be our prince and judge? Are you going to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?" Then Moses was afraid, thinking, "Everyone knows what I did." And sure enough, Pharaoh heard what had happened, and he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian. When Moses arrived in Midian, he sat down beside a well. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ). Moses had deep regret for his sin. He was young in faith and could have easily chosen to justify his actions to keep his status. I’m taking a guess here, but there are plenty of examples of kings and royalty rationalizing sinful behavior simply because of a title. But Moses didn’t do that. He ran — away from approval.

I can’t help but see the parallel in our generation. All of these centuries later, we are no different. Maybe our sin isn’t murder, but we are all guilty of things that are contrary to God and His love. The question is, what do you do when you realize your shortcomings? Do you justify them in order to keep your status? Or do you forsake them and run to God, risking rejection from the world?

I remember hearing a minister confess to his congregation one time about the many temptations he fights on a daily basis. This minister was highly esteemed so for a moment, the people were surprised at his confession. But he went on to say how although he’s tempted, he doesn’t choose those things because he loves God MORE.

And that’s the key.

I liked being liked, but I love God more. I want affirmation and approval, but I love God more. I hate it when I miss the mark and people see my sin, but I repent and ask for forgiveness because I love God more.

Do you understand? I’m certainly not saying I’ve arrived. I fail daily. My point is that, like Moses, I’ve learned it’s better to choose “to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin.” (Hebrews 11:25 He chose to share the oppression of God's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) NKJV)

The Message Translation says, “By faith, Moses, when grown, refused the privileges of the Egyptian royal house. He chose a hard life with God’s people rather than an opportunistic soft life of sin with the oppressors. He valued suffering in the Messiah’s camp far greater than Egyptian wealth because he was looking ahead, anticipating the payoff...” (Hebrews 11:25 He chose to share the oppression of God's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) MSG)

Does this mean life has to be hard? Absolutely not! I’ve experienced far more love, peace, and provision walking with the Creator of heaven and earth than anything the god of this world could offer me — including being liked by others.

Not everyone will understand your choices, until they meet the One your soul loves. And think about that ... everyone makes choices based on the “one” their soul loves, whether it’s God or a spouse, or a girlfriend/boyfriend, or even a boss.

I want to encourage you today to reevaluate your choices. When you walk with God, you can walk away from sin and temptation. Is it easy? Not necessarily. But when you love God more than approval, you’ll find the reward is worth the temporary loss.

From the Inside-Out

Can you judge a book by its cover? I’m an author so I understand the necessity of a great book title, graphics, and description, long before anyone actually opens the book. So, for this reason, I know there are probably hundreds upon hundreds of amazing books that get overlooked simply because the outside cover doesn’t measure up.

So, can you judge a book by its cover? Yes, unfortunately— it matters more than you realize.

And this is pretty much what Paul was trying to communicate to the Thessalonians in his first letter.

Each of you “…should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God” (1 Thessalonians 4:4-5 Then each of you will control his own body* and live in holiness and honor— not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) NKJV).

In other words, if your outside “cover” looks just like those who don’t know God, how will they know the beautiful salvation you carry on the inside of you?

The Message Translation continues and says,

“Don’t run roughshod over the concerns of your brothers and sisters. Their concerns are God’s concerns, and he will take care of them. We’ve warned you about this before. God hasn’t invited us into a disorderly, grungy life but into something holy and beautiful—as beautiful on the inside as the outside” (1 Thessalonians 4:6-7 Never harm or cheat a Christian brother in this matter by violating his wife,* for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before. God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) MSG).

The world can sometimes look like they have it all together, but that’s kind of the opposite of my earlier book illustration. The world can have a great outside cover but when you open the “book” there’s not much there.

God works from the inside out. What I mean is, you and I should never judge a person by the outside first. Transformation starts in the heart. And from the heart, little by little, the outside gets restyled. So you can see what a disappointment it would be if a believer looked great on the outside but had little substance on the inside.

When God sent Samuel to anoint one of Jesse’s sons as king, Samuel assumed it would be one of the older, more mature brothers.

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart’” (1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) NKJV).

Let me give another illustration because I don’t want us to forget how valuable everyone is to God. Suppose I offered a group of people a $20 dollar bill. I expect every hand would raise. Who wouldn’t want free money? But what if I took that same $20 dollar bill and wadded it up, threw it on the ground, crushed it in the dirt under my foot, and then offered it again to the same crowd? Would they still want it? Of course they would— because it still has value.

Now suppose a child takes that wadded-up money to the register at a candy store and hands it to a clerk to pay for his bubble gum. The first thing the clerk would do is smooth out the money to see its denomination (value). The value was there all along but not clearly seen.

This is why God has asked you and me to let the inside show up on the outside. Our value is intact, but can the world really see what we have to offer if we look and sound like them?

God looks at the heart but He wants your heart to show up in your life. You and I are His calling card of love, grace, peace, joy, and so much more. In a troubled and hurting world, people are looking for more. It’s “Christ in you” (Colossians 1:27 For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ). So let Him also be seen “outside of you.”

An Intentional Farmer

Funny story: my stepdad doesn’t like tomatoes but he planted 120 tomato plants this year. He’s not a farmer. He’s a retired plumber. He doesn’t grow anything else but tomatoes. Why? First, because his wife loved them and ate at least two a day before she passed away. But secondly, because he discovered that others loved them too and it brings him great joy to share.

The Bible says,

“For God, who gives seed to the farmer to plant, and later on good crops to harvest and eat, will give you more and more seed to plant and will make it grow so that you can give away more and more fruit from your harvest. Yes, God will give you much so that you can give away much, and when we take your gifts to those who need them they will break out into thanksgiving and praise to God for your help” (2 Corinthians 9:10-11 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity* in you. Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) , TLB).

I smile at the thought of my dad growing tomatoes. I absolutely love his heart. And I love hearing the stories about the elderly who are so thankful for his weekly gift of tomatoes because they aren’t able to plant their own garden anymore. As the scripture says, they are so thankful for his kindness.

But this principle isn’t just about tomatoes. I’m not a gardener, but I sow regularly. And I’ve seen God’s faithfulness to multiply my seed.

I’m talking about His Word. I love the scriptures. And I love sharing encouragement from them. I tend to God’s Word every day and look for ways to post, blog, tweet, write, speak— you name it. If I can sow God’s Word in some form, I do. I occasionally hear from those it helps, but I’m not looking for compliments. Like my dad, it simply brings me great joy to share.

So what are you growing? What are you sowing?

I believe all of us have a crop to tend to — maybe it’s your family, maybe a neighborhood or an assisted living home. Maybe your field is your city, your job or your church. But without a doubt, you have something to share.

“But remember this — if you give little, you will get little. A farmer who plants just a few seeds will get only a small crop, but if he plants much, he will reap much. Everyone must make up his own mind as to how much he should give. Don’t force anyone to give more than he really wants to, for cheerful givers are the ones God prizes. God is able to make it up to you by giving you everything you need and more so that there will not only be enough for your own needs but plenty left over to give joyfully to others. It is as the Scriptures say: ‘The godly man gives generously to the poor. His good deeds will be an honor to him forever’” (2 Corinthians 9:6-9 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. "For God loves a person who gives cheerfully."* And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say,"They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever."* OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) , TLB).

If you look for the value in something and the joy it brings to others, it’s not hard to give things away. But first, you must plant and tend to your crop. This is probably where people give up. The joy is in the giving — but the work happens first. It’s often a sacrifice of time and money. And sometimes you don’t see the reward. My dad has left bags of tomatoes on porches and never got to see the smile on the face of the one who found them.

But God sees.

There is joy in giving. I pray you have found that joy.

Watching Over Me

My family says I have nine lives. I say God has rescued me more times than I can count.

Even before I knew God, He was in the business of watching over me. In the second grade, I was hit by a car. In high school, my head went through a windshield in an auto accident. At the end of my senior year of high school, I was robbed at gunpoint in a convenience store robbery. And after getting saved, getting married, and having three kids, I was struck by lightning in a storm.

There may be a couple of other events I’m forgetting about, but you get the picture. One thing I am is grateful. When I look back over my life (just naturally), I’m thankful the Lord was with me. I relate to the Psalmist when he said, “

Unless the Lord had helped me, I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave” (Psalm 94:17 NLT).

But then I can’t help but think of my life spiritually as well. As Jesus said,

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8:36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?* OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) NKJV).

I’m certain God has been my help and refuge in things I couldn’t see far more than those things I could.

The Message Translation of Psalm 94 says,

“Who stood up for me against the wicked? Who took my side against evil workers? If God hadn’t been there for me, I never would have made it. The minute I said, ‘I’m slipping, I’m falling,’ your love, God, took hold and held me fast. When I was upset and beside myself, you calmed me down and cheered me up” (Psalms 94:16-19 Who will protect me from the wicked? Who will stand up for me against evildoers? Unless the LORD had helped me, I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave. I cried out, "I am slipping!" but your unfailing love, O LORD, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) MSG).

I’m reminded often of an Amy Grant song from 1984 called “Angels.” The song talks about how God has angels watching over us all the time— removing obstacles and rescuing us from unknown accidents. I’ve always loved that song (and never forgotten it) because I believe it. I’m sure you could list, like I did, the many things you’ve been through in this life. But I imagine there are countless other things I have no idea about.

The unseen enemy of evil has set itself against all of us. So we should never take for granted the times God has delivered us from the hidden traps of the enemy — known or unknown. But notice the Psalmist said it was God’s love that took hold and held us fast. I say, yes!

The love of God has been the guardian of our soul all along. From start to finish, from birth to death, it is the never-ending love of God that saw us, found us, saved us, and delivered us. He could’ve so easily turned a blind eye — but He didn’t. He chose to send His love to earth to be a part of us. And then He purposefully and willingly gave His life for us.

Whereas we try desperately to avoid traps and save our own skin, Jesus stepped into the trap for us. The love of God saved us all. And naturally still does — every day. I’m still here for a purpose and it could only be the love of God that has saved me and held me.

“If God hadn’t been there for me, I never would have made it.”

The Light of God's Truth

One of my favorite definitions of vision is “something seen otherwise than by the ordinary sight.” In other words, what you see in the natural should never limit what you can see by faith or by revelation.

Too often, we are moved by what we see naturally — and this isn’t a safe bet because feelings are involved. For example, when I was younger I had very poor self-esteem and had a hard time liking what I saw in my own mirror. My vision was limited to how I saw myself — based entirely upon emotion. Until one day, God helped me see what He saw — with eyes of faith. It was a life-changing moment. And I wonder if David had such a moment with God too? In Psalms 17:15 Because I am righteous, I will see you. When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) , he said,

“As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” (NKJV)

Certainly, this is a reference to eternal life. But I believe it also speaks of revelation, meaning an awareness of truth — an ah-ha moment (like the day God opened my eyes in front of my mirror to see more than I was seeing naturally).

Paul said,

"For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of the darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, "Let there be light in the darkness," has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) NKJV).

The Message Translation says,

“…our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful.”

I can raise my hand and testify this is what happened to me. When I was looking at things naturally, I only saw shortcomings and failures. But when my vision lit up with the knowledge (and revelation) of righteousness and who we are in Christ, I saw everything differently. For the first time, I was able to envision a bright and beautiful life— even if I wasn’t there yet. I could see God’s goodness to me through Jesus. I understood, like David, what a satisfaction it is to become aware of our righteousness in Christ— to know and understand that we are fully loved and accepted by God. When the light of God’s Word shone in my dark, ignorant heart, I was fully awakened to so much more than I had ever known (or believed) previously.

In the beginning, when God said, “Let there be light…” there was a light that divided the darkness (Genesis 1:3-4 Then God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ). And this is what God is still doing today. Through His Word, and by His Spirit, God is shining a great light upon darkened hearts and awakening people everywhere to His goodness, love, righteousness, joy, peace, and so much more.

“As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.”

Daphne

Delay

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