Saturday, April 6, 2013

Vials of Odours

I have another raindrop to post today!  Yesterday, I had the privilege of spending most of the day with my amazing parents, and Mother told me to read Revelation 5:8.  It says, "And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints."

Apparently, when I pray a prayer, it is not simply heard and answered:  it stays before the throne in golden vials!!!  They are before the throne still, not null and void or floating in some great chasm in the universe or dissipated or evaporated or annihilated.  Those prayers are still right in front of God smelling up the throne area!! 

That is a powerful reminder of our role in praying for people who will not or cannot pray for themselves!!  Join forces with God to overcome evil in the lives of those you love!!  Those prayers are eternal!! 
Jesus would have passed by them, but . . . .

In Mark 6, right after Jesus had fed the five thousand with five loaves and two fishes, He sent the disciples to Bethsaida in a boat while He stayed behind to send away the multitude and to pray.  When He was still on land, He saw the disciples "toiling in rowing," because they were rowing against a strong wind, so He went to them by walking on the water.  Now, if you have been in church since you were young, you are probably familiar with this story.  What I do not remember ever reading, but know that I have numerous times, is the end of verse 48:  ". . . and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them."  He would have passed by them!!!  They were struggling, and the compassionate LORD would have simply passed by them walking on the water!!

We will get to what kept Him from doing that in a minute, but I have to paint a word picture here.  Jesus was walking on the water, but apparently the wind was so great that the rowing of the disciples was getting them nowhere fast, since His walking was faster than their rowing.  There is a lesson there in God's timing or the effectiveness of having God's involvement in your processes of life, but that is not my point here; it is just something on which to chew.

The point is:  Jesus would have passed them by.  What stopped Him and involved Him in their process was recorded in verse 49-50a:  "But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:  For they all saw him, and were troubled."  They did not even realize it was Jesus, so their cry was not necessarily a prayer; it was a cry of fear!!  But Jesus's compassion and love for them responded still!  The rest of verse 50 through verse 51a says, "And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer:  it is I; be not afraidAnd he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased".  He handled their fear and their reason for fear!!  He is amazing!!

This raindrop reminded me of two important things:  God sees my toiling, and He is RIGHT THERE always with His heart of compassion toward me, willing to help me if I simply cry out!!  He is, however, a gentleman and will not force Himself into my situations if I do not invite Him.  So. . . I am inviting, crying out for the God and Creator of the universe to help me, to work in my life and the lives of people I love!  I do not intend to stop crying out! 

God, do not pass me by!!