Just in Time or Just in Case? How God will deliver for you.

Your life is full of needs. Many of these needs are acute and time sensitive. Will God give me a new job before the money runs out? Will God provide healing for the health of me and my loved ones? Will God provide rescue from the brokenness of my relationships personally, professionally, and socially?

When will He provide? Why does He seem to wait?

I used to cry out to God and ask Him to give me everything I thought I’d ever needed so that “Just in Case” I would be protected and have the comfort of knowing that I was resourced for the troubles of life.  God did NOT answer these prayers.

Inside I knew that my prayers actually lacked faith. I wanted God to give to me resources above what I needed or in advance so that I would not have to trust Him when times were tough!

God most often does not provide in advance, nor by the way is He late!  God provides “Just in Time.”

“Just in Time” is a shipping and inventory phrase that describes a revolutionary way to resource production.  Rather than order tons of parts or supplies in advance, a company will estimate how many parts they need and order the parts in exacting quantities to arrive just when they need it.  This saves time and money because they do not need to have warehousing for extra inventory.  Rather than hold on to supplies “Just in Case’ they move to the more powerful “Just in Time” system.

I am convinced that God works on “Just in Time” shipping!  

Whatever is going on in your life God knows about it and He knows with exacting quantities what and when you need it!  God wants you to trust Him and in prayer and active waiting rely on His Just in Time provision for you!

He will deliver for you not “Just in Case” but “Just in Time”!  

They who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Isa 40:31 ESV)

Resurrecting Doggies

Does God care about your dog?

If I pray for my dog will God answer?

Does God answer prayer, period?

This past week our Life Group (small group Bible study) received a prayer request about a couple’s ailing dog, Buddy. Buddy had lost his sight, could not raise his head, and was failing. His owners had to pick him up and physically take him outside, and they had to watch him to keep him from hurting himself by running into walls! They took Buddy to the veterinarian but there was nothing they could do for him. It looked like this was the beginning of the end of Buddy. But nonetheless we prayed for Buddy, and I suspect in our “theological sophistication” we may have done it more to care for and love our friends, not really believing that God cared for or would answer a prayer about a dog. Not only did we pray but so did Buddy’s owner. He went home and laid his hand on his old doggie friend and prayed, “God, you answered Hezekiah’s prayer and gave him 15 more years… would you heal Buddy, and just give him a few more?” And very soon afterward Buddy was healed. Buddy’s sight was restored. Buddy’s head was raised and he stopped running into walls. Buddy’s energy and health is back almost to his prime! He is now running around and playing and can go outside by himself. This was a virtual “doggie resurrection.”

God does answer prayer.  I was so taken aback by how my friend had far more “theological sophistication” than I imagined possible with reference to a dog! He prayed a biblical prayer to the Creator and Sustainer of the universe and was definitively answered! Why should we have doubted this possible? Did God not make all dogs, let alone the whole universe by the power of His Words? Did God not raise Jesus from the dead? Did not God do this for His glory and our benefit? Why do we doubt when we pray? Is anything too trivial or too hard for Him? Buddy and his owners don’t think so… they believe in “doggie resurrections” and the power of prayer.

I, myself, am humbled… and have a new and fresh insight into the power of prayer.