Faith When The Answer Is No Part 1

Faith When the Answer Is No Part 1

Introduction

This message comes out of a personal experience that I have had recently. I am sharing this with you in hope that when things do not go as you hoped that your faith is not shaken. I may not be able to complete the message today, but hopefully what you hear this morning will last you until I can complete it the 2nd Sunday in July since we are not having services next week.

I had the opportunity this month to apply for a new position with my company. This position was one that I really wanted because I knew it would represent a change for me. But I just knew that the position was tailor made for me because of my previous experience working the account and everything that I had accomplished. Also I knew that I had a connection – a higher authority – that when a decision was made, no one could go against Him. And I knew, by faith, that He wanted me to have this position. How did I know that? I knew it because God had promised to bless me and this would be a great blessing in my life and that of my family. Remember the blessings that we all claim as heirs in Christ? Remember the blessings in Deuteronomy 28 and the power of confession found in Mark 11:23-24? Let me refresh your memory:

Deut. 28:1-6 “Now it shall be, if you diligently obey the Lord your God, being careful to all His commandments which I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the Lord your God: Blessed shall you be in the city and blessed shall you be in the country. Blessed shall be your offspring of your body and the produce of your ground and the offspring of your beasts, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in and blessed shall you be when you go out.”

Mark 11:23 “Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, be taken up and cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them and they will be granted you.”

Now it does not take a rocket scientist to realize that there is a whole lot of blessing going on here and when I add in my confessions - I knew that job was mine. I mean, I have accepted Christ as my Savior and I am in the ministry. That gives me a special connection – that one on one thing that preachers are supposed to have with God that you average people may not be able to attain. So I knew that I was okay in that area. I am obeying God so I knew I had earned my blessings. Then as I think about these blessings, blessed in the city and the country. Well that new job had both some city territory and country territory so that would be perfect – I would be blessed. My offspring (children), my yard and my dog’s puppies (although I do not have a dog) would also be blessed because I would be blessed. WOW! This was looking better and better. Then my basket and kneading bowl would be blessed – in other words, there would be food - food is always a blessing – especially when you’re not the one cooking it. Finally I would be blessed when I came in and when I went out. That position would bring me to different cities and then bring me home. Both ways I would be blessed. I was pumped. Walking around the house humming “God is great, gave me the job today!”

Then when I read Mark 11:23, I knew that I had to claim that job and confess that it was mine. Well that was not hard seeing that I had already accepted it as mine. What a wonderful life I have as a Christian – God takes care of me and gives me what I want. Why? Because I am His child.

But I still recognized that I had to go through the process, even though I knew God had anointed me with the job. So I prepared my resume, talked with my director and gained her approval and posted for the job. The interviewing director called me and told me she was really looking forward to talking with me. (God is great gave me the job today.) I went in for the interview – looking good I might add – knowing that I would blow the interview away. I answered every question with multiple examples demonstrating my experience and expertise in the position. I was good. When I walked out of that office, that job was mine. I praised God for giving the experience (and the job) because that was the right thing to do – being spiritual and all. But in my mind I was hearing “God is great, gave me the job today.” In preparing to take the job, I mean based on the scriptures and my confessions, the job was mine, I began to plan around the new position. I put off thinking about some things for my current position because I knew I would not be around to pull them through. I was sooooo looking forward to God moving me onwards.