mepastormike

I was confronted today by someone wanting the absolute truth about a situation involving them... their words were along the lines of 'You'd tell me the truth wouldn't you, even if you knew it would hurt me?' It made me think about how much I will skirt around issues sometimes instead of dealing up front with whomever, or whatever. Isn't it amazing how careful and sensitive we have become with people, and with issues we know in our hearts that will ultimately come crashing down. Somehow I've grown accustom with picking up the pieces of broken lives after a fall...
Today I began a couple of weeks worth of reading on prayers of the Bible. The first was from Genesis 18. The whole chapter deals with persons that hemmed and hawed around instead of telling God what was really on their hearts. The first part dealt with Sarah... she laughed as she listened to the Lord tell her husband Abraham that she would give birth in her old age. When confronted by the Lord about why she laughed she denied it, although in her heart she was loud and clear. Funny isn't it... how we can contemplate in our hearts and minds, yet somehow believe God doesn't know it unless we say it out loud.
The other part of the chapter deals with Abraham seemingly dealing with God to spare the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham begins by requesting the cities be spared from destruction if God would find fifty righteous people there. God says 'okay.' But then Abraham keeps going back until he's down to sparing the cities if only ten righteous people are found. God says 'okay.' I believe if Abraham had started out with the request of ten the response would have been the same. Yet, even in my own life, I tend to want to bargain with God... uncertain of either my request, or (even deeper) my belief in how effective my prayer is anyways.
I believe God is calling me to a greater confidence... in coming before Him in prayer, and in dealing with others. The confidence is in His truth, administered through His love.