God Answers Prayer

God answers prayer. 

I say this not because I have heard it, or had prayers answered in the past, but because I had a prayer answered this week...

My son inherited a ring from my father. Last Sunday, he took it off while he was showering, and somehow it fell down the drain in the shower. His wife told me he was devastated, and I can understand. I was very sad, myself.

It was Sunday, and he had to work, and the stores were closed in the little town where they live, and they didn't have the tools they needed...We talked on the phone, and gave advice, and offered financial assistance if needed, but they don't live close, so that was all we could physically do.

Monday they got some tools, and took the pipe apart, but couldn't find the ring. Well, I knew that it was just a thing, and that life goes on, but it was hard for all of us.

So Tuesday, as I was doing my day, I prayed God would help them find it. I had no doubt that He knew exactly where it was... 

That evening the phone rang. It was my son, telling me that he had taken the pipe apart before they used the shower again, and had dug a little deeper, and had found the ring! It was such a relief! I said to him, "God answers prayer!" and now I am affirming to you that God cares about us, and He answers prayer, even prayer about seemingly small, worldly things.

Blessings!

Jesus and Psalm 82

In a recent study, I encountered Psalm 82. This is the Psalm which Jesus quoted in John 10:

Joh 10:22  And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. 23  And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. 24  Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. 25  Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. 26  But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. 27  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29  My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30  I and my Father are one. 

31  Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. 

32  Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? 

33  The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. 

34  Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? 35  If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; 36  Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? 

In verse 34 above, the Scripture to which Jesus referred was Psalm 82:6. Here is the Psalm in its entirety:

Psalm 82:1 A Psalm of Asaph. God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods. 
2 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah. 
3 Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. 
4 Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. 
5 They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course. 
6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.
7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. 
8 Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.

In reading this Psalm with the Strong's numbers, which was needed for the study I was doing, I realized I was seeing the situation in John 10. I will try to explain... 

In the Psalm, verse one, God is standing among the powerful,  judging them. Looking at John 10:24-26, Jesus is standing among the leaders of the Jewish people, telling them that they are not his sheep because they do not believe him. 

Verses 2-4 of the Psalm detail some of the things the Jewish leaders are doing and not doing which God would have them change, and verse 5 shows their unwillingness to see the light which is before them in the person of Jesus. Instead, they accuse him of blasphemy and making himself God when he was a man. (John 10:33)

That is when Jesus quotes the Psalm, verse 6, showing that their accusation is groundless, because not only is he a child of God, but they are, also. This doesn't deny the relationship he has with his father (John 10:30)--instead, if they would but see it, it shows them the relationship that the father desires to have with them.

Father, give us ears to hear, that we may follow your Son.