As I finished reading from Our Daily Walk by F. B. Meyer this morning, I noticed a little post-it tab sticking up from one of the pages. I looked to see what it was I had tabbed — and was blessed all over again. This reading is from July 22:

SURRENDER LEADING TO SONG

“And when the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord began also with the trumpets, and with the instruments ordained by David king of Israel.”– 2Ch 29:27.

THE HEBREW Psalmody became famous throughout the world. Even their fierce conquerors recognized the sublime beauty of the Hebrew temple music. By the waters of Babylon they urged them to sing one of the Songs of Zion, not knowing how impossible it was for the captives to sing the Lord’s song in a strange land! For sixteen years no song had poured forth from the sacred shrine. Ahaz had shut the doors, dispersed the Levites, and allowed the holy fabric to remain unkempt, unlit, and unused. There were no sacrifices on the Altar, no sweet incense in the Holy Place, no blood on the Mercy-Seat, no Song of the Lord!

For too many Christians this, alas, is a picture of their life. The soul, intended to be a holy temple for God, shows signs of disorder and neglect. The lights are not lit, the sweet incense of prayer does not ascend, the doors of entrance to fellowship and exit to service are closed. Outwardly the ordinances of the religious life are preserved, but inwardly silence and darkness prevail, into which bat-like thoughts intrude. Thorns have come up in the court of the Holy Place, where the scorpion makes her nest. The Song of the Lord had died out of heart and life.

Why should not this miserable condition be ended to-day? Why should you not be cleansed from the traces of sin and neglect through the Blood of the Cross? Why should you not come back into fellowship with God, who waits to receive and forgive? Surrender yourself to Him now. Do not be general, but specific in your consecration. Weld yourself to some life or lives that sorely need help. Give not words only, but deeds and blood. Merge your little life in the life of Christ, as the streamlet in the wide ocean. And as you yield yourself to Christ first, and next to all who need you for His sake, you will find the Song of the Lord breaking forth again in your heart like a spring, which was formerly choked with debris.

PRAYER

We pray Thee, Heavenly Father, to cleanse the thoughts of our hearts, by the inspiration of Thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love Thee, and worthily magnify Thy Holy Name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

I said in my post about reasons God doesn’t answer prayer that He’s not obligated to answer prayers for those who are not His children, though in His goodness He may bless even those who do not belong to Him. “For he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust,” (Matthew 5:45b). This sparked a conversation with a friend about who, exactly, are God’s children. Aren’t we all?

It’s important when considering questions like this to look at what the Bible actually says, in context, rather than coming to logical conclusions.  We’re supposed to let Scripture instruct us and transform our thinking rather than trying to fit it within our frame of reference.

In John 8:42-44, “Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

He obviously did not regard the people he was addressing as His Father’s children, but rather the devil’s.

But it’s not people at that extreme who are not God’s children. In John 3:3 Jesus told Nicodemus—not a heathen living in obvious moral sin, but a religious leader—“Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Jesus went on to explain how one experienced that new spiritual birth in verses 16-18:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

We’re created in God’s image. But sin has marred that image. We’re born sinners, and we make the choice to sin almost every day. God doesn’t let sin into heaven. “But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27).

That leaves us in big trouble.

But in God’s love for us, He made a way we could become part of God’s family. Jesus, as God, came to earth in human flesh. He was both fully God and fully man. If he were sinful, He could not do anything to atone for our sin because He would have His own. But He is the perfect, sinless One—just like all those sacrificial lambs in the OT, which pointed to His coming sacrifice. He took all our sin and punishment on Himself so we wouldn’t have to.

But Christ’s atonement didn’t automatically save everyone in the world. We have to repent of our sins and receive Him.

In John 1:11-12 it says, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” If He was giving people the ability to become sons of God, that means they were not his children before — otherwise there would be no need to become God’s sons.

That’s the good news — that we can become God’s children through faith in Christ.

Galatians 3:26: “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”

John 14:6: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” We didn’t already belong to the Father: a way needed to be made for us to the Father.

That’s what He came for: that’s what He gave His life for. That would not have been necessary if we were already His children. But He graciously provided the way for us to become His children.

I John 3:1: Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. What an amazing blessing!! What great love!

A leaflet came in with a packet of sample tracts at our church which listed a few reasons why prayers aren’t answered. I began to think of others and added to that list in a section in our ladies’ newsletter last week, but thought of some more since then.

We have to remember prayer isn’t a heavenly vending machine: insert prayer, push the right button, and get what you want. It’s more like a child requesting something of a parent, and every good parent sometimes has to say “No.”

Here are some Biblical reasons why God sometimes says “No.”

1. Sin.

Psalm 66:18: “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.”

2. Turning away from hearing God’s Word.

Proverbs 28:9: “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.”

3. Praying half-heartedly.

Jeremiah 29:12-13: “Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

4. Asking for the wrong reasons.

James 4:3: “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”

5. Pride.

This was one on the list I mentioned. I wasn’t sure it applied at first because the verse doesn’t specifically mention prayer, but I think indirectly it could be a hindrance to prayer — though it is probably more of a subset of #1 or #4.

Luke 14:11: “For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

6. Unforgiveness

This also could be considered a subset of #1, bu since it is mentioned specifically, I’ll list it here:

Mark 11:26-26: And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

7. Spiritual conflict.

Daniel 10:12-13: Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.

Here we’re getting into things beyond our understanding, but those unseen conflicts are a factor.

8. God wants to show His grace through our weakness instead.

II Corinthians 12:8-10: For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

9. Disciplinary measures. It might seem at first like this is a subset of #1, but I think in that case the sin wasn’t acknowledged: I think in this case it is, but the answer is still no.

Deuteronomy 3:25-26:I pray thee, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon. But the LORD was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me: and the LORD said unto me, Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto me of this matter.

10. It’s not the right time.

Abraham’s desire for the son God had promised was not fulfilled until his old age.

Genesis 21: 1-2: And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

11. Not asking in faith.

James 1:6-7: But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

Matthew 17:19-20: Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

12. It’s not God’s will.

I John 5:14: And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.

Matthew 26:42: He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, “O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.”

Can you think of any others?

Some would say God does not answer the prayers of someone who doesn’t know Him, except the prayer for salvation, but Cornelius, a man who did not yet know the Lord, was told in Acts 10: 4b, “Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.” Nevertheless it stands to reason that God would more readily answer the prayers of one of His own children.

And though this list might sound negative, really the bulk of Scripture has more to say positively about prayer. God wants to answer our prayers when they are in line with His will and when there is not something blocking the channel of communication between us.

Often on my Friday Fave Five post I will list a link to something I’ve enjoyed reading on the Internet during the week. But the one I had in mind for this week was just so important and poignant I felt it needed its own post for emphasis.

Chris Anderson posted in Beautiful, Hopeless Legalism a clip from the film The Mission (which I have been wanting to see ever since discovering the song Gabriel’s Oboe from it) and pointed out the differences between the inadequate attempt to earn forgiveness and atone for oneself, as the film depicts, and accepting Christ’s atonement br grace through faith. It’s well worth the read.

Some years ago someone posted a thread on a Christian message board I was on at the time  “griping” about Christians who said they didn’t feel “fed” at their churches. I was astonished. I would think any pastor would be dismayed that anyone felt that way at his church. Then some months back someone speaking at my church (not our pastor) said that people leaving churches because they didn’t “feel fed” were probably just rebelliously on the outer fringes of the church anyway. Wherever I have seen the topic come up, there are negative vibes towards the hungry, unfed Christian rather than an examination of what’s being offered.

I suppose the first order of business, when someone makes a complaint about feeling unfed at a church, is to find out exactly what they mean. If it’s just a vague feeling of discontent or dissatisfaction, then that needs to be explored further. If it means they’re not feeling “entertained” or the messages aren’t “interesting,” then they need to be instructed as to the purpose of the message. If they’re falling asleep, talking, passing notes, staring out the window, then that behavior can be pointed out as the reason they’re not “getting anything” and advice can be given about getting enough sleep, perhaps taking notes to help keep one’s mind on the sermon. The complainer might even have some unconfessed sin in his life that is hindering his communication with the Lord. But in any of these and other scenarios, a gripy, irritated, fault-finding attitude toward the complainant is likely not going to help the situation.

When I have felt “unfed,” it hasn’t been for any of those reasons (though I’ve had my share of inattention or unplanned “naps” at church, I knew my unfed state then was my own fault.) When I don’t feel fed spiritually, it has been because the message didn’t contain much of the Word of God. I’ve felt unfed with messages that are primarily:

1. Ranting (about politics, the state of the world, the state of Christianity, etc. — not that those topics can’t be discussed biblically, but if it is just ranting, though it may get a lot of “Amens,” how is that helping anyone?)

2. Stories (Stories can be great illustrations of truth [Jesus even used them] or starting points, but if a message is primarily stories, to me, it’s not very meaty. I heard one pastor describe his own message as a “skyscraper sermon — story after story after story.”)

3. The speaker’s opinions rather than Biblical instruction (though, again, an opinion of a godly person based on Biblical principles can be of great value.)

4. Misuse or misapplication of the Bible. This can be done in myriad ways, but the one I’ve seen most often is having a point to make and attaching a Scripture to it rather than preaching from the passage and making applicable points.

5. The speaker’s thoughts about what the Bible says rather than what the Bible says. This is a little trickier — some commentary is inevitable and even good. One former pastor used to say that when he first started preaching, he would approach a passage with the question, “What can I say about this passage?” After a time, he realized that was the wrong question. The right question is, “What does this passage say?” When you really dig into the passage itself, the context, the meanings of the words, etc., and bring it out and make applications that are suggested by the passage that really fit the meaning and context rather than using a verse to address a pet peeve — that just makes all the difference in the world.

We do have to take into account that every pastor is only human, that not every message will be a “home run,” that there will be times the pastor needs to have just a “family chat” with a congregation, etc. But if I felt “unfed” the majority of the time at a church, I’d have to seriously consider leaving.

Here are some of the charges I have heard against the “unfed.”

1. You’re supposed to feed yourself.

True. Christians should be taught to get into the Word on a regular basis on their own. But does that mean they shouldn’t get “milk and meat” from their pulpits? I eat regularly at home, but when I go out to eat I want a satisfying meal there as well.

2. We come to church to worship God, not to be fed.

Comments along this line will often go on to gripe about “consumer mentality,” wanting to “get instead of give,” etc. Though we should be concerned with giving and not just getting, and though we should worship God, again, does that mean it is okay if the sermon is primarily fluff? Paul charged Pastor Timothy to “Preach the Word.” Jesus told Peter to feed His lambs and sheep, and Peter in turn instructed, “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind” (I Peter 5:2). “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth” (II Timothy 2:24-25).

3. People who say things like that just like to complain.

Is a person who feels this way not supposed to say something about it? Granted, if he or she is just spreading this among others in the congregation, that is stirring up trouble rather than legitimately dealing with the situation. If the only person saying this is one who complains about every other little thing, it might carry a little less weight. But any criticism carries with it the responsibility to examine it and see if it is true before dismissing it. But it could be that a person making this statement privately to a pastor might be trying to rectify the situation. Would a pastor really rather have an unfed person quietly leave without saying anything?

4. People who say they aren’t being fed probably aren’t serving.

I don’t know why this connection is made. If the Bible is spiritual food and serving is spiritual exercise, doesn’t stand to reason that if one is better fed he can better exercise?

It is possible to be feeding oneself in the Word, actively serving, and worshiping as best one knows how, and still feel unfed. I know: I have experienced it. In one church my husband and I attended, we joined knowing that every “i” wasn’t dotted or “t” crossed exactly like we would have done, yet we agreed with the core doctrines and felt we could minister and be ministered to there. We enjoyed the pastor and preaching. Yet after a while things seemed to change,though we couldn’t quite put our finger on it or articulate it. Going through a stack of old papers one day, I came across some sermon notes from our first months there. I was astonished at how “meaty,” how Word-filled those early sermon notes were, and I was so sad that there had been a subtle shift away from such preaching. We didn’t go to the pastor and tell him we didn’t “feel fed” — we didn’t know exactly how to, didn’t know if we should, and just felt awkward doing so and didn’t know how it would be received. It was getting to the point that we felt we should consider leaving, but we really didn’t want to hurt the pastor or the people or create an awkward situation by doing so. As it turned out we had to move away due to my husband’s job. But sadder to me than the shift in preaching in itself was the fact that, as far as I know, the pastor felt he was preaching the Word and was evidently unaware of the shift himself.

It’s not my place to instruct or correct pastors. I just wanted to convey that there are legitimate reasons a church member may feel unfed. I know there are some folks in the church who never seem to be satisfied with anything. But there are serious Christians who just want to hear the Word of God.

Sir, we would see Jesus.