At that time I pleaded with the Lord and said, “O Sovereign Lord, you have only begun to show your greatness and the strength of your hand to me, your servant. Is there any god in heaven or on earth who can perform such great and mighty deeds as you do? Please let me cross the Jordan to see the wonderful land on the other side, the beautiful hill country and the Lebanon mountains. But the Lord was angry with me because of you, and he would not listen to me.” “That’s enough!” he declared. “Speak of it no more.”
— Deuteronomy 3:23-26
Having a beautiful wife, four daughters and now a granddaughter, I have been powerless in the face of the many long and passionate “Ple-e-e-e-eases” over the years.
I would gruffly choke out a “No” every once in a while, but we were all in on the little secret.
Just keep asking.
Just keep sounding cute and desperate, and Dad would eventually buckle.
If Mom were with me on the “no,” it would stand.
If not, forget about it.
Those sweet girls own me and they know it.
Moses and God were really close.
Their relationship was truly remarkable.
It’s not that God loved him more than anyone else. He wasn’t playing favorites. It was simply unique in ways that were representative of Moses’ uniqueness.
These verses record Moses asking, “Ple-e-e-e-ease,” and God holding firm with the “no” answer.
Moses had disobeyed God, and the consequences were devastating. He desperately asked God to change his mind.
God finally had to tell him, “Do not ask me again.”
I think both their hearts were broken.
Moses learned some things simply cannot be undone. No quick redo or take twos. Paul learned a fleshly “thorn” is necessary at times for mission success.
Jesus submitted to the brutality of a Roman beating and crucifixion to provide the one and only way to heaven.
All were told, “No.”
No amount of “pleases” managed to turn God from his “no” answer.
What “no” from God is troubling you today?
Even aging “no” answers can hinder healing, stunt growth and derail our impact in this world, if we continue to believe God got it wrong and should have said, “Yes.”
No use
While he was still speaking to her, a messenger arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. He told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the teacher now.” But when Jesus had heard what had happened, he said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith, and she will be healed.”
— Luke 8:49-50
It was a riveting scene in the movie “Breakthrough.”
A teenage boy, John Smith, was underwater for 15 minutes after falling through the ice. After an unlikely rescue, he was rushed to the emergency room where he was declared dead for 45 minutes, until his mother showed up.
She went over to his corpse and began to pray over him.
The medical team members watching had that it’s-no-use look on their faces.
Her tearful, passionate cries to God for his life to return were interrupted only by the beep that returned to the still-attached heart monitor.
Surely Jairus’ knees buckled when word of his daughter’s passing reached him. I would have collapsed into a heap if I were him.
It was at that moment Jesus locked eyes with him. He spoke courage and strength into the man.
He managed to make the trip home buoyed only by the one he had in desperation pleaded with for his daughter’s life.
Weeping turned into mocking laughter as Jesus told the crowd she was only sleeping. With a touch and a word, the girl rose.
I don’t know, to answer your question. We all have it. We can’t help it. Why them and not (fill in the blank)?
Would John have revived without his mother’s cries?
Would Jairus’ daughter have stood up again if he had not sought out Jesus?
Same answer.
The mysteries surrounding the eternal piercing the temporary will remain for you and me.
As will, however, the truth that crying out to Jesus is never in the category of being of “no use.”
Our faith inspires the cry. His determines the outcome.
Is Jesus hearing your voice today?
Wiles is senior minister of Fall Creek Christian Church in Pendleton. He can be reached at 765-778-3166.