Maybe There Isn't One

Hmm, a tiny rappelling artist on my light fixture; not quite what I expected this morning after my Bible study. What is the difference between wishful thinking and faith? At first glance, it may seem to be the unlikeliness of the event. The Bible is full of unlikely outcomes though. How likely is the Red Sea to part right now and allow me to walk across on dry ground? Yet, the Bible tells of that very thing happening. Perhaps we missed something in that story. The event was highly unlikely until God said that is what would happen. So we can mark down one difference right there. When God gives His word, no longer is wishful thinking an issue.

A woman approaches a man in a crowd hoping to simply touch his garments and have her illness healed. Wishful thinking indeed, except that in this case she knew the man as the Son of God, a healer and prophet. She came in faith and went away healed. Another difference we can mark down, come to Jesus believing and a desired outcome is faith, not a wish. Or, maybe the wish is fulfilled by faith, and thus is not a bad thing at all. Another comes to the Son and says, "If you will..." God's will makes a thing possible, no matter how unlikely the outcome seems to us in our world-raised view. Maybe there is no difference between faith and a wish except in the action.

Prayer brings a wish to God in faith, and then God may say yes or no. Not all of our desires are good for us to have fulfilled, and God will deny the request. As any parent or boss knows, it is not easy to say no to requests when you want to give those you love all they desire. Perhaps the world looks down on wishful thinking to stop us from bringing the unlikely to God in faith. Wonders and miracles may be stopped by those who believe in Christ refusing to ask, seek, and knock at the doors of faith. Have we learned to edit our requests just because they seem wishful thinking in the world's view? James reminds us that we have not because we ask not. The world's prince can stop the miraculous if he can keep the children of God from asking in the first place.

God may give the thumbs down to your wish. However, it was very unlikely that a group of hungry lions would refuse a tasty meal for an entire night.

God's grace and peace to you,
Bucky