Just This One Thing!

Do you ever wish your kids would behave for just one day? That your boss would acknowledge how hard you work just one time? That your family would ask if they could help you put dinner on the table just once in a while or that someone would  call and offer to help you out instead of expecting you to do everything just once? Or that God would answer just that one prayer?

Maybe you've been unemployed for two years or you keep getting laid off and you say to God- "Please God, all I need is a steady job. Why won't you just answer this one request?"

Or it's the loneliness that constantly haunts you when you head home to an empty house. You've tried dating but nothing ever works out and so you're always praying- "Lord, I want to be married. Would you please just bring me a spouse? Show me the person that you have for me. Please just give me this one answer."

Sometimes it's a financial burden. You've been struggling and budgeting and cutting spending and you keep praying, "Father, how are we going to make it? Would you please just take us out of this debt? I know you can provide, please Lord, just get us past this point. Please give us just this one thing."

Perhaps it's an injury that isn't healing or a chronic illness you'll never be rid of. Or a person you deeply love that you're continually trying to witness to but they just have no interest in Christ. Maybe it's watching someone you care about continually make poor decisions and no matter how much you pray, God isn't stopping them and you can't seem to understand why. It's just one prayer, why won't He give you just this one thing?

So you go back to the Bible and you end up looking back at the people of Israel.

Starting in Exodus 2:23 it says that the Israelites cried out to God because of their slavery and He heard them. So he answered by sending Moses to bring them out of Egypt in Exodus 5-12. And their 'just one prayer' of being led out of Egypt was answered. Until you get to their first sign of trouble in Exodus 14.

Here the people are encamped by the Red Sea, the sea is in front of them and the Egyptian army is behind them. Between them and the army is a pillar of cloud during the day and pillar of fire by night. There's nothing natural about that! It's clearly a miracle from God, a sign that He is protecting them from Pharaoh and his army but instead of saying, 'Okay God, I'm trusting you', the Israelites say- 'Moses! What did you do? You should have left us in Egypt in slavery! Surely that would've been better than being led out to the wilderness to die!'

But God's not done and He answers this 'just one thing' for them by parting the Red Sea, having Moses lead them across on dry land and destroying the army behind them. So again, God answered their prayers and saved them, but not in the way they expected.

Then, only three days after this incredible experience, in Exodus 15 the people come to a place called Marah and they can't drink the water because it's bitter. Again, instead of trusting God and his appointed servant, Moses, they grumble against him. 'What are we going to drink?' So again God, using Moses, made the water fit to drink. Then God led them a place with springs and palm trees for them to camp at. This is the third time He had answered that desperate prayer of 'we just need this one thing'.

The story continues as the people of Israel constantly cry out to God, asking for one more thing and He gives it to them but when the next bit of trouble comes up they doubt Him again and again and again.

It's easy for us to look at the nation of Israel and become impatient with their lack of faith but maybe that's because we can see the whole story. We already know how it ends. They didn't. Should they have trusted? Of course. But so should we.

Too often we focus on the problem that is right before us. The illness, the person, the finances, the whatever it is you're facing. These things are, without a doubt, hard for us to face. I don't want to trivialize that but what about what's already happened? What prayers has God already answered?

Maybe you've been praying for two years to find a job but hasn't God provided for you in that time? Maybe you want nothing more to be married, but instead of focusing on how lonely you are be thankful that God has put friends and loved ones in your life in different roles.
Finances are tough and you don't know how you're going to make it but God's not ignoring you or your prayers. He has a plan, and even if it's not going to turn out how you think it should He has a reason for it. He's still in control.

The point is that our 'just one thing' is always changing. There's never just one thing we need from God because we need Him for everything! Focusing on the little things (even the ones that seem really big to us) distract us from our real need, our need for Him.

There's nothing wrong with giving our burdens to the Lord, with telling Him what we're struggling with, He wants us to do that! It's part of having a relationship with Him but remember Jesus' words in Matthew 6:20-21 "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

God cares about that 'just one thing' you're struggling with. Share it with Him, lean on Him, trust Him to get you through this trial but ultimately don't let it become your focus. This need will pass, your need for Him never will. And that 'just one thing' we all need is Jesus Christ.