Have you ever had a crush on somebody but that person wanted nothing to do with you? This is what Donovan sang about in this song of unrequited love. Check it out here.
When I was a teenager, an errant church taught me that if I just had enough faith, I could get what I wanted from God. They often quoted verses like Luke 17:5 and 6 (Bible in Basic English) as their proof text. "And the twelve said to the Lord, 'Make our faith greater.' And the Lord said, 'If your faith was only as great as a grain of mustard seed, you might say to this tree, Be rooted up and planted in the sea; and it would be done.'"
what they didn't understand is that God is sovereign. In fact, it's blasphemous to assume that he's obligated to give us anything.
Luke 11:2 (King James Version) tells us who's will must be done. "And he said unto them, 'When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.'"
James 1:6 (BBE) was another verse the elders browbeat me with when my eyes weren't healed. "Let him make his request in faith, doubting nothing; for he who has doubt in his heart is like the waves of the sea, which are troubled by the driving of the wind."
That accusation stung. I did my utmost to quench all doubts. No matter how hard I tried, it seemed never to be enough for God. Consequently, I turned my back on him for nine long years.
Those wicked people never took Ephesians 6:4 (KJV) to heart. ""And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."
If Christ hasn't returned by Saturday, I hope to post about John Lennon's painful childhood.
