There are so many things in life right now that would fall into the category of unanswered prayer… at least from my perspective that is. So many areas of my own life and walk with the Lord that I have been praying might change and grow and mature into something better and more lovely, more worthy of the life that I have been called to in Christ. And there are so many things in the life of our church that we are hoping God will do, so many prayers that we hope God will answer a certain way, so many good desires that we pray He will pour His blessing upon. And in it all, when I am honest, I am very much lacking in faith. Sure, intellectually I believe and affirm that God is powerful and sovereign and can do as He wills. Yet experientially, and emotionally, as I examine the faith behind my prayers, I see a lot of things that don’t resemble faith. I see doubt. I see past failure. I see reservation. I see skepticism. I see a sinful hesitance to have faith. As I examine this sin, I realize it’s out of place for the Christian for so many reasons, but perhaps topping the list is the reality that my God, the One who hears my prayers, the One who sees the unbelief behind them, is a truly AWESOME God. Today I read Psalm 65 and have been prompted to let it be the theme of my life as the summer days draw to a close and I enter September, harvest time, a new season of life in so many ways. King David writes ‘You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds, O God our savior.’ Then he goes on to describe the magnificence and power of some of these deeds.
6 You formed the mountains by your power
and armed yourself with mighty strength.
7 You quieted the raging oceans
with their pounding waves
and silenced the shouting of the nations.
8 Those who live at the ends of the earth
stand in awe of your wonders.
From where the sun rises to where it sets,
you inspire shouts of joy 9
You take care of the earth and water it,
making it rich and fertile.
The river of God has plenty of water;
it provides a bountiful harvest of grain,
for you have ordered it so.
10 You drench the plowed ground with rain,
melting the clods and leveling the ridges.
You soften the earth with showers
and bless its abundant crops.
11 You crown the year with a bountiful harvest;
even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.
12 The grasslands of the wilderness become a lush pasture,
and the hillsides blossom with joy.
13 The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep,
and the valleys are carpeted with grain.
They all shout and sing for joy!
This is our God. The One who has formed mountains and quieted oceans. The One who has ordered the rain for the crops, the One who has softened the earth with showers. This year as we enter fall, my favorite season, I want to not just praise God for the beauty of the landscape, but I want to praise Him for crowning each year with a bountiful harvest, a reminder of His power. And I want more faith. I want to look to the God of this Psalm, my God, and have faith that ‘He answers our prayers with awesome deeds’.
