Expanding Our Horizons

Expanding Our Horizons

You do not have, because you do not ask God. James 4:2

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Matthew 7:7-11

Ask, Seek, Knock 7"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
9"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

James 4:1-4
Submit Yourselves to God 1What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

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Recently, the truth of the Scripture teaching found in the above passages and
elsewhere came to life for me.
Christian Horizons was approached through various embassies to address a need to
supply $100,000 U.S. Dollars (USD) for building a school for developmentally
challenged people in a developing country. During visits to this country,
we discovered three or four other missions and agencies that also
served children in great need of assistance.
We met with each of the groups and tried to discern their challenges so that we
could assist them. They identified total needs of $25,000 USD. This total need was
taken to the Board of Directors for Christian Horizons and the project was
approved. Legislation prohibited us from building a school, but we were able to
underwrite their other costs so that they could direct their resources to building the
school. We now had to raise the money to meet this need over the next year or two.
Money was raised and each group received the full amount that they had identified.
Each one got exactly what they asked for, but a strange thing happened. The groups
that had received less seemed to be a little concerned that the other agency had
received so much. They were polite and handled the circumstances well,
but enough was communicated to indicate that they felt they were
less valued by Christian Horizons.
Now these verses took on new meaning for me. The verses had always been an
intellectual exercise until now. We have less because we ask for less.
I can now see that God, who owns the vast resources of creation and who
has influenced the hearts of some men and women to be generous supporters of
charitable causes, is ready and eager to see His purposes accomplished. I wonder if
we don’t see greater things accomplished for God in our lives because we shorten
our goals so that they can be accomplished with what we have, rather than
acknowledge God’s goals and His sufficiency.

This isn’t a plea to throw reason to the wind. It is a plea to wrestle with God in
prayer so that He can truly lead us to the point of our assurance of His will.
The Church of Christ is a community and so God’s will should be confirmed by
other Christians who are seeking God’s counsel independently regarding the same
or similar matter. An initiative that is confirmed by the Holy Spirit in our hearts,
and in the hearts of our brothers and sisters, is a strong indication for moving forward.
Then, as we continue to look to God, we must exercise good stewardship of the
resources He provides so that our motives remain focused and pure.
May God help us to think outside of the box that usually limits our ambitions.
And, may we be bold in approaching God to supply what is needed as
we confirm His leading and proceed with the adventure.

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Heavenly Father, I sometimes wonder if I get the answers I deserve when I raise
questions in prayer. I am beginning to think that I often ask the wrong questions.
I am sure that my lack of faith and the fact that I am not as close to You as I think
I should be, results in hampering my fullest experience of life with You.
Help me in my desire to be bold for You and, I dare say, bold with You. Amen.

-Noel Churchman

Noel was the Executive Director of Christian Horizons form 1976 to 2001. The devotionals we will be using are from a book he wrote in 2005 called “Walking with God”. Noel’s reflections are grounded in his experiences as an educator, and provider of supports for individuals with exceptional needs as well as his life as a dedicated follower of Christ.