For you, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him; therefore your servant has found it possible to pray before you.
Isn’t that an intriguing phrase? “Your servant has found it possible to pray.” My theme for today is “when nothing seems possible, pray.” “When nothing seems possible, pray.” It is the counterpart to last week’s message, which was “When everything seems possible, pray.” Last week we were directed to the good times, the times when God’s in His heaven, all’s right with the world, and it just seems as though anything can happen. As I preached last week, I was thinking about students going off to school, and that wonderful surge of optimism that says, “I’m going to do well at this.” I was thinking about the fall of the year, and all that frenzied activity we get into, telling ourselves that we are going to meet whatever challenge comes our way. Everything is possible!
I was even thinking about the church picnic, and how we look forward to good food, good weather, and good fellowship. I don’t know about you, but I felt so good at last Sunday’s picnic that I decided to rename the devilled eggs angelled eggs! By the way, many thanks to those to remembered that those are among the pastor’s favorite fruits; I hope I’ll have time to work them off before that cholesterol fair comes around!
Last Sunday we thought about how we need to pray when everything looks possible, when the options are infinite, the sun is shining, and we feel young and ready. Last week’s message was for the optimists, for those of us whose vocabulary does not include the word, “No”, who just believe that whatever needs doing can be done.
However, we found out last week, watching our Biblical friend Nehemiah build the wall of Jerusalem, that no matter how optimistic we are, somebody is going to oppose us. So prayer needs to be an immediate, bullet-like response that stops hostility before it even gets started. Prayer centers us on the heart of God, so that we will know that we are His and that we need not fear the naysayers and the critics. Most of all, last week, we found out that in prayer, we discover the rubbish in our souls and the garbage in our hearts. The problem with the eternal optimist is that he never stops long enough to look inside, he is so busy getting on with life. But in prayer we are forced to discover that it is just as important to do our interior spiritual work as it is to be out there doing busy work. When everything seems possible, then pray. That was the word for last week and for the optimists’ club.
This week I want to speak to the pessimists. This week I want to address those who feel that whatever they start to do will go wrong. This week I want to speak to those of you who believe Murphy’s Law – the one which says, “If anything can go wrong, it will”. Nothing is possible. Life is full of frustrations. Everything you put your hand to goes wrong. You have littered the landscape of your heart with failed dreams. What do you do? What do you do when nothing seems possible? That too is the time to pray. That, above all else, is a time to pray. When nothing seems possible, pray.
And what an object lesson we received this week! The weather reports sounded out “retreat” all week long. Dire predictions of floods and winds. Schools closing, office workers encouraged to stay home, businesses asked to close. Shortly after noon on Thursday, there was a loud noise and a bright flash right out here on Aspen Street, and a large tree came down, taking power lines with it. For the next fifty-plus hours, this church building was like a great beached whale. It just sat here, and there was nothing we could do with it. No power meant no lights, no air conditioning, no telephones, and, worst of all, no computers and no e-mail! I had withdrawal symptoms! And the same thing at my home! Why, my wife and I actually had to talk to each other! Terrifying! For a while it seemed as though nothing was possible. Couldn’t do anything. Some folks even suggested that we not have services today.
You don’t know me very well, do you? I am in the optimists’ club, not the pessimists’, and I don’t give up that easily. Nonetheless, with all that was happening, I can see why some of us throw up our hands in frustration. I can understand that. But I must say, when nothing seems possible, there is one and only one response: to pray. When all is frustration, you are blocked at every turn, your expectations are not coming true, when nothing seems possible, then pray.
For, as King David found out, it is not whether the task at hand is possible. It is whether a relationship to God is possible. It is not whether you succeed at getting something done; it is whether you succeed in connecting with the Father. David said, “Your servant has found it possible to pray.” When nothing seems possible, then pray, for prayer is the greatest possibility.
I can summarize the story quickly. David had been king in Jerusalem for several years, and had solidified his rule. The stability of the kingdom was assured. The city was becoming a worthy capital for Israel. He had built for himself a great palace, using the finest materials and creating an image of grandeur and success. Now, at this moment in his career, the king of Israel turned to another great project: the construction of a Temple for Israel’s God. David determined that he would discard the worn-out temporary tabernacle that had been trucked around the wilderness, and that he would construct a majestic place for the holy of holies. His mind was made up.
But it was not to be. God interrupted David. God had another agenda. God said, “No.” David must have felt frustrated and astonished. Surely the king must have felt keen disappointment that his pet project was not going to happen. The chronicler tells us, however, that David did something then that is of tremendous value, something we need to learn about. When David found that his dream was not going to be possible, instead of turning to bitterness and venting his anger, David turned to prayer. And in prayer he discovered possibilities of another kind. When nothing seems possible, pray; for in prayer we find a whole new set of possibilities.
I
One possibility which David discovered is the possibility of deepened relationships. Deepened relationships. When we find that we can’t do what we wanted to do; when we attempt too much, too soon, prayer tells us that what we can do is to open up profound friendships. When, like Ichabod Crane in the old story, we jump on our horse and ride off in all directions at once, the things we are trying to do may not get done. But if prayer is an ingredient; if in the way we envision our lives, we turn to prayer – then what we do get is a finer, more meaningful set of personal relationships. A new possibility.
David had a great friend, Nathan. Nathan was God’s prophet, a man wedded to the truth and committed to David. The best friend David had. When David first approached Nathan about the Temple project, Nathan said, “Go for it. Do all that is in your heart.” Sounded good, didn’t it? Not only did the king want to build this Temple, but also his best friend and spiritual advisor said it was a good idea. Everything was set.
But the next morning Nathan was singing a different song. The next morning Nathan told David that both of them had been mistaken and that God did not want this Temple built. David’s response was to go into prayer and seek God’s will more clearly. David’s response was to cherish the insights of his friend and to factor those into his prayer life.
I hope you have a spiritual friend out there somewhere. I hope you have a spiritual friend, a soul mate, somebody with whom you can be honest, somebody who will be honest with you. I hope you have somebody who will love you, warts and all, and will be committed to you – but who will tell you the truth when you need to hear it.
Think about this prophet Nathan. This was not the first time David had heard from Nathan. A few years back, David had conspired to snatch the woman Bathsheba for himself, even going so far as to have her inconvenient husband meet an arranged accident. David thought he had gotten by with this horrible thing, but Nathan the prophet had confronted him, accusing him, “You are the man, you stole this little lamb, you are guilty! Guilty!” Nathan had called David down for this grievous sin. For many of us, that would have been the end of that friendship.
But here Nathan was again, stopping David in the middle of his pet project. Most of us would have sent Nathan packing. Most of us would have written Nathan off as an incurable busybody. But thank God Nathan was still around, telling the truth; and thank God David knew enough to factor Nathan’s insights into his own prayer life. When nothing seems possible, pray; and the new possibility is a finer friendship, a deepened relationship.
It wasn’t long ago that I thought a particular opportunity was going to come my way. It looked as though I might have a chance to do something that would excite and challenge me. I was praying about it, but I suspect my prayer was more along the lines of “Hurry up, Lord. Let’s get to it.” However, God has placed in my life a few people who discern the truth and who are not afraid to ask hard questions. I confided in about three of those people. They began to ask me questions like, “Why would you want to do this? What does this have to do with the Kingdom? Does this fit real Kingdom priorities?” And when eventually the word came that I was not going to get this particular opportunity, I felt only a little frustrated, only mildly disappointed, because I felt infinitely closer to those who had told me the truth! I felt gifted from those whose insights were brought into my prayer.
When we attempt too much, too soon, we may not get to do it. But when nothing seems possible, if we will pray, God will give us not what we think we want; but He will give us deepened relationships and profound friendships. When nothing seems possible, pray.
II
Second, David found out, as he took his frustrations to God in prayer, that when nothing seems possible, in prayer you find a new possibility. And that new possibility is in helping someone else achieve what you could not achieve. When nothing seems possible, pray and discover that it will be possible for someone else, if you will help them.
God said to David, “Not yet and not you”. “Not yet and not you.” You will not build the Temple, but you will have the privilege of preparing someone else to do it.
There’s a wonderful play on words here in the Bible. It says that when David prayed, God told him that his task was not to build a house, but a House! Hello?! Not a house, but a House. Not a building-type house, with walls and floors and a roof; but a human House, a family prepared and committed to the things of the Lord. God told David, “I don’t want you to build a Temple. But I do want you to build the builder of the Temple. I don’t want you to build a house of worship; but I do want you to build a worshipper. Invest in your child, your family, your people, so that they can do the job.”
When nothing seems possible, and the things we set out to do just aren’t happening, pray. Pray. For prayer will tell us, “Not yet and not you,” but someday, and with those whom you will prepare. If you cannot build a house, build a House; build a child, build a family, build a people. And that is an infinitely rewarding possibility!
You see, the Lord knows that we have ego problems. We want to be the center of attention. As a friend of mine loves to put it, some folks just have to be the bride at every wedding and the corpse at every funeral. And when a person with a powerful ego need sets out to do something, most of the time the motive is to build a monument to himself! Look at our civic buildings; whoever was president or governor or mayor puts his name up in bold letters. Look at some of our churches; the cornerstone carries somebody’s name as apostle and founder. We even have a trend these days of Baptist preachers taking on the grandiose title of bishop and Methodist preachers taking on the role of “episcopal leader”. There’s an ego issue out there!
But our God, who loves us even when we do not know how to love ourselves rightly, says that our real work is not to build monuments to ourselves. Our real work is to build others. Our real calling is to train our children. Our real ministry is to develop those who are coming after us. Just as David’s real work was to grow his son Solomon, our real work is to grow a new generation, more capable, more committed, more in tune with the Spirit than ever before. That is our great new possibility.
When nothing seems possible, pray. Pray and discover what the apostle Paul discovered, that if one plants and another waters and yet another gets the harvest, it does not matter, for all are used by a great God.
When nothing seems possible, pray. Pray and find the possibilities among the children, among others whom God has placed in your path. When nothing seems possible, like David, find it possible to pray and see the next generation as our most important task. What you and I do not do, not yet, not us, we can train them to do. When nothing seems possible, pray, discovering a new possibility in others coming after us. Pray.
III
Finally, most of all – deep in the core of what prayer is all about – when nothing seems possible, pray and find the possibility of grace. Grace. We are called to live out of grace and not out of achievements. Life is not measured by what we have done, nor is it weighed by whether we achieved this or that. Whatever we do will never feel like enough. But in prayer we will discover the infinite possibilities of living out of grace.
David’s prayer is most instructive. His language tells us a great deal about how God shaped his heart. All through David’s prayer, instead of complaining about not being heard; instead of making promises that he had no intention of keeping; instead of bargaining with God – all through David’s prayer the king is full of gratitude to a God who has done everything. A God who led Israel from slavery in Egypt, a God who had brought David from obscurity, a God who had built a people into greatness. David in his prayer understands that whatever he has received is a gift; and therefore if he does not get more, still he has received gifts without measure and grace unbounded and amazing.
Oh, friends, our issue is that most of us are still walking around with a double load of guilt. We think we should be doing more. We feel we ought to be more committed. We sense that our dreams lie dried up and deferred, like raisins in the sun. We believe, down deep, that we are not good enough, not bright enough, not alert enough, not accomplished enough, just not enough! And as long as we try to do everything ourselves we will never be enough! Nothing will seem possible. Our constant companions will be “woulda, coulda, and shoulda”, and we will never, never feel satisfied. We will never work off our load of guilt.
But listen to the king of Israel, frustrated and disappointed in himself. Listen as he kneels to pray. Out of his heart flows a swirling stream of gratitude for the glorious grace of God. When nothing seems possible, and you just feel so guilty for not having done what you thought you could do, should do, would do – pray. Pray and open your heart to the refreshing streams of God’s grace. When nothing seems possible, know that grace is the greatest possibility of all!
Gilbert was eight years old, a Cub Scout. During one of his Scout meetings he was handed a sheet of instructions, a block of wood, and four tires, and was told to take it all home and tow work on it with Dad. That was not easy for Gilbert, because Dad was not very interested in doing things with his son. Dad read the instruction sheet and sneered at the idea of making a pinewood derby car with his young son. Weeks went by; and the block of wood went untouched.
Finally, Mom stepped in to see if she could figure this out. She had no carpentry skills, so she just read the instructions and let Gilbert do all the work. Within days his block of wood was turning into a pinewood derby car – a little lopsided, but getting there.
The big night came. With his blue pinewood derby car in his hand and pride in his heart, Gilbert headed to the race site. However, it soon became obvious that all the other boys had had a lot more help than Gilbert. The other cars sported cool paint jobs and sleek body styles. Gilbert’s car looked wobbly, lopsided, and unattractive.
One by one the cars raced down the finely sanded ramps in an elimination match, and, miraculously, Gilbert’s car stayed in the race. It finally came down to just two cars: Gilbert’s wobbly lump, and the slickest, sleekest, most professional-looking car in the room. As the cars were set up for the race, Gilbert asked if he could stop for just a moment, because he wanted to pray. Everyone stared while Gilbert got on his knees, clutching that ugly block of wood. A very long two minutes went by, and then Gilbert got up and announced that he was ready.
The other boy brought his father to the ramp, and together they carefully placed their slick, sleek racer on the raceway. On the other side stood Gilbert, with his Father in his heart and his monstrosity in his hand. Both cars rattled down the ramps together, and at the bottom, Gilbert’s car was ahead by just a bare fraction.
The Scoutmaster took Gilbert’s hand to congratulate him and asked the obvious question, “So you prayed to win, huh, Gilbert?” To which the boy answered, “Oh, no, sir. It wouldn’t be fair to ask God to help you beat someone else. I just asked Him to make it so I don’t cry if I lose.”
When nothing seems possible, pray. Pray so that even if you have attempted too much, too soon, you will be opened up to others. Pray so that even if it is to be not yet, not you, you will see that there are others you can help along the way. And most of all, when nothing seems possible, pray so that you may know the surpassing and amazing grace of a God whose love is sure, a God whose love never ends.
When nothing seems possible, pray.
