THE QUAIL'S TALE

Time with Jesus - Wednesday, 20 February 2013

Hi all,

Christians today are in something of a difficult position. The following two Scriptures illustrate the difficulty. Luke 11:9 tells us to keep on asking, seeking and knocking and we will get an answer from God.

⁹ "And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. Luke 11:9 NLT

and

¹¹ So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him? Mat 7:11 NLT

From these two Scriptures it seems clear that we should persevere in prayer. The parable of the unjust judge and the widow (Luke 18:1-8) underlines the fact that we need to be persistent in prayer.

It is also evident that there are occasions when God gives us what we are clamouring for, but there is a terrible price to pay as a result of “badgering” Him.

¹⁵ So he gave them what they asked for. But he also sent a sickness that killed many of them. Psalm 106:15 NIrV

There must be a difference between persevering in prayer and badgering God. So, how do we know the difference? The Lord’s half-brother James appears to have put his finger on it!

² You want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can't get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it. ³ And even when you ask, you don't get it because your motives are all wrong--you want only what will give you pleasure. Jas 4:2-3 NLT

Phyllida and I have found a useful rule of thumb to help us with this difficulty. Prayer for our own needs may come from bad motives. Usually it would be for something bigger or better; a bigger house or a better car etc. In this regard our desire to “live up with the Jones’” is a great example. You know what I mean. They have just bought a brand new top of the range Mercedes. This means we must have at least the same as they have, or a more expensive and better vehicle. In a sense, such prayers are initiated by envy. As such they are a waste of time and effort.

On the other hand, prayer for the needs of others is seldom likely to be wasted on our own lusts. Usually, prayer for others flows from a heart of compassion. We see what they need and respond with prayer that their need be met. Phyllida and I do not benefit from such unselfish prayer directly. Somehow I suspect the Lord will more readily respond to unselfish prayer, than prayer purely for our own betterment. I’m not in a position to say this is always correct. But perhaps you may also find it useful?

Today’s meditation is the Quail’s Tale. It elaborates on what happened when they “got the bird” for wanting “bird

Shalom,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland  

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Wednesday, 20 February 2013			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
©	These devotionals are the intellectual property of Jim Strickland and copyright protected. You are welcome to copy and distribute them to anyone provided it is for non-commercial Christian purposes					©
INTRODUCTION			DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	The Quail’s Tale
Sometimes, to understand the Biblical narrative, it’s necessary to look at Bible commentaries to get a feel for what took place. The story of Moses, the Israelites and the quail is a good example of this. If you take the time to read Numbers 11, what took place, is recorded. Essentially, the Israelites began to complain that all they were given to eat was manna. But they wanted meat. They complained and complained about this. Finally the Lord decided that if they wanted meat, He would give them quail to eat. That’s all they would get for one whole month. They would eat quail ‘til it came out of their nostrils.19 You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days, 20 but for a whole month--until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it--because you have rejected the LORD, who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, "Why did we ever leave Egypt?"'" Num 11:19-20 TNIV One of the dangers of moaning and groaning to the Lord about something is that He may give you what you want. But with it will come “leanness of soul”. 15 So He gave them what they asked for, but He sent a plague along with it. Psalm 106:15 John Gill’s commentary describes this as follows: But sent leanness into their soul: he gave them flesh to the full, even to a nausea; they fed too heartily on it, and were surfeited with it; which not being digested brought a repletion, and issued in a consumption; or rather death, immediate death, for while the flesh was in their mouths, and they were chewing it between their teeth, the wrath of God came upon them and slew them. (sic) 33 But while the meat was still between their teeth and before it could be consumed, the anger of the LORD burned against the people, and he struck them with a severe plague. Num. 11:33 TNIV This is an aspect of the Lord which most of us don’t like. We badger God repeatedly with “ungodly requests”. Rather like the way the people badgered Samuel/God for a king. They got Saul. He (Saul) ended up giving the people “leanness of soul”. Jesus encourages us to ask and keep on asking. So how can we tell the difference between “badgering” God and repeatedly asking God for something? Perhaps James tells us the difference: 2 You want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can't get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it. 3 And even when you ask, you don't get it because your motives are all wrong--you want only what will give you pleasure. James 4:2-3 NLT So don’t badger God for things. You may not like what you get. Jim & Phyllida Strickland			7 As the Holy Spirit says, "If you hear God speak today, don't be stubborn. 8 Don't be stubborn like those who rebelled and tested me in the desert. 9 That is where your ancestors tested me, Heb. 3:7-9 GW 13 When someone is tempted, he shouldn't say that God is tempting him. God can't be tempted by evil, and God doesn't tempt anyone. 14 Everyone is tempted by his own desires as they lure him away and trap him. 15 Then desire becomes pregnant and gives birth to sin. When sin grows up, it gives birth to death. James 1:13-15 GW 14 In the wilderness their desires ran wild, testing God's patience in that dry wasteland. Psalm 106:14 NLT 1 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordean and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. 3 The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." 4 And Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone.'" Luke 4:1-4 ESV 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Heb 2:18 TNIV 31 "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:31-32 TNIV	He gave them what they wanted. But oh what a surprise! Their stomachs soon got sickened,’til it “came out of their eyes”! Quail they had for breakfast, for dinner and for tea. Quail for each and every meal was fed continually. And then when they had eaten it, they had to eat some more. They didn’t like the manna, so quail was all they saw. But with it came a sickness. The body can’t digest, Such huge amounts of quail and soon their bodies manifest, A sort of inner churning, that filled them up inside, So chock-a-block with quail meat, they turned around and died. This sort of thing still happens, when God’s people belly-ache; And keep up with their badgering – “O Lord for Jesus sake, Please let me have a “whatsit” and let me have it now. I really can’t afford to wait, so won’t you please, somehow, Provide me with a “whatsit” or better still, a pair. I don’t know what I’ll do with them, but certainly somewhere, I’ll find a use for both of them. Please Lord don’t make me wait. I have to have an answer Lord, before it’s ten past eight!” I’m not sure if you’re like that; whether you are or not, Be sure that what you’re asking for, you may not like a lot. He’ll give you what you wanted. But let me make it clear. You’ll wish you hadn’t asked for it ‘til August of next year! You’ll find your “whatsit” poisonous; Inhabited with “fleas”, The size of baby marrows with infection and disease. So don’t be in a hurry with your requests to God. If you are impatient He may not spare the rod. He may give you an answer far quicker than you need. And send a special “whatsit” to satisfy your greed. Don’t think that He won’t do it. You may be tempting “fate” And wish you hadn’t badgered Him, but were prepared to wait! This little funny story that’s intended to amuse, Is written so that Christians, may know that if they choose, To ask the Lord for something and badger Him each day; He may well give it to you and give it in a way, That you will find unpleasant. You may receive your quail, And find you have a serpent you’ve picked up by the tail. Then, after you’ve been bitten and you are dead and gone. You’ll wish you hadn’t carried on and on and on and on! Jim Strickland – Written 20 February 2012