One of the first times I recall asking God a "ridiculous" question and getting an answer was as a new believer on a breezy day when I watched and listened as the wind rustled through swaying trees. After a while I asked Him, "Lord, what are the trees saying?" (Now mind you, I was 30 years old!) As quickly as I said it, I got an image of 1 Chronicles 16, a book I hadn't even read up until that time. While reading the chapter, I was stunned to read in verse 33 Let the trees of the forest sing, let them sing for joy before the Lord". I laughed out loud.
It taught me so much in those early years about a God who was approachable, always listening, and who knew the intentions and motives of my heart. I didn't (and still don't) have the sense to know that these kinds of child-like prayers are not spiritual enough to rate a response.
Where Moses dared to tread
As I said in the prior post "Bothering God" - it's not about the request, itself. It's all about relationship. Moses dared to ask God, "Show me your glory". He asked GOD what?! Guess what: God answered in a resplendent display of glory to a man He called His "friend". Moses started out in Exodus chapter 3 afraid to even look at God, but by chapter 33 it reads "The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. A friend gets to ask you to come over at the last minute and can drop by at any time. A friend can spot you a dollar or two when you're broke. A friend wants to know what's on your mind when you look distressed.Great news: Jesus calls us friends. (John 15:15) ...I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
A friend would never call your questions or you ridiculous.
Two years ago I had one of the most incredible answers ever to a "ridiculous" prayer:
The Travel Dream
I had two nights in a row of what I call "annoying travel dreams". You know; you get on the subway (or whatever mode of transit you use), realize you missed your stop, try to get a train going back but it leads to another state, then you get on a bus and it breaks down in a desert so you hitch a ride and end up back on the same subway train... I woke up exhausted! So the third night, before going to bed, I tearfully begged, "Oh Lord please do not let me have another ANNOYING TRAVEL DREAM! I can't take it. Please...."I could never describe what happened, but let's just say that night I had another travel dream: to the galaxies! Words wouldn't do it justice but all I could say in the dream over and over again was, "Great are your works, Oh Lord. Great are your works". I wonder if He set me up those other nights just to sweeten the prize.
So.. the night before publishing this I was in the country, gazing at the night time sky through my sun roof. I said, Lord it would be so cool if I could see something.. like a satellite going by. Well, what do you think happened next....
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