What Would You Have the Lord Do for You?
By Chris Simmons

In Mark 10, as Jesus departed from Jericho, He encountered a blind man who cried out to Him, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" (Verse 48) Jesus called for the blind man and simply asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" (Verse 51) We then read of the blind man asking for his sight and of Jesus healing him. But Jesus' question is an interesting one for us to consider today. What are we looking to the Lord to do for us?

Many look to Jesus to provide for all their physical needs. In John 6, we read of Jesus feeding the multitude with five loaves and two fish. After Jesus departed, the multitudes sought after Him and found Him on the other side of the sea. Knowing their hearts, Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves, and were filled. Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life" (John 6:26-27). The multitude wanted to make Jesus their king, not because of what He could do for them spiritually, but because they thought He could take care of all their fleshly desires. When many of them discovered that Jesus' purpose was to teach, and not to fill their stomachs, John records, "Many of His disciples withdrew, and were not walking with Him anymore." (John 6:66)

Today, many preach what has been described as the gospel of health and wealth--or the social gospel--which teaches that we serve God so that He can bless us with the material things of life. There are two problems with such a message:

  1. It's not found in God's word and is, therefore, untrue.

  2. It doesn't work. Is that what we're looking to the Lord to do for us? He never promised that.

Others would have the Lord grant them wisdom and intelligence. God granted Solomon the opportunity to ask, "What I shall give thee." (1 Kings 3:5) God was pleased with Solomon's request for "an understanding heart to judge Thy people to discern between good and evil." (1 Kings 3:9) Would we desire that God also grant us the wisdom to "discern between good and evil"?

James taught, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed." (James 1:5-6) Let us not be those who seek first after the wisdom of the world (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:18-25) so that we might be praised by men and have the riches and power we associate with such praises. Let us go to God for the "wisdom from above" that is "peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, (and) without hypocrisy." (James 3:17; cf. Proverbs 2:6)

Many would have the Lord keep them from ever facing any temptation. The Bible does teach us to pray, "And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." (Matthew 6:13) We can be assured that God will never lead us into temptation, but He did not say we would not face temptation. We are responsible for not putting ourselves in harm's way with regard to sin and temptation. It is up to us whether or not we give the devil an opportunity (Ephesians 4:27). It is our responsibility to "make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts." (Romans 13:14) God is not the source of temptation (James 1:13-14). Rather, He has promised that there will always be a "way of escape" when the temptations confront us (1 Corinthians 10:13). It is up to us to pursue the "way of escape."

Others would have God ensure that life is fair. Peter, upon learning from Jesus the type of death that he would ultimately suffer, looked to Jesus to ensure that it would be fair for all of the apostles. "Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them ... seeing him said to Jesus, 'Lord, and what about this man?' Jesus said to him, 'If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!'" (John 21:20-22) Even if life isn't fair, and we have to suffer more than others, we must continue to follow after Jesus.

We see another example in Luke 10:38-42 when Martha was so concerned because her sister Mary was not doing what Martha considered to be her fair share of the work. Rather, Mary sat at the Lord's feet and listened to His words. Jesus responded to Martha's complaint, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her." Would we, as Mary, seek out every opportunity to learn God's will, or are we more concerned with life being fair?

Above all else, there is one thing that we should request the Lord to do for us, and that, amazingly, many neglect. That one thing is to save us from the condemnation of our sins and to help us be righteous in His sight. This has to be first on our list of priorities. "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:33)

Is that what we want from the Lord? In both cases--the jailor and the Jews in Acts 2-we see demonstrated the understanding that there is something we "must do" (Acts 9:6). Many people expect God to save them without any effort on their part. Our obedience and our repentance demand our efforts. If we want the Lord to save us, we must make changes (cf. Acts 2:40; Philippians 2:12; 2 Corinthians 7:10-11). So what can the Lord do for you?

One thing is certain. The Lord cannot help us in any way unless we seek His help. One of our spiritual blessings is prayer-communicating with our Father in heaven. Do you take advantage of this great blessing by tapping into His power? Why are you waiting? (KMG)


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