                    [Times Square Church Pulpit Series]

                       Accusing God of Child Neglect!

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By David Wilkerson
June 21, 1993
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          God has a way of dealing with His children by asking
          them questions. And He poses these questions in such a
          way as to expose our very thoughts.

          For example:

          When Elijah was hiding in the cave, the Lord asked:
          "Elijah, what are you doing here?"

          When Peter began walking on the water toward Christ,
          and doubt caused him to sink in the waves, Jesus asked:
          "Why did you not believe?"

          When Saul, soon to be named Paul, was on the Damascus
          road, Christ asked him: "Why do you persecute Me?"

          These questions were penetrating. They were designed to
          make the people think, to look deep within their
          hearts. And today, God still uses questions to get
          right to the heart of matters with His children.

          The Lord often speaks to me with a question. In fact,
          not long ago, I shared with our church a question God
          had posed to me: "David, is your God an idol?"

          I wondered what the Lord was asking. And I had to
          search my heart deeply to find out what He was getting
          at.

          I soon realized the question had to do with whether I
          pictured the Lord as alive - as truly hearing and
          answering prayer - or as one who doesn't see or hear.
          Was He to me no more than wood or stone, like any other
          dead idol? Or did I really trust Him to hear and answer
          my prayers, as a living, caring Father?

          In recent weeks, as I sought the Lord for this message,
          another question popped into my heart. The Lord asked
          me this:

          "David, do you accuse Me of child neglect?"

          I was astounded at the very thought! Then the Spirit
          whispered to my soul: "You are My child - I am your
          Father. Yet do you doubt Me? Do you accuse Me in your
          mind of neglecting you, of not hearing your sincere
          cries?"

          Again I had to search my heart before answering. And
          the Lord quickly brought up a number of other questions
          - all of them dealing with accusing God of neglect!

          Now, we Christians rarely verbalize our doubts and
          unbelief. We never say to others that the Lord has
          neglected us - that He has been silent to our cries, He
          has not heard our prayers, He has not been working in
          our behalf.

          But the fact remains - we do think such thoughts! These
          questions and doubts exist deep within us. They are
          things we feel when God seems to be absent from our
          lives.

          I believe God gave me this message because the Spirit
          wants to deal with each of us about trusting in Him
          fully. Our glorious worship in church, our heartfelt
          praise, our daily Christian walk - all are in vain if
          we think for a moment that God has neglected us in any
          area of our lives!

          Let me share with you some of the questions the Lord
          has put to me recently. If you can settle these three
          questions in your soul, you will be quickened in your
          faith and confidence in the Lord:

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                    1. Does God Have the Answer to Every
                    Question and Every Need in My Life?

                      -------------------------------

          Any believer who wishes to please God with his prayer
          life must first settle this question: "Does God have
          all I need? Or do I need to go elsewhere for my
          answer?"

          This appears to be a simple question - one that
          shouldn't even need to be asked. And most Christians
          would immediately answer, "Yes, of course I believe God
          has all I need." But the simple fact is, many are not
          fully convinced!

          We say we believe it. We sing hymns and preach about
          it. But when a crisis hits and God doesn't seem to
          answer, we don't really believe He has what we need!

          Paul states: "But my God shall supply all your need
          according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus"
          (Philippians 4:19). The Lord has a storehouse of
          abundance with which to meet our every need!

          Why did the troubled woman in Jesus' parable keep
          bothering the unjust judge, saying, "Give me justice!"
          It was because she knew that he alone had the power and
          authority to solve her problem. She could go to no one
          else!

          Oh, if we only had such an inner knowledge that God
          alone has all we need! We would never turn in vain to
          any other source. The Lord is a just and holy Judge -
          and He has all the wisdom, power and authority to solve
          any problem we face.

          God spent forty years trying to convince Israel they
          would never lack anything - that He would be their
          constant source and supply: "For the Lord thy God hath
          blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth
          thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty
          years the Lord thy God hath been with thee; thou hast
          lacked nothing" (Deuteronomy 2:7).

          God was saying, "There is no scarceness, no shortage
          with Me. I have all you will ever need!"

          "For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land...
          a land wherein... thou shalt not lack any thing in
          it... When thou hast eaten (thou shalt be full)"
          (8:7-10).

          Today, the Lord has brought us into our Promised Land -
          Christ! Jesus is to us an abiding place where there is
          never any lack. He represents the fullness of the
          Godhead bodily.

          Now, if you do not believe that, then you are saying
          that the Old Testament provided something better than
          we have now in Christ. You are saying that under the
          Law the people had a bounty and a fullness - but in
          Christ we have less!

          Indeed, Old Testament believers had the shekinah glory
          of the Lord. But God says He has provided something
          even better for us - and that is the very presence of
          Jesus Himself. He is constantly present in us!

          The Bible says of Moses' time: "Yea, forty years didst
          thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they
          lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their
          feet swelled not.... (They) delighted themselves in thy
          great goodness" (Nehemiah 9:21,25).

          I ask you - do you delight in the Lord's goodness to
          you? Or do you whisper within your heart, "God hasn't
          been good to me. My prayers aren't being answered. So
          many things have been left hanging...."

          Dear saint, if God could take 3 million Jews through
          the wilderness, don't you think He can take care of
          you? Or do you think He is more faithful to the Law
          than He is to grace? Do you marvel at the way He took
          care of Israel, and yet you look at yourself and say,
          "Poor me!" That is accusing God of child neglect!

          Israel never was convinced they would have all their
          supply if only they would trust God completely. These
          were not a holy people. They were impudent,
          disobedient, idolatrous. Moses told them, "Ever since
          I've known you, you've been bent on backsliding!"

          Yet when they called out, God came and answered their
          cry! He had mercy on them! I ask you - will He not all
          the more hear the cries of those who have left their
          idolatry and love Him passionately?

          You have to be convinced - your answer is all in Him!
          It is not in something you can do, or in some friend or
          support group. It is beyond all you know of things on
          this earth! Scripture says we are to be "looking unto
          Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews
          12:2).

          If you don't believe that - if you are not convinced
          the Lord has everything you need - then you charge Him
          with being an unfit Father! You are saying He has no
          right to raise a child. You accuse Him of having all
          power and authority to provide for you - and hiding it
          all from you!

          No matter what your problem is, no matter what your
          confusing maze may be - if you will simply wait on
          Jesus humbly, He will speak. He will give you all
          wisdom and knowledge, sufficient for your trial. He has
          always made a way through for those who trust in Him
          fully And He will do it for you!

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                      2. Does My Father See What I Am
                     Going Through - and Does He Care?

                      -------------------------------

          This is another simple question -yet I believe it is
          not being answered honestly by most Christians.

          God is asking, "Do you truly believe I see exactly what
          you are enduring right now?" Perhaps as you read this
          message, you are going through something that calls for
          Him to act on your behalf. The very nature of your
          problem demands an answer.

          Beloved - do you believe God monitors your every move,
          as a father does his infant child? Do you know in your
          heart He is interpreting every thought you think? Do
          you believe He is at work - bottling every tear,
          hearing every sigh, hovering over you as a loving,
          caring Father?

          This is exactly the way the Bible describes Him!

          "The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his
          ears are open unto their cry.... The righteous cry, and
          the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their
          troubles" (Psalm 34:15,17).

          "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the
          whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of
          them whose heart is perfect toward him" (2 Chronicles
          16:9).

          "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you"
          (1 Peter 5:7).

          Do you believe God is absolutely, totally aware of your
          every thought, grief, pain, trial, financial burden,
          family problem - and that He wants to see you through
          them all?

          The psalmist tells us, "Like as a father pitieth his
          children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him"
          (Psalm 103:13).

          The Hebrew word for "pity" here means "to fondle,
          cuddle, love, be compassionate." Scripture is saying
          the Lord cuddles in His arms those who fear Him!

          God puts His arms around you, He strokes your cheeks,
          He holds you to His breast. He says, "I know your
          thoughts, your concerns, every battle you must face.
          And I care!"

          David said: "O Lord... Thou hast known me. Thou knowest
          my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my
          thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying
          down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is
          not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest
          it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before...
          "How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How
          great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they
          are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am
          still with thee" (Psalm 139:1-5,17-18).

          David is saying, "God knows all about me. He sees my
          every move, even my thoughts. Everywhere I turn, there
          He is!"

          Think of it. No matter what you are going through, no
          matter how you feel, the Lord sees it all! He feels the
          very feelings of your infirmities. He knows every move
          you make - all you say and do.

          And yet, all the time. He thinks precious thoughts
          about you! He says, "My thoughts of you are so powerful
          and so many, they are more than the sands in the sea!"

          Many Christians go through life thinking God is angry
          with them. They think they can never please Him. How
          wrong they are! David was not a perfect man, and yet he
          was able to say, "How precious are Thy thoughts unto
          me, O God!"

          Dear saint, God is not mad at you right now. No - He is
          thinking precious, cuddly, loving thoughts about you.
          He knows the way you feel - and He cares!

          He is saying, "Yes, you're going through a great trial
          - you're being tempted and tossed. But you're My child
          I will never allow the enemy to ensnare you I'm going
          to bring you through!"

          Now, there is a third question you have to answer:

                    ------------------------------------

                3. Is God Willing to Come Forth to My Help?

                    ------------------------------------

          Do you believe God is willing to come quickly to you to
          solve your problem?

          Here is where many Christians fail They know God has
          all they need - they admit He cares. But they are not
          convinced He is willing to come quickly to help them.

          When God does not answer their cry right away, they
          imagine hindrances and inner blockages in themselves.
          They think of all kinds of reasons why the Lord must
          not be willing to come to their aid.

          No - that is accusing God of neglecting His child!

          On Mount Carmel, Elijah accused the pagan god Baal of
          child neglect:

          "And they...called on the name of Baal from morning
          even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was
          no voice, nor any that answered... "

          "And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them,
          and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is
          talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or
          peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked,

          "And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their
          manner till the blood gushed out upon them.... [But]
          there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any
          that regardeth" (1 Kings 18:26-29).

          Hear these words again: "There was no voice... no
          answer... no one to pay attention or regard... "

          This is exactly how we accuse God of child neglect! We
          pray, we cry aloud to God - but we go our way not
          believing He has heard us! We walk away from the Lord's
          presence - away from church, away from the secret
          closet - wondering if He has even paid attention!

          No! The Lord is always ready to hear and answer our cry
          for help. I love what David said of Him:

          "For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and
          plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee...
          In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for
          thou wilt answer me" (Psalm 56:5, 7).

          David said, "My God is ready and willing to answer me
          in the very moment I cry out to Him! I don't stop and
          contemplate my trouble. I don't grieve over it or try
          to figure it out. I go to my Lord and cry, 'Help!"'

          That is all God is waiting for - your heartbroken cry,
          uttered in child-like faith!

          "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. For let not that man think that he
          shall receive any thing of the Lord" (James 1:6-7).

          The Bible says that under bondage in Egypt, "Israel
          sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and
          their cry came up unto God... And God heard their
          groaning, and God remembered... And God looked upon the
          children of Israel, and God took notice of them"
          (Exodus 2:23-25).

          God did not answer Israel because they were worthy. On
          the contrary, the Lord had much to teach them. No - He
          heard them because they earnestly cried - and He took
          notice and heard their cry!

          Just before Moses died, he reminded the people of God's
          faithfulness to come forth at their cry:

          "And the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us,
          and laid upon us hard bondage: and when we cried unto
          the Lord God of our fathers, the Lord heard our voice,
          and looked on our affliction, and our labour, and our
          oppression:

          "And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a
          mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with
          great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders"
          (Deuteronomy 26:6-8).

          The Israelites, as backslidden and idolatrous as they
          were, simply cried out to the Lord. And God is saying
          to His beloved children today, "You can call upon Me,
          you can cry out to Me - and I will hear!"

          Are you afflicted? Bound? Troubled? Needing
          deliverance? Cry aloud - with faith! God is ready to
          deliver you with wonders by His mighty arm!

          You can sum up the history of Israel in these few
          verses:

          "And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of
          the Lord, and forgat the Lord their God... (But) when
          the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord
          raised up a deliverer..." (Judges 3:7,9).

          God's people repeatedly forgot Him. But when they cried
          out He came!

          Indeed, Samuel chided Israel by reminding them of how
          their fathers had cried out to the Lord:

          "And they cried unto the Lord, and said, We have
          sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord... but now
          deliver us out of the hand of our enemies... And the
          Lord sent Jerub-baal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and
          Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your
          enemies on every side, and ye dwelled safe" (1 Samuel
          12:10-11).

          God always sent deliverance! No matter how badly the
          people had sinned against the Lord, no matter how
          terribly they forsook Him - in the very moment they
          cried out to Him, God went to work to save and deliver
          them!

          Dear saint, do you believe God has turned a deaf ear to
          your cries? Do you believe He was willing to hear the
          cries of a stubborn, backslidden Israel who hardly ever
          trusted in Him fully - and yet He will not hear the
          sincere cry of a blood-bathed, believing child?

          Never! No matter what you are facing, He will not allow
          Satan to overcome you! He has put a wall of fire around
          you. He is ready to come to your aid at a moment's
          notice!

                    ------------------------------------

            David Cried to the Lord Often - and He Was Delivered
           Out of All His Troubles and Every Snare of the Enemy!

                    ------------------------------------

          David tells us why God answered him: "He brought me
          forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because
          he delighted in me" (Psalm 18:19).

          "Delight" here means "to take pleasure or joy." David
          was saying, "I bring pleasure to God. He delivered me
          simply because He takers pleasure in me!"

          Yes - and, beloved, He takes pleasure in you and me as
          well!

          You see, we who trust in the Lord are His holy Zion,
          His holy remnant. Remnant means, simply, "those who
          call on the Lord from a pure heart," They are those who
          have been called out of a lazy Christendom and are
          totally devoted to Jesus.

          To the chosen of Zion, God says:

          "Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the
          Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. Thou
          shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy
          land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be
          called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the Lord
          delighteth in thee" (Isaiah 62:3-4).

          Why does God come to my rescue, so willing to deliver
          me? It is because He delights in me! I am a pleasure to
          Him. He enjoys my friendship!

          A precious young man told me: "I have never been
          convinced that I've truly been accepted by the Lord. I
          seldom feel good enough for God - like I just don't I
          measure up. I keep trying to appease Him by doing
          something good for others

          So many Christians feel this way! Over the years I have
          known many old-time Pentecostal people who never had
          assurance in the Lord. They felt unworthy, unclean,
          unloved. They never believed they were a delight to the
          heart of God.

          So they were always trying to work something in their
          lives to please Him. If they failed in one area, they
          did three things in another area to try to make God
          happy.

          Beloved, this can never be! When you come to Jesus, you
          can't make up anything to Him. No - He makes it all up
          to you. That is who He is! He says, "I will restore to
          you the years that the locust hath eaten, the
          cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my
          great army which I sent among you" (Joel 2:25).

          No matter what your failure or shortcoming - God makes
          it all up to you!

                --------------------------------------------

                        God's Children Are Tattooed
                      Into the Very Palm of His Hand!

                --------------------------------------------

          This is one of my favorite Scriptures:

          "Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break
          forth into singing, o mountains: for the Lord hath
          comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his
          afflicted. But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me,
          and my Lord hath forgotten me.

          "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should
          not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they
          may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have
          graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are
          continually before me" (Isaiah 49:13-16).

          God says I am engraved in the very palm of His hand!
          The Hebrew word for "graven" means "tattooed" - that
          is, indelible, unerasable. He cannot stretch out His
          hand without being reminded of me!

          Dear saint, I want to assure you: You may go through
          trials and sufferings. You may be far from what you
          wish to be in the Lord. But you can know one thing more
          than anything else: You are a delight to Him!

          I write to you now with a confidence and knowledge in
          my heart that, although I have not arrived, He has made
          me a part of His remnant. I believe with all my heart I
          am a royal crown, a diadem in His hand, a delight to
          His soul. He is not mad at me - He delights in me!

          Listen to this wonderful promise:

          "I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast
          considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in
          adversities; and thou hast not shut me up into the hand
          of the enemy: thou hast set my feet in a large room...

          "Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up
          for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for
          them that trust in thee before the sons of men!" (Psalm
          31:7-8,19).

          Can you call that child neglect? Never!

          God has given you all you need to be free and
          victorious. He sees your condition - and He cares. He
          cuddles you as you call on Him. And He is ready to come
          forth to help you in the moment you call on Him.

          Rejoice in the Lord - for you are a delight to His
          soul! Hallelujah!

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