Bible Study on 1John 3, verses 20 to 22, God is greater than our heart

 

1John 3:20 ¶  For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 21  Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. 22  And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

We may not be able to accept ourselves, and dwell heavily on our unworthiness before God but God is greater than our self-loathing, our fears, and our self-anger. What He knows is greater than all we could have done in the past. On the other hand, if we are willing to accept His forgiveness then our trust in Him is real and evident in a way that the Christian who is filled with self-contempt cannot understand. Either of those people just mentioned wants to do right by God, by His standards and stated expectations, and our prayers are answered because we are His, if what we ask is according to His will.

Matthew 7:7 ¶  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9  Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10  Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

If what we ask is according to His will. Understand that God sees all events from the perspective of them having already happened. If it is His will that some believer die to go on to be with Him for eternity or that some unbeliever has had all the time they will have and God knows their heart will never let them come to Him then that’s what is going to happen. We cannot change God’s eternal decrees. What the fervent prayer of a righteous person who seeks to please God does is to change them, making them more accepting of God’s will in every circumstance, even as they themselves do what is right and work toward a good outcome. We should pray in all things that God’s will be done. This is a hard thing to accept and another reason for faith to sometimes fail. No one is willing to bury their child or face a shortened life due to a dread disease. No one wants failure and loss, pain and suffering. But if we are His there is something from Him in our most dire or tragic circumstances and in our pain and through our tears we can and should see it. The world cannot understand this. Most of us can’t either. But He knows all things.