Constituted Means

Luke 11:9-10 And I say to you, ask and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened:

I’m using the same scripture as Friday to look at it another way. In my reading this morning I learned a new term, at least it was new to me. It is ‘constituted means’. I was reading some of A.W. Tozer’s work. The next paragraph is from that text and defines constituted means.

Faith That Acts in Faith

People use the word fanatic whenever you get a little bit joyful about the Lord. They say you are a fanatic. Webster says that a fanatic is somebody who is too enthusiastic about religion, as if you could be too enthusiastic about religion. John Wesley said, "A fanatic is one who seeks desirable ends but ignores constituted means." Suppose a farmer boy with his blue jeans, torn shirt and tattered straw hat wants to get a fish. His mother says, "Why don’t you go down and catch a couple of trout, son." So he goes down by the creek. It is a beautiful day, the sun is shining and the cows are standing deep in the water under the shade trees. So the boy pulls off a stalk of grass and begins to nibble on it, and he starts wondering about those fish. He says to himself, "I remember the pastor said if we want anything to pray for it." In the meantime the fish are breaking the surface begging to be caught. But there he is praying, "Lord, send me some fish." He can pray until he dies and he will never have any fish. The Lord put intelligence in his head and gave him what we call constituted means. The farm boy takes a branch from a tree, ties on an ordinary piece of cord, puts a bent pin on the end and throws the hook with a worm on it into the streams. The fish will take it. Would it be proper for the farm boy to be pious and pray for fish or to throw in his hook and pull out fish? Everybody knows that if a farm boy addresses the Almighty God in a loud voice asking for fish when the fish are breaking the surface begging to be caught, something is wrong. He is a fanatic--he is trying to get a desirable end, but he is ignoring constituted means.

What I got from that is we are to use the faculties the Lord gave us as we proceed in faith He will answer our prayers. I am in need of a good job. I have prayed about my need and I have asked Him to open doors for the ‘right’ job for me. If I sit at home praying for the desirable end and wait for a call to come to work, yet have not done my part of applying and seeking a job, I would not be using constituted means. I will never get a job if I do not do the leg work of seeking it. I believe God will open the door for a good job for me…that is the walking in faith. He also gave me the intelligence and wherewithal to get out and take the steps to look for it. God faithfully does His part and I must do my part using the constituted means He gave me.

 
God provides opportunities for His provisions for us but they do not come wrapped up like a gift in colorful paper and ribbons. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened: Asks, seeks knocks….actions verbs, People, action verbs! May you take prayerful action in all your endeavors today and always.