Many of you have come to my office and seen a picture that means a lot to me.
Study this picture, what does this picture say to you? It reminds me that God hears my prayers and always answers them. He always knows what is best for me and has a better plan than I could even begin to imagine.
Have you been like that little girl, cherishing something, thinking you need it…can’t live without it….and all the while God has a better plan?
Ephesians 3:16-21 comes to mind… it says “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
The verse starts out with us “being rooted” in God’s Love! Do you believe that God Loves you unconditionally? Do you believe that He hears and that He answers your prayers? Now, He is not a genie in a bottle, that you can rub and get 3 wishes. He is a loving Father that looks at all of life from a 30,00 foot view. He has been with you from conception thru your last breath. He sees where every piece of your life’s puzzle fits….and some don’t fit!
Imagine a 14 year old gets invited to a party up the street…everyone will be there! He asks mom. Mom knows that the parents are out of town and there are older kids living there with a tainted reputation. Mom answers the request with a “no, sorry you can’t go”. The kid is obviously disappointed and thinks he got ripped off by a mom who just doesn’t love him! And yet mom answered the request in a loving, caring, and wise way.
God does the same! Sometimes we don’t understand or see the bigger picture. That’s when trust comes in!
There is a song by Laura Story called “Blessings” that I think fits well in this topic. I suggest you listen to it…but here are the words, focus on the refrain:
We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things
‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise
We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
As long as we have faith to believe
When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not our home
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise
Are you in a season of rain, tears, and sleepless nights? Do you have the faith to see and trust that God is working through your tough situation. Do you trust His promise that He will bring good out of it? Romans 8:28…And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.…..the (MSG) translation says…That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
Do you believe that? Do you trust that the Lord loves you?
So how about the coronavirus? Did God cause it? NO! Does God promise to bring good out of it? YES! How can that be?
Well…We will have to wait and see, but we have a new respect for teachers, doctors, nurses, clerks, delivery people, police, fire. We have slowed down and spent time with family. We have found many ways to be generous and to care for others. We can hardly wait to go to church…to be the church. We have looked beyond ourselves by making thousands of masks for people to wear. We have learned the value and find joy in dinner as a family. And we faithfully pray for God to draw us close to Him.