"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." Luke 11:9-10
I'm amazed at how often I hear, "Why doesn't God answer my prayers?" I mean, in light of the passage above, it would seem that He's waiting in standby mode for us to ask for something so He can give it. A sort of divine vending machine, if you will.
Well, one of kids in our youth group asked that question a couple of weeks ago as a potential topic for discussion. As I was thinking about it, I was reminded about an incident that I hadn't thought about for quite some time. Our oldest daughter, Sara, was involved in a pretty nasty accident years ago when she was in her early teens. The accident involved an explosion and she still carries the scars, although they are fading slowly. She was baby sitting at the home of some of our dear friends when we got the call, "Mom, can you come here - I need some help!"
Our friend is Italian and is an amazing cook. That night for dinner, she had made this yummy concoction of kielbasa, peppers, onions, and spaghetti sauce. The kids all had some - even the baby. Yup, the little guy still had sauce smeared all over his huge smile when Sara arrived. His mouth was ready for it, but his young tummy wasn't. That's when it happened - the explosion! They don't make a diaper big enough to contain the ensuing eruption. Sara needed someone to watch the other kids while she and the baby hit the shower.
I've gotten to the point in my life where I'm beginning to understand that God's answers don't always make sense to me. And I'm learning that there are several answers to the question, "Why didn't He answer my prayer?" Sometimes, it's to allow me time to grow in patience, to have time to discern His will (and, hopefully, try to align mine with His), and so on. But some times, the thing we're asking for is a good thing, and it's something He wants us to have, but He knows that we're not quite ready for it yet. For example, Carolyn's kielbasa is amazing, and it's something you want, but if you're under two years old, you're probably not ready for it. And if you insist on having it and take it anyway, the results might just be disastrous. There's a reason you can't drive a car until a certain age, there's a reason why babies don't eat rich, spicy foods, and there are reasons why God sometimes holds back on the things we ask for.
So, we keep asking. We remain persistent in our prayers. And we use the waiting time to learn and grow and discern. And maybe, just maybe, we learn to thank Him for not always giving us the things we ask for.
One of my favorite songwriters, Nicole Nordeman, offers a beautiful perspective:
I'm amazed at how often I hear, "Why doesn't God answer my prayers?" I mean, in light of the passage above, it would seem that He's waiting in standby mode for us to ask for something so He can give it. A sort of divine vending machine, if you will.
Well, one of kids in our youth group asked that question a couple of weeks ago as a potential topic for discussion. As I was thinking about it, I was reminded about an incident that I hadn't thought about for quite some time. Our oldest daughter, Sara, was involved in a pretty nasty accident years ago when she was in her early teens. The accident involved an explosion and she still carries the scars, although they are fading slowly. She was baby sitting at the home of some of our dear friends when we got the call, "Mom, can you come here - I need some help!"
Our friend is Italian and is an amazing cook. That night for dinner, she had made this yummy concoction of kielbasa, peppers, onions, and spaghetti sauce. The kids all had some - even the baby. Yup, the little guy still had sauce smeared all over his huge smile when Sara arrived. His mouth was ready for it, but his young tummy wasn't. That's when it happened - the explosion! They don't make a diaper big enough to contain the ensuing eruption. Sara needed someone to watch the other kids while she and the baby hit the shower.
I've gotten to the point in my life where I'm beginning to understand that God's answers don't always make sense to me. And I'm learning that there are several answers to the question, "Why didn't He answer my prayer?" Sometimes, it's to allow me time to grow in patience, to have time to discern His will (and, hopefully, try to align mine with His), and so on. But some times, the thing we're asking for is a good thing, and it's something He wants us to have, but He knows that we're not quite ready for it yet. For example, Carolyn's kielbasa is amazing, and it's something you want, but if you're under two years old, you're probably not ready for it. And if you insist on having it and take it anyway, the results might just be disastrous. There's a reason you can't drive a car until a certain age, there's a reason why babies don't eat rich, spicy foods, and there are reasons why God sometimes holds back on the things we ask for.
So, we keep asking. We remain persistent in our prayers. And we use the waiting time to learn and grow and discern. And maybe, just maybe, we learn to thank Him for not always giving us the things we ask for.
One of my favorite songwriters, Nicole Nordeman, offers a beautiful perspective:
Gratitude, by Nichole Nordeman
Send some rain, would You send some rain?
'Cause the earth is dry and needs to drink again
And the sun is high and we are sinking in the shade
Would You send a cloud, thunder long and loud?
Let the sky grow black and send some mercy down
Surely You can see that we are thirsty and afraid
But maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case . . .
We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to thirst for You
How to bless the very sun that warms our face
If You never send us rain
Daily bread, give us daily bread
Bless our bodies, keep our children fed
Fill our cups, then fill them up again tonight
Wrap us up and warm us through
Tucked away beneath our sturdy roofs
Let us slumber safe from danger's view this time
Or maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case . . .
We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
A lesson learned to hunger after You
That a starry sky offers a better view
if no roof is overhead
And if we never taste that bread
Oh, the differences that often are between
What we want and what we really need
So grant us peace, Jesus, grant us peace
Move our hearts to hear a single beat
Between alibis and enemies tonight
Or maybe not, not today
Peace might be another world away
And if that's the case . . .
We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to trust in You
That we are blessed beyond what we could ever dream
In abundance or in need
And if You never grant us peace
But Jesus, would You please . . .
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