A long time ago, when I was in elementary school, Once in a while I would come home from school and my parents would be gone. Now I wouldn’t think anything of it, they’re just out doing what they have to do. So I would go outside to play(that’s what I did back then cause I didn’t have video games or cable), I had to use my imagination, so anyways, I would be out playing until around dusk. Then I would start wondering about my parents. Why aren’t they home yet? We lived out in the country, on the side of a hill. So I would go up on that hill and wait for my parents to get home. From that hill I could see the road in both directions for about a mile or so. Now both my parents were alcoholics, so by that time, I had a good feeling that they were out drinking. So I would sit on top of that hill (with some toys),and wait for my parents. As it started to get dark, I would pray to God to bring them home safely, that they wouldn’t get into a car wreck. In my childish way, I would pray that the third car I saw would be theirs, and when that didn’t happen, I would pray that the next few other cars would be theirs. It would be getting near dark, so I would have to go back down to the house and still no parents. I remember being mad at God for not bringing my parents home, after I prayed to him for them.
And now that I think about it, I think that was probably the beginning of my walking away from God. Because it wouldn’t be until 25 years later that I would except Jesus in my heart.
But back then I didn’t know what I know now. That God is a sovereign God. It has been said that “God is not our personal genie”.
“He is not here to grant our every wish”.
“Our wish is not his command”.
God does things in his own way and in his own timing. Because back then, I didn’t see it, but later on that night, God did bring my parents home safe(drunk as a skunk) but they still made it home safe.
So there may be times when we get angry with God for not answering our prayers, or the answer may be no. But I learned to trust in God, because the answer is no for a reason. “Father knows best”. Even if that means not receiving a healing or losing a loved one you were close to. Because praising God through the pain and/or suffering may strengthen a weakened believer. Or create a new one.
In Deuteronomy 3:24 it is written “O’ sovereign Lord, you have only begun to show your greatness and the strength of your hand to me, your servant. Is there any god in heaven or on earth who can perform such great and mighty deeds as you do?”
In my walk with God, he has taught me to trust him. Because trust is big with the Lord, he wants us to trust in him. Then he will show us his greatness and mighty deeds on a personal level. Because he has opened doors for me, given me favor with man, healed me, highly blessed me, and provided for me. God has shown me that he is real, even in times when he didn’t have to. God is good.
May the Lord your God put his mighty hand upon you and keep you under his wing. And may you trust in the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind and with all your strength. Amen
Pastor Perry Stands