There are not many guarantees in life.\u00a0 But this is one of them!<\/p>\n
I remember driving with my young family, don’t rember exactly where we were.\u00a0 I just remember the face of the burly policeman.\u00a0 As usual, I was in a hurry. There was really only one way I knew to get to where we were going.\u00a0 As we approached the intersection, I saw police officers directing traffic straight on.\u00a0 I needed to turn left.\u00a0 When coming up in line, I turned my left signal on.\u00a0 Not sure what I was thinking, but surely this guy would make an exception for ME.\u00a0 As I entered the intersection, he directed me straight with a motion of authority and impatience.\u00a0 I made my appeal through the windshield, but he just shook his head NO! and with sharp action pointed forward.\u00a0 No explanation!\u00a0 He didn’t even ask to hear WHY I needed to turn left or even show interest in hearing my reasoning!\u00a0 I thought, “there is just no call for that kind of rudeness… my taxes pay his salary for goodness sakes!!!”\u00a0 I was just steamed over not being able to go the way I wanted.<\/p>\n
Later I found out that there had been a train car spill and toxic gas was released on the route I wanted to take.\u00a0 Can you imagine what would have happened to my family had I gotten my way?\u00a0 Why would I be so biligerant with someone who was just trying to save our lives?\u00a0 What if he hadn’t been there to direct traffic?\u00a0 He knew something I didn’t know and had he taken the time to give every driver a detailed explanation it would have taken hours to get through that interesection.\u00a0 The real issue with me though, was that I felt this officer was demanding his <\/em><\/strong>will and I didn’t “trust”\u00a0him to have my best\u00a0interests at heart.<\/p>\n Isn’t this how we feel about God sometimes when our prayers are answered with a “No”?\u00a0 When we don’t get what we are praying for or when we are praying for it?\u00a0 We begin to feel as though He is withholding from us just to teach us discipline or maybe just because He wants to.\u00a0 God isn’t willing to settle for less than\u00a0BEST in our lives… even when we are!<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0 He always<\/span> has our best interests at heart.\u00a0 And He certainly isn’t going to give us BAD.<\/p>\n Here is the guarantee… GOD WILL ANSWER EVERY SINGLE PRAYER WE PRAY.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n It just won’t always be with a “Yes”, but He will answer.<\/p>\n One of my favorite movie lines is from Bruce Almighty.\u00a0 Bruce is talking with the Morgan Freeman version of God.\u00a0 Bruce says, “There were so many prayers, I just gave them all what they want.”\u00a0 To which God replies, “Yeah, but since when does anyone have a clue about what they really want?”<\/p>\n Isn’t it truth?\u00a0 Looking back, I can really thank God for answering “No” to some of my prayers.\u00a0 Y, N, NY.\u00a0 Yes, No, or Not Yet.<\/p>\n It’s awesome when it’s Yes, and Not Yet just means we need to press in, pray hard, and think long.<\/p>\n And if we will change our perspective on “NO”, we will even be more grateful for that answer.\u00a0 When God says, “No”, it is because what we are asking for isn’t\u00a0HIS\u00a0BEST.\u00a0 He is trying to direct us around the better, or good, or bad that we would settle for.\u00a0 No means, keep searching, come in closer, raise your expectations, and don’t give up.\u00a0 What we have to search for, pray hard for, and endure for is appreciated so much more and fills our life with so much more meaning.\u00a0 Do you think God has a little more knowledge and understanding about our future than we do?\u00a0 So, TRUST His answers.\u00a0 God has abundant life for us, He has already blessed us with every blessing in Christ, but He can’t answer 100% of the prayers we don’t pray.<\/p>\n Don’t let BEST slip by un-prayed for!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There are not many guarantees in life.\u00a0 But this is one of them! I remember driving with my young family, don’t rember exactly where we were.\u00a0 I just remember the face of the burly policeman.\u00a0 As usual, I was in … Continue reading