What do you do when what you’ve been hoping for, praying about, or believing in… doesn’t happen? What do you tell yourself when things don’t go as planned? Whether it’s for that dream house you wanted or that mate that you knew had to be the one for you or the promotion at work you knew you deserved – what do you do when the outcome was not what you expected?
God hardwired us with these things called emotions and when life events or situations occur, it’s human to feel angry, hurt, disappointed, or even betrayed; but the question becomes, what do you do with those feelings? Do you curse God and give up (a suggestion from Job’s wife) or do you trust God and tell yourself that God has another plan for you?
There are things that happen in our lives that aren’t right and simply don’t seem fair, but the ugly truth is… God isn’t fair, He is just. Yes, He said He would give us the desires of our heart, but we often forget the part that comes before that, which says, “IF you abide in me, and my word abide in you,” ( John 15:7).
So what exactly does it mean to abide in Him? Well, I can tell you it doesn’t mean just calling on Him when we want something. God wants us to seek His face and not always His hand. It means taking the time to get to know Him. It means allowing ourselves to get in God’s presence as well as into His word. It means connecting ourselves to the one who is our power source as well as our Daddy. As His daughter or son, we need to be familiar with what is pleasing and acceptable to Daddy. When we abide in God we learn to trust and depend upon Him. We begin to rest in the fact that His word is truth, and just like any good parent, He wants the best for us. There is a comfort in knowing that the God of the universe, who is omnipotent (having unlimited power and able to do all things), and omniscient (all-knowing), is also our Daddy.
I remember when I was a teenager and my mother said no to something I wanted to do or have, or someplace I wanted go. No matter how angry I got, or how much I pouted and pleaded, the answer was still… No. Often I would press her for a reason, and she would say to me, “I see dangers you don’t see, and I know things you don’t know. One day you will understand.” She was right. Now that I am a parent, I find myself saying the same thing. As parents, we have lived long enough to experience some things and hopefully have some wisdom (which comes from having lived long enough to learn some of the lessons that life will teach us). Our love for our children and the desire for our kids to have the best and be the best bring out our need and desire to protect them. We want to protect them from dangers they don’t see. God is no different. If we can shift from focusing on our feelings and change our thinking to trusting Him, even when we don’t like or understand the answer, not only will we feel better, but a peace that surpasses understanding will begin to fill us as we rest and abide in a God who promises not to deny us any good thing. We are told in God’s word not to judge by the appearance of things (John 7:24), because as the saying goes, “All that glitters isn’t gold.” Scripture warns us that there is a way that seems right, (that house, mate, job…), but in the end, leads to destruction (Proverbs 14:12).
When God says no, it’s not because He enjoys being some cosmic killjoy, it’s because you are the Apple of His Eye, and He sees what you don’t see and knows what you don’t know.
So what do you do when God appears to say no? You choose to trust Him and stand on your belief that He loves you and has chosen something even better for you that will be revealed when the time is right. In the meantime, keep praying, keep believing, keep seeking His face, and rest in the assurance that Daddy knows best.
Peace and Blessings My Chickadees,
Gail
P.S. Please look for and spread the word about the latest project that God is birthing through me, dedicated to all of you. It is a daily word to encourage and inspire all of us entitled Good Morning My Chickadees: Morning Messages from Mom.
