Father Knows Best

May 21
You've heard it said, "Be careful what you ask for."  My husband is certain that thirty-two years ago we prayed for patience and God sent six children in eight years to teach us patience.  My mother had a friend who always said at the end of her prayer, "...but whatever your will God."

Elijah was so depressed by Jezebel's threat that he prayed to die.  I've been to that point and done that too. Sharing those feelings with a friend, she laughed and said, "Good luck with that. I don't think he's finished with you yet here on earth."

While we are told to ask and keep knocking, James 4:3 speaks of asking amiss  and not receiving.

For two years we looked for a lake home.  God placed before us not only a home, but a place for ministry that would bring him glory. He led us to do radical things like a Bible Boat, a yard church and scripture trails.  Believe me those were not things on our list those two years looking for a lake house, but when He provided this place we placed it on the altar and dedicated it to his service and ministries emerged.
It took two years for our city home to sell, but God knew one son would be in a devastating wreck during that time and it would be difficult for him to travel back and forth.  He knew a thousand other details that I am not even aware of to this day and by faith I can thank Him for his provision.  His timing is perfect.

I truly love the locational things in life I cannot control....college acceptances, job offers, homes selling, because I know God will select the places with potential Kingdom benefits.  You know, places where He can grow us and use us to grow others to be more like Christ.

Spurgeon said: "If we ask for what is not promised, if we contradict the spirit that the Lord would have us cultivate, if we ask contrary to His will or the the decrees of His providence, if we ask merely for the gratification of our own comfort and without an eye to His glory, we must not expect that we will receive.   Yet, when we ask in faith, without doubting, if we do not receive the precise thing for which we asked, we will receive an equivalent, and more than an equivalent for it."

His ways are best. He holds the future and looks into eternity.