The past year has been tough, not just on me but on a lot of people close to me. Too many people that I care about have passed away. Too many people that I worked with are no longer there. Too many events that have always been traditional have not happened for a long time. Family gatherings, hugs from friends, graduations, proms, sports, dining out, real vacations have all been the victim of this awful Covid mess.
I pray to God seeking an explanation that doesn’t seem to come. Why doesn’t it come? Its not because God doesn’t care. He does care. Its not because of a lack of faith. I have more faith now in the power and presence of God than I have had at any point in my adult life.
I looked to scripture for an answer and found several instances where God’s people struggled to find the perfect answer. The most prominent and hardest hitting of these answers where when God answered Job, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the Earth, declare if you have understanding” Job 38:4.
The most powerful of instances is Jesus in the Garden asking His Heavenly Father, “If it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done” Matthew 26:39
It hit me. God is not a genie in a bottle. We don’t get to rub a lamp and get three wishes. We cannot and should not manipulate God to get our way. There is a country song that says that “Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.” Garth Brooks.
I look back in my life and think of the things that I have selfishly prayed for. It might have been the return of a pet, a change in the weather or the numbers for a lottery ticket. Somehow God saw me through each of these without me ever questioning Him. Then, there are others. Health restored to a loved one, the restoration of a broken relationship or a solution to the consequences of a stupid decision. When I don’t get my way in these, I question everything about God. Yet, I can still look back and see that He was there with me through each of these events whether it was caused by me or some factor beyond my control.
Prayer is not manipulating God to our will. It is seeing God’s will in each and every one of life’s situations and circumstances. God sees things in a way that we can’t even imagine. He does love us and wants what is best for us. He has a plan and a purpose for all the events in our lives as He prepares us for whatever lies ahead. When we pray, we are seeking His mind, not making Him see ours. Trust Him and have faith that he will never leave us nor forsake us. Even when we don’t personally agree with Him (right now) trust the quote that God, indeed, is “Good, All the time.”