EXPECTING GOOD THINGS
My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. Ps. 62:5.
Have you ever had a time in your life when everything goes wrong? Your friends abandon you to "pray about it." You do. And even more goes wrong?
Wait a minute! you think. Wasn't prayer supposed to make things better again?
It's like going to the bank to cash a check that you know is good. The teller hands the check back to you, saying, "I'm sorry, I cannot give you the money." Astonished, you question, "Aren't there sufficient funds available?" The teller smiles broadly, "Oh yes! This account has limitless funds!" You examine the check closely. The date is correct, your name is there, the signature is authentic. "I don't understand," you stammer. "What's wrong?"
At this point the teller reassures you that there is absolutely nothing at all wrong. "Come back tomorrow," she suggests. But the next day brings no better results. After a time you may be tempted to throw away the check, that is, unless you are absolutely sure that the signer meant for you to have the money and that it is available to you. Ultimately the trustworthiness of the person who issued you the check will be the deciding factor as to whether you discard the check.
Prayer can be like having a "good check" that you just can't seem to cash. Having made sure that everything is in order, you sometimes still find yourself without the "funds" you feel are coming to you. God has promised us many things. When the day arrives that these promises apparently cannot be "cashed in," you are left with one thing: who God is.
The psalmist said,"My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him." Our good Father is leading us to green pastures. He promises that we shall walk beside peaceful waters. Can we trust Him when we pass through a valley as dark and death? Through silence as impenetrable as granite? If we are trusting more in the person of God than what we can obtain from His storehouse of blessings, we shall never lose hope.
The primary purpose of prayer is not to make things better. It is a means by which we may improve our relationship with the Father. In reality, what better thing is there than friendship with Him, for He is Himself all, and in all. And having Him, we shall desire nothing else on earth! (Ps. 73:25, N.E.B.).
My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. Ps. 62:5.
Have you ever had a time in your life when everything goes wrong? Your friends abandon you to "pray about it." You do. And even more goes wrong?
Wait a minute! you think. Wasn't prayer supposed to make things better again?
It's like going to the bank to cash a check that you know is good. The teller hands the check back to you, saying, "I'm sorry, I cannot give you the money." Astonished, you question, "Aren't there sufficient funds available?" The teller smiles broadly, "Oh yes! This account has limitless funds!" You examine the check closely. The date is correct, your name is there, the signature is authentic. "I don't understand," you stammer. "What's wrong?"
At this point the teller reassures you that there is absolutely nothing at all wrong. "Come back tomorrow," she suggests. But the next day brings no better results. After a time you may be tempted to throw away the check, that is, unless you are absolutely sure that the signer meant for you to have the money and that it is available to you. Ultimately the trustworthiness of the person who issued you the check will be the deciding factor as to whether you discard the check.
Prayer can be like having a "good check" that you just can't seem to cash. Having made sure that everything is in order, you sometimes still find yourself without the "funds" you feel are coming to you. God has promised us many things. When the day arrives that these promises apparently cannot be "cashed in," you are left with one thing: who God is.
The psalmist said,"My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him." Our good Father is leading us to green pastures. He promises that we shall walk beside peaceful waters. Can we trust Him when we pass through a valley as dark and death? Through silence as impenetrable as granite? If we are trusting more in the person of God than what we can obtain from His storehouse of blessings, we shall never lose hope.
The primary purpose of prayer is not to make things better. It is a means by which we may improve our relationship with the Father. In reality, what better thing is there than friendship with Him, for He is Himself all, and in all. And having Him, we shall desire nothing else on earth! (Ps. 73:25, N.E.B.).
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