Have you ever felt like God didn’t care?
Have you ever felt like He doesn’t respond to your requests?
Have you concluded that if you go to God, He will let you down?
Well, when we look in the Bible at how God operates, and look at our own habits and inclinations we find answers that should change our minds about an uncaring, ambivalent God.
In 1 Samuel 8 the nation of Israel makes a request. They want God to stop leading them and appoint a King over them instead. Israel is persistent and God grants their request. The results are terrible. But you and I learn an important lesson about ourselves- we don’t always ask God for what is best for us. Although God granted Israel’s unwise request, this one time, He does not give his children anything they ask for if it is not best for them.
Relationships
Financial gain
Possessions
If what we are asking for will harm us or pull us away from God, His answer will be NO. He hasn’t let us down, He has protected us.
Next, Joseph. He was sold into slavery by his brothers, falsely accused of rape and sent to prison. It certainly looks like God has let this boy down, doesn’t it? well looking at any individual moment, and seeing the short term results you would think that, but Josephs story keeps unfolding and in the long term He basically saves the world. Friends we tend to think short term while God thinks long term. God has promised to do us good, but that good will probably include a roller-coaster ride through life. Remember He will never leave us or forsake us. That means He will be with us on our mountains as well as our valleys, but in the end Romans 8:28 promises we will always arrive at a place that is good for us or His kingdom.
Finally, there is a saying, ‘God steers a moving ship”. What it means is that if God has shown us something to do, we need to be doing it. THEN he will send the next step.
God will not give us a diploma if we don’t go to class.
God will not give you financial success if you don’t budget effectively.
God will not grow you spiritually if you don’t spend time in with him, with the word and with his people.
God will show us something to do and when we do it He will show us the next step. Before long, we are at the destination we wanted.
So when your tempted to think God has let us down, take a moment and see it isn’t the other way around.