The Person who answers our prayers is Who? Ok, … yes Jesus. Then how come there are all the unanswered prayers recorded for us in scripture? ….. Or, were they answered? ….. but, not how I was thinking they would or should be answered.
Mary and Martha sent out an urgent prayer request that Jesus come quickly because Lazarus was deathly sick and Jesus should come immediately and heal him. But, we are told that Jesus took His time and hung out where He was and meanwhile Lazarus died. What kind of a friend does that?
Paul prayed several times that Jesus would heal him from an ailment that he had. (Some think that it was his eye sight because he mentions how large of letters he is having to use while writing). But, no healing came and He had to continue dealing with it.
Jonah prayed that God would blast the evil people in the evil city. He was sure that disaster would fall on them and he was the prophet from God who was very happy to pronounce their doom. But, the city repented and no disaster fell on them.
Hanna and Sarah both prayed for years asking earnestly for a baby …. Silence from heaven ….. We read how heart wrenching these prayers and how deeply painful it was for the want to be mothers not to be able to have a child.
I know of several people praying right now who are praying earnestly for the restoration of a relationship and the relationship continues to dissolve.
Even Jesus prayed that He wouldn’t have to go through all the pain on the cross …. It weighed on Him so much that he sweat drops of blood over it.
So, what gives in all this? Doesn’t God care? Doesn’t He answer? Why should I trust a God like this? The answer is quiet simple, but, we don’t like it and don’t want to hear about it. Especially if we are not a parent or elder level of relational maturity. The answer is that we haven’t matured enough to have God sight into the situation. We are only looking at and seeing what we see and want to see primarily because we are children. We only see God being interested in me. Especially if I am a believer. So, let’s check out what God was seeing in the examples listed above.
Mary and Martha …. this is the easiest one because scripture tells us what God was seeing …. God wasn’t seeing healing; He was seeing the far more powerful resurrection and the huge impact that would have!
Paul ….. God wasn’t seeing comfort and pain free ease; God was seeing how from the depths of the discomfort and pain and unknowing and the “wretched man that I am” would come the depths of the writings we find for all of us in the many books of the New Testament. An example for all of how to live in discomfort in many areas of life. Prison, alone and single, in physical discomfort, falsely accused …..
Jonah …… God wasn’t seeing enemies and those to fear because they aren’t like us and they need judgment now; God is seeing the lost and is seeing salvation and no condemnation.
Hanna and Sarah …… God wasn’t seeing time slipping away and the feeling of hopeless despair; God was seeing the fullness of His timing and the miraculous actions that He would bring about when everyone else thought all was lost.
The Saving of the Relation ……. God isn’t seeing my immediate comfort; Scripture clearly states that God sees what will best benefit the parties involved, even if it means separating some in order for unequal yokes to be dissolved and to allow for space so that the spiritual and relational maturity of one or both parties can take place.
Jesus ……. We kind of get this one, but couldn’t God have done it differently? Ultimately God is God. I am not. God’s ways are not my ways and I have difficulty seeing them. However, I can rest in this; That God knows, and all He is doing is for the good of me and for all those around me! Today, I get to walk through it all with Jesus!