You don't always know what you need
Have you ever considered that what you want from God is a vaguely fish-shaped cheese cracker?
For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us. (Hebrews 11:40)
Toddlers are funny. They aren’t always fun, but they certainly can make you laugh (after you get them to go down for a nap). I’ve known several toddlers in my life, and something that always astonishes me is how much they think they know.
I watch in utter fascination as they demand fruit snacks or cheese crackers because they think that’s the best solution to their hunger. And then, Mom or Dad makes the huge error of giving them REAL food. Chicken or beef or even pasta. And the child has a meltdown because it’s not what they want.
Is that a bad parent? That they wanted to give their child something more nutritious than a fruit snack or a vaguely fish-shaped cheese cracker?
No. Of course not. That’s a silly example. And, believe me, I know there are days when the only thing a parent can get a child to eat is something with dubious nutritional value. (There’s no shame or guilt here, okay? At least they’re eating.)
The point is that a parent wants to give a child something better to eat. They aren’t being cruel. They’re being a good parent.
And so often I think of this sort of relationship when it comes to the Lord, because we feel like He’s withholding something we want out of cruelty or pettiness. Maybe we don’t say it out loud, but that’s what we feel. And the truth is more like the situation with the parents and the crying kid.
Have you ever considered that what you want from God is a vaguely fish-shaped cheese cracker?
It’s easy to get distracted in life. It’s loud and noisy and heavy, and it always feels like too much to carry. So it’s normal to want quick fixes. It’s part of human nature to want the easy solution to the problem we’re dealing with right now. But God has never worked with quick fixes.
If you beg and plead enough, He might give you what you want. There are times in Scripture where He did give people what they asked for (like King Hezekiah’s extended life in 2 Kings 20:5-6), but it usually never had the results people wanted.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s good to ask God for what you need and even what you want. But don’t get upset at Him if He withholds it, because the only reason He will withhold something good is to be able to give you something better.
Questions for Reflection
What is something you are praying for today that God has withheld an answer to?
What indications do you have that what you’re asking for might not be God’s best for your life?
How are some ways you can remind yourself to be patient and wait for God’s timing?
Weekly Memory Verse
