Image by CONFUSER via FlickrI asked, in fact begged, my parents, for a sibling. At that time, our country had been engaged in the Vietnam War for many years and the television screen was often filled with the images of young Cambodian, Laotian and Vietnamese children who could be adopted. I suggested to my parents on more than one occasion that we adopt one of these beautiful children.My parents were then forty-seven and fifty-four. With all four children out of "childhood" and with an empty nest clearly in sight, I'm sure adopting a child was the last thing in their minds. I couldn't understand it then, but now, with my youngest nineteen and myself the age as my parents were then, I certainly do now.
It reminds me of how often we may ask the Lord for things in our lives, thinking we are asking for the right things, perhaps even noble things. But in His infinite wisdom, He knows it is not the best thing for us. He doesn't affirm our request, not because we haven't asked with sincerity, or because we were wrong in the asking, but because we asked amiss.
It is important for us to remember there are things working in our lives, and the lives of others, we cannot understand, we cannot know. Granting every desire, removing every hardship or answering every question, would remove every aspect of faith in our lives.
The most important purpose of our requests and supplications must be that the Lord's eternal purpose in Christ Jesus be accomplished, that His will be performed and the Lord Jesus be glorified in and through us. When those things prayers are answered, "all these things will be added".
"But we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
And hope maketh not ashamed;
because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts
by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."
Romans 5: 3-5
No comments:
Post a Comment