With a Subtitle: Think about what you might be asking, and thank God for whatever He might be answering.

A brief Excerpt: Think about what you might be asking, and thank God for whatever He might be answering.

The Author is: Rich Holt

Scripture

Our verse for today comes from 2 Samuel 14:22, ” Then Joab fell to the ground on his face and bowed himself, and thanked the king. And Joab said, ‘Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has fulfilled the request of his servant.’ ” 

Background

My kids ask for a lot of stuff. Much more often than not, though, it’s not the kind of stuff that comes from a store. Rather, they ask if they can have ice cream for dessert. Or they ask if they can go over to their friend’s house to play. Or they ask if they can watch a video, stay up later than normal, have a sleepover, or invite a friend along if we’re heading out somewhere. It might be just to watch them do something, or help them make something, or listen to them retell what just happened to them ten seconds before. And I love to say yes. I always wish to say yes. But sometimes I have to say no. And depending on the person and the nature of the request, that can go over in a variety of ways. Ideally, it’s not a big deal, and the child continues on as before. Occasionally, though, some degree of explanation is required to aid the child in their understanding as to why their request was denied. If accepted, the child’s emotions remain intact and all is well. But as I’m sure you know, that’s not always the case. There are times when our denial hurts more, and the relationship between us is wounded. My son or daughter feels as if they have fallen out of favor with me, and there is a distance that creeps in between us. But my relationship with them has not changed. I simply could not acquiesce to their request. Usually it’s because of my relationship with them that I cannot say yes, not regardless of it. But I still long to say yes as often as I possibly can. 

Application

I think God wants to say yes to us so much, even more than we want Him to. And because of that, He wants us asking Him for the right things. But when we don’t, and when His answer is not yes, we haven’t fallen out of favor with Him. He shouldn’t seem to be further away, less welcoming or not as available. He’s simply expressed His love, and that is the best thing that He can do. So praise Him just as much when you don’t hear the yes that you thought you needed. 

Charge

As we seek Him today, think about what you might be asking, and thank God for whatever He might be answering.

Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words