Scripture

Our verse for today comes from 2 Samuel 17:23, ” Now when Ahithophel saw that his advice was not followed, he saddled a donkey, and arose and went home to his city. Then he put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died; and he was buried in his father’s tomb. ” 

Background

As daylight waned yesterday, the time approached for my wife to get ready for her weekly overnight shift at the hospital. Knowing her state of fatigue and general desire to stay home with me and the kids, I spent some time praying for her evening. I prayed for God’s blessings on her and her patients and, owing to His benevolent providence, I asked that God might ultimately allow her to be called off from working. As the deadline approached for when the hospital must call to excuse someone due to low patient census, I pleaded for God’s grace in this situation. Alas, the time came and went without a phone call, and my wife finished prepping for work and headed off. My plea to God for her night off had been denied. Shortly thereafter, a friend came by to pick up some of the kids and take them to dinner and a movie. Later on, I prayed for their outing, asking God to go with them and return them safely. Not long after I put the other kids to bed, the three from the movies came home, safe and sound. My prayers for their evening had been granted. Now, which answer from God do you think my mind wanted to focus on – the safety of my kids, which seemed reasonable and what I completely expected, or the night of leisure for my wife, which also seemed reasonable but which I knew was a longshot? If you guessed the disappointment concerning my wife, then you probably have been down that road, too, where asking for the unlikely at a moment’s notice seemed impossible. 

Application

And so, what is my response? What would your response be? Do you question the point of prayer? Do you chalk it up to random fate, the law of averages, or God’s immutable nature? David prayed for God’s pronouncement to be reversed and his firstborn of Bathsheba to be spared, the longest of longshots, but he lost his life anyway. He also prayed that Ahithophel be undone in his counsel to Absalom concerning the seizing of David’s throne, and he was. Two prayers, and two different answers. Is prayer for you just a series of requests and responses, or is your relationship growing as you spend time seeking the God of glory? 

Charge

As we seek Him today, pray to God like He is worth spending time with for just that reason.  

Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words