Who Is God To You?

If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? John 3:12

Do you ever think you can figure God out?  I mean, there are certain prayers that He should answer just the way you asked it.  After all, I am his child and He only desires what’s best for me and I know what’s best. So I give God options of how He should answer my prayers. And through the years, I have noticed common themes of how I pray. My prayers always include peace, joy, comfort, safety, ease, love and happiness—or making all of the green lights. But my prayers never include things that bring pain, suffering, confusion, hurt or tears. Don’t we all tend to pray for the good things because that is what is best for us?

There is a modern day parable about a man during a flood.  He prayed, “God, protect me. I have faithfully served You for all these years and You have always kept me safe in this house.” What he was really praying was, “Save me my way.”  Well, the rains came down and the water rose and rose.  Radio warnings were blaring to evacuate homes. His neighbors all left. He didn’t, he just kept praying. A county sheriff came by and said, “Hey, leave!” but he said, “No, I know the Lord will protect me and I’m staying in this house.”  The water got higher and this time, the Coast Guard came out. But the man still refused to go. As the water rose, the man sat on his roof, determined not to leave his home.  A helicopter came by and said, “Sir please come with me, I’m here to save you.”  The man said, “No, only God will save me and I’m staying.”  Well, the man drowned and now, he is standing in heaven. The man said to God, “What happened? I thought you were going to save me.”  God responded, “Well, I sent the police, a boat and helicopter. What else did you want?” 

This man’s concept of what God should do for him and what God would do for him was very different. He didn’t like God’s options. Sometimes what we want God’s will to be for us, and what it really is, brings us conflict. We want to serve God our way, please God our way and live for God our way. God says He protects us, so we expect protection to come our way too. Today, submit to the Lord’s leading in your life. He knows what is best. Ask the Lord to make you sensitive to His will and that you can be willing to do things His way. The end result just might reveal heavenly things to you.

~Daily Disciples Devotional~