I sent her a message inquiring about the details of her
upcoming nuptials, about her soon-to-be-husband and about the circumstances
that brought them together. She told me
all about it and undoubtedly it was a God-sized story. But as wonderful and miraculous as all of
this information was, I remember sitting at my computer after reading her reply
and thinking “that is really amazing Lord, but why did she have to
wait all those years to finally make her heart cry a reality? Why did You allow her hope to go unfulfilled
for so long?” (See Proverbs 13:12) In essence, I was wrestling with the
question of whether or not God was holding out
on her. You see, God is never offended
when we wrestle with Him. He can take it. It’s when we wrestle against Him that we get into trouble. That’s when it becomes about us and we are
the ones who become the offended.
Incredibly, in the very moment I asked the question, a reply came. It wasn’t audible…it was louder than that. The Lord spoke to me and said “I was never holding out on her. I was holding on to her and saving her for this exact moment. This was My plan for her hope and her future.” (See Jeremiah 29:11) I was overwhelmed by His answer. I literally sat there and cried. I was crying for two reasons. First, because of the Lord's Sovereignty. He alone knows the plan He has for our lives; even when it seems to us that the plan has gone awry or has been forgotten altogether. Second, I was saddened by my own small mindedness. I had put God in a box of time and space and providing an answer that was “normal.” He absolutely cannot fit into any of our man-made boxes and He is anything but “normal.”
Incredibly, in the very moment I asked the question, a reply came. It wasn’t audible…it was louder than that. The Lord spoke to me and said “I was never holding out on her. I was holding on to her and saving her for this exact moment. This was My plan for her hope and her future.” (See Jeremiah 29:11) I was overwhelmed by His answer. I literally sat there and cried. I was crying for two reasons. First, because of the Lord's Sovereignty. He alone knows the plan He has for our lives; even when it seems to us that the plan has gone awry or has been forgotten altogether. Second, I was saddened by my own small mindedness. I had put God in a box of time and space and providing an answer that was “normal.” He absolutely cannot fit into any of our man-made boxes and He is anything but “normal.”
If you’re like me, you are continually reminded that in this
life there are many things over which we have no control. And, if you’re a believer, you’re also
constantly reminded that there is only One who has the entire expanse of time
and space tucked safely in the palm of His hand. We know that scripture tells us to “be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.” (Psalm 37:7) and “trust in the Lord
with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5) But, try as we may to really live this out,
there isn’t one of us who hasn’t at some point in our
lives felt forgotten by God; felt like He was holding out on us by not
delivering what we hoped for, what we prayed for.
Hopefully, you and I don’t have to wait decades to receive
God’s answer like my friend did, but what if we do? Will we still persevere in our prayers,
knowing and believing that God is holding on to us and is Himself, anxiously
awaiting the moment He will answer them?
(And please keep in mind that sometimes the answer is no.) Or will we give up, letting our doubt give
way to disbelief? In these seasons of
waiting, I pray you will ask the hard questions. I pray you will wrestle it out with Him as you petition Him for wisdom and patience and eagerly await His response. But please don’t
ever allow yourself to believe that He is holding out on you. He is for you! Everything He will ever do is for you, not to
you.
Perhaps you even find yourself in a season of waiting now. Whether it’s for a mate, a health issue, a child’s salvation, a job, a marriage reconciliation…whatever you are crying out to the Lord and asking for, remember He is holding on to you. He sees the entire expanse of your life while you and I see only yesterday and today. Know and believe that His plan is for your ultimate good…because it is! Don’t put him in a box like I did; don’t expect a normal (natural) answer from the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. If it's His plan to blow your mind with an abnormal (supernatural) answer, then get ready for it…because He can and He will.
Perhaps you even find yourself in a season of waiting now. Whether it’s for a mate, a health issue, a child’s salvation, a job, a marriage reconciliation…whatever you are crying out to the Lord and asking for, remember He is holding on to you. He sees the entire expanse of your life while you and I see only yesterday and today. Know and believe that His plan is for your ultimate good…because it is! Don’t put him in a box like I did; don’t expect a normal (natural) answer from the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. If it's His plan to blow your mind with an abnormal (supernatural) answer, then get ready for it…because He can and He will.
Oh, and one more thing...my friend who finally got married at the age
of 50…she always wanted children…the day she got married, she became the
stepmom of four!
“I
would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness
of the Lord
In the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:13-14 NASB
“But if we hope for what we do not yet
have, we wait for it patiently. And we
know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have
been called according to his purpose.
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us,
who can be against us?” Romans 8:25, 28,
31 NIV