2023 11 09

Good morning.

Peter urges us to trust God when he says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."  (1 Peter 5:7)  This is all fair and well, but when we face an urgent need, our prayers become fervent and our desire for a quick answer intensifies. It seems that if the Lord doesn’t intervene soon, the very thing we dread could happen. And without a detectable response from God, we may feel as if He doesn’t care.

Picture how Mary and Martha felt after asking Jesus to come heal their brother Lazarus. They knew the Lord loved them, but when He didn’t show up on time, their pain overtook their faith. They voiced their disappointment: “If You had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:21,32)

We’ve all had similar thoughts when God didn’t answer our prayers as we hoped. We have learned that God's ways are not our ways. (Isaiah 55:8) His goal is not to inflict pain unnecessarily but to let Christ’s life shine through us in hardship.

It is in times of uncertainty that we build our confidence in God’s goodness, and strengthen our trust in Him.

"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." (Romans 8:28)

As we face all that comes our way today, remember that God is at work for our good,

Blessings.

Mike and Daphne