Friday, June 24, 2011
~ "Are we there yet???"
Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. (Matt 15:25)
She was not "one of them". The Canaanite woman was a Gentile, yet she believed in the mercy of our Lord. She was undeserving (as we all are). She related her misery (her possessed daughter). She asked for mercy. She was met with discouragement, yet she persisted. Her persistence paid off - her daughter was healed because of her faith!
How often to we go only half the distance with our prayers? We bring our needs to the foot of the throne and get distracted and forget to leave them there. We entertain a battle of wits with ourselves as to whether or not to leave them there or try again to fix them, walking away with our prayers in our hands and we have the audacity to complain to God when the prayers are not answered! Our defeatist attitude tells us that "God will never answer this" or "God will never fix this" ... how can He when we won't leave it for Him?
Our "unspoken" requests, the ones we pray for over and over that go unanswered, may just be that way because our human nature (and lack of patience) causes us to keep taking it back, trying to cause it to happen without trusting in God that it will happen...IN HIS TIME! If you have a child who keeps bringing you something to fix, and each time they hand it to you, they take it back, eventually you will utter the words "just give it to me already and I'll give it back when it's fixed", thus grabbing it from the child's hands and sending them on their way!
Stop interfering in God's grand plan of things. Let Him do for you what He needs to do, what He wants to do - quit trying to do it all yourself. He doesn't need your help! Leave it in His very capable hands and walk away. I always found I could get more done without people constantly bothering me for something while I was doing something else, or by badgering me about when it was going to be ready. The same questioning words from the back seat of the car while traveling to a vacation spot, having only rounded the corner from home echoing the sentiment "are we there yet".
God has faith in you, He is patient with you, He is loving and merciful. Offer Him the same...have faith that He will do what He has promised. Be patient and wait on His time. Love Him above all other and remember that He alone determines the course of success you will tread. Success for you may be different that success for another - but it is all leads to the same place - His Kingdom. Be grateful for the gifts and blessings He bestows upon you - He has placed them there for a reason. Remember to thank Him for them as well. And leave that "unspoken" request at His throne, He'll get to it in His time and it will come back to you better than you could have ever imagined!!!