Does God answer every prayer exactly as we hope?
This week in the Dispatch I’ll share our other podcast, a couple of books, and this week’s blog plus a verse that has impacted me this week. Click here to subscribe to the weekly DISPATCH.
Books:
This isn’t a new book. I am a big fan of Malcolm Gladwell but for some reason skipped this one until now. This book and the research behind it are fascinating. The premise is about understanding how we think without thinking. It is about the choices we make every day in a split second or “the blink of the eye.” Why do some people succeed while others do not? How do our brains work in different situations and with different people? Why do we have trouble communicating the “how” of a good or great decision to someone else? Are first impressions really reliable? You will find the answers to these questions and much more as you read through this book.
Walk the Wire by David Baldacci
I am always reading a fiction book. I have two or three authors that I really like and also venture into a few of the books on the bestseller lists. The Memory Man series by David Baldacci is always a great read. Amos Decker was an NFL player whose career was cut short by a violent helmet-to-helmet collision. Almost 20 years later, Decker loses his family. This is the sixth book in the series with Decker in his role as an FBI special agent. The story takes place in a small North Dakota town and the case, which appears normal on the surface, takes turns that challenge both Decker and his partner and provide great entertainment for the reader.
Podcast:
At about the same time the Awesome Marriage podcast aired its 400th episode, we were launching the “A Better Man” podcast. Colby Taylor joins me each month as we talk about topics designed to help us all become better men. June marks the sixth episode and this month’s episode is a great one as we talk about healthy sex in marriage. There are also follow up questions for yourself or you and a friend or small group. When you subscribe, you will also get the follow up questions sent to you every month. Here is the link to this month’s podcast. Also, join Colby and me every Friday for a short video on a current topic on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
Blog:
This is GOD’s Word on the subject: “As soon as Babylon’s seventy years are up and not a day before, I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” Jeremiah 29:10-11-10-11 MSG
God’s people, the Israelites, were in trouble. They were no longer in their home country. Rather, they were captives in a foreign land called Babylon. Home seemed so far away and most of them wondered if they would ever see it again. They questioned and they doubted. Yet, time after time every promise given had been fulfilled. God had always been faithful to them. We see that played out over and over. So why did they doubt? Did they not remember what God had done in the past? Did that even matter to them now?
It is so easy for me to get critical of these Israelite people. Why did they keep doubting God and turning away from Him? The list of His faithfulness to them over the years is very long. Then in the midst of my criticism, I think about my doubts and my questions and about my God who has been more than faithful to me year after year. When our marriage struggles, God is there to help us get back on the right path. When finances seem overwhelming, God always comes through. When there is a sickness that consumes the world, God is there. When racial injustice is taken out of the dark and brought to light, God is there. He is there for us just like He was for the Israelites. He has the answers of healing that only come from Him.
What Jeremiah said to the Israelites thousands of years ago fits as a template over us today.
“I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.” He is God and we are not. He knows what He is doing and has known since the beginning of time. He will take care of us. He will never abandon us. Does God always answer every prayer just exactly as we hope? No, but He answers every prayer in the way that is truly best for us.
The last part of this verse is a “high five” verse. It’s good news for each and every one of us. Whether in our marriage, other relationships, work, money, sickness, or racial injustice, “He plans to give you the future you hope for.” God loves me and you more than we could ever imagine. He is forever faithful. He is the reason we all have hope! You can go ahead and do your “high five” now!
Challenge:
What are your doubts today? Write them down and then pray every day for God’s answer to each and every one of them. He will answer. He always does. Then share with someone else how God answered the doubts in your life.
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