But What If He Doesn't Answer?

But What He Doesn't Answer?
by Aletha Hinthorn
 One morning when I tried to print labels my printer would not work. It is getting old, so I feared it might have quit for good. Someone would soon arrive to begin putting the labels on letters, so I felt the pressure of getting the labels printed quickly.

I called my son and asked him what to do. He suggested I restart the printer which I had already tried. I hung up the phone and remembered that when the Israelites had been in the desert "they lacked nothing." I rested in the knowledge that I, too, would lack nothing. Whether the printer ever started again or not, I would "lack nothing." In some way God would provide.

I again turned it off and then on and it started. I redialed my son and told him I wanted him to hear a beautiful noise-my printer. "What did you do?" he asked.

"What you suggested and then I, well, I rested."

But what if the printer had not started? Things do not always work out as we hope.

Sometimes to strengthen my faith, I envision how God might answer my prayer. Then I ask myself, "What if none of those things happen? What if God's answer does not look the way I think is best because He has something higher in mind? Will my faith remain?"

Only when I know I will continually believe God no matter the apparent or immediate outcome, is my faith in God. Before that, my faith is dependent upon circumstances.

Sometimes I do sort of a "test run" for my faith by asking, "Am I looking only to Him? Am I trusting Him to bring about His highest plan in the way He chooses even if His higher ways don't appear to be the right answer from my limited perspective?"

Thank You, Lord, that Your ideas of how to answer my prayers are better than mine.

"I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever" (Psalm 52:8).

Memory Verse for November            "I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?" (Jeremiah 32:27).