WHAT IF?

 WHAT IF?

“What are you going to do if God doesn’t answer your prayer?”

My neighbor’s question left me stunned. Surely God would answer my prayer. I could see no reason at all for God to not answer my prayer.

I spent quite a while praying that night, in my backyard, looking at the moon. It looked huge and seemed so close to earth that I felt as though I could reach out and touch it or even step right onto it. I knew God created that moon. He spoke it into existence. As a new believer I had not even considered God would not answer my prayer. 

He spoke the entire world into existence. 

He can answer my prayer.

It has been over 30 years since the night my neighbor asked me that question.

Did God answer my prayer? Not the way I wanted the prayer to be answered. It was a season of grieving and growing for me.

Since then though, there have been many answered prayers.

And –

My dad’s friend did not heal.

My friends did not heal.

Some family members did not heal.

My husband’s job went south.

I desperately prayed and still my babies passed because I was unable to carry them to term.

One of those times of grief, I opened the Bible to the book of Psalms, the words “God is good” jumped off the pages.

Psalm 136:1 “…Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.”

Psalm 118:1 “Praise to God for His Everlasting Mercy. Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good...”

Psalm 109:21 “But you, O God the Lord, Deal with me for Your name’s sake; because Your mercy is good, deliver me.”

I believed what the Bible said, "God is good," despite what I was experiencing.

In the beginning of my faith walk, I read in the book of John about Jesus dying on the cross to pay for the price of my sins. He went to great lengths to pay the price for my sins. I believed what the Bible said and knew He loved me.

I did not give my neighbor an answer that night, over 30 years ago, but now I have a firm answer to the question my neighbor asked me so many years ago.

Philippians 2:10 “…that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” NKJV

My knee bows.

My tongue confesses Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

The nights I cry intense tears of grief into my pillow – I am comforted knowing despite what is making me grieve, God is good.  And He is my LORD.

The nights I hold onto my pillow filled with fear of all that is going on in this world – I may be scared, but I know God is the eternal protector of my soul. He is LORD.

Despite the pain and turmoil of what happens in this world, I believe God hears every prayer I pray. When I cannot see the answer, it doesn’t mean He is not there with me. His ways are higher than mine and it is then I hold onto the knowledge that He is LORD.

My prayer for you is – you will know – you will know He is good, He is Lord, and He hears you, He is with you.