Tuesday, July 31

Is my trial a loaf or a stone?

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:7-11)

Recently, I was praying and during my prayer I asked the Lord to remove my problem with seizures. The above verses came to mind. My prayer was, "Lord, I'm just tired of dealing with this. I don't doubt your sovereignty, but I'm still tired of it." And I felt that God said, "Do you think this is a stone? Well, you've asked me for bread. I will not give you a stone, however if you do continue to have seizures, it's not that I don't hear prayer. But that they are bread for you."

What comfort we can draw in adversity when we realize that our Father cares enough to be concerned not only for our short term well being, but for our long term (eternal) well being. These things that we know as "trials" in this life are in fact "a light momentary affliction [that] is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison." (2 Cor. 4:17)


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Helen was telling me about this post today. It really encouraged me. Thanks for your humility and faith in God. It's inspiring.

-Britt

Suzanne & Duncan Forbes said...

I think that with a conservative (aka legalistic) background, it's easy to quote familiar Christian sayings 'God's will be done' without fully grasping what that means. Someone once explained it to me as "If my purpose can be fulfilled without this, then take it from me. If not, then have so be it"

- helped me a lot.