Our Heard Yet Unanswered Prayers
“Everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
Isaiah 43:7
Each of us goes through seasons of life where things are unpredictable or tricky, and we find ourselves destabilized or in unchartered waters. We might even struggle to see where God is in the midst of all of it.
Sometimes, even though we know in our head that God is in control, it can feel difficult to know it in our heart. The Scriptures to which we have always turned may help on some level, but make it harder on others.
Whether we are new to the faith or have been following Christ for decades, periodically, we will find ourselves in a place where God seems distant; no matter how often or how heartfelt we cry out, it feels as though His voice is quiet and His presence is absent.
Yet, one thing never changes – God is working His purposes out because our reason for being here is His joy and, more wonderfully, His glory! Romans 8:28 remind us that “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Yet, often, our good may not look as we expect.
Oscar Wilde once wrote, “When the gods wish to punish us, they answer our prayers.” It’s a jarring quote, but often it is Wilde’s words that have reminded me that I rarely know what will truly bless me in the long term. If I think of the many things for which I have prayed over the years that have not come to pass, many of those things would have radically altered the course of my life, and not always for the better.
While grating, it’s a reminder to hold my ideas and expectations more lightly and lean into the everlasting arms of my creator, redeemer and sustainer. He knows the desires of my heart and the consequences of those desires. His way will always see me on the right path, albeit not always my chosen one.
