Accepting God’s Solution

READ | 2 Chronicles 20:14-25

"God,my boss is intolerable. Please help me find another job.�?/P>

“Lord, this back pain is ruining my life. Have mercy and heal me!�?/P>

Christians almost universally agree, “God answers prayer.�?But many people, if they were honest, would amend the phrase to say, “The Lord answers most prayers, but not mine.�?A believer can fervently call upon God without receiving what he considers a satisfactory answer.The stumbling block isn’t God’s unwillingness or inability to respond, but rather the word satisfactory. If we come to God with a preconceived idea of how to solve our problem, we will likely overlook His true resolution.

Suppose King Jehoshaphat had decided that God could answer his prayer only by giving the army extra strength for the forthcoming skirmish.He would have called a war council, arrayed his soldier in armor, and set up battle lines. God’s solution was entirely unexpected: First, send the choir out singing praises, then watch the Lord save Israel. If Jehoshaphat’s soldiers had attempted combat, they would have lost Jerusalem.

Sometimes we don’t like God’s solution.We desire freedom from physical pain rather than an extra measure of grace to endure the hurt. Or we want a new job, not a command to seek the boss�?forgiveness for our poor attitude. In essence, we want the Lord to fix everything without requiring any effort from us. But our willingness to obey is key to answered prayer. When He tells us how to resolve our problem,we must act just as He specifies, or we will never be satisfied.

Written by:Charles F. Stanley

In Touch Ministries

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