Looking for an Answer

“Mommy, can I have some candy?”, Peyton asks.
I reply “Not right now, it’s almost time for dinner.”
“Daddy, can I have some candy?”, he turns and asks his Dad, looking for a “yes”.
This is Peyton’s new idea of getting what he wants! He will continuing asking anyone who is there hoping he’ll find the answer he’s looking for. Lately we haven’t been allowing it and it earns him a much unwanted timeout!
    What he doesn’t understand yet is that Mom and Dad have a reason for their answers! He doesn’t understand that too much candy isn’t good for him; that we know he’d love to go outside but 2 minutes into it he’ll cry because his hands are too cold; that if he eats right before bedtime, he doesn’t sleep well at night; etc. Although he may be upset at the time for our answer, we know what’s best for him.
    I think of all the things I thought I knew when I was younger. How upset I would get when I didn’t get what I wanted. I grew a great respect for my Dad and the decisions he made because I could often look back and realize he was right! He usually didn’t even have to say much when I did wrong because I already knew, already felt guilty, and I believe he considered it a lesson learned. It was a quiet, humble, wise strength that I respected. Randy’s grandfather has this same strength about him and I admire him for it. It is often my prayer that Randy and I can have this same way of parenting.
    Everyone can think of these times in their past or present. A time when as a child we went to our parent (or parent-figure) for an answer we wanted or when a child has come to us. It’s easy to look at it in these terms and see the different answers we give and the reasons for them. Why is it so hard then to see it so easily in Godly terms?

“I sought the Lord and He answered me…” Psalm 34:4 
   When we go to our Father with a request, we tend to always go seeking a “yes”. Having an answer doesn’t mean the Lord has granted you with what you asked. God’s answers also include “No”, “Wait”, and “Trust”. God’s answer may be an explanation, a refusal, a promise, or a condition. It is simply Him giving attention to our request. Too often we don’t see what we’ve asked for and we get irritated with God. “Where is He and why is He ignoring me now?”, “HELLO GOD! Are you there?…maybe I should give up…”, “Aggghhh! Just forget it God, apparently you’re too busy for little me!“, we turn away kicking and screaming just like my 4 year old does to me!

“Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.” Hebrews 10:35 
   You need to learn to appreciate your hardships more than you do. They are what makes you grow and mature and develop Godly character. God allows us to go through tough times to increase our faith in Him. To allow us to see that He will never leave us or forsake us.

“All the commandments which I command you this day you shall be watchful to do, that you may live and multiply…you shall earnestly remember all the way which the Lord your God led you…in the wilderness, to humble you and to prove you, to know what was in your mind and heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not…that He might make you recognize and personally know that man does not live by bread only but man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.” Deuteronomy 8:1-3  
   We cannot live by all the things we seem to live by, we need to look to God to be our strength and our Provider. He wants only what is best for us and He knows what we need and when we need it.

“Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all those who wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]! …He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you. And though the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide Himself any more, but your eyes will constantly behold your Teacher. And your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30: 18-21  
   The Lord is waiting to for someone to be good to. He is looking for the person who’s eyes are fixed on Him, who is expecting His favor, His love, His joy even during the trials and hard times in life. If we constantly keep our eyes on our Teacher, God promises “that your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way; walk in it.”

“The Lord upholds all those [of His own] who are falling and raises up all those who are bowed down. The eyes of all wait for You and You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand and satisfy every living thing with favor. The Lord is righteous in all His ways and gracious and merciful in all His works. The Lord is near to all who call upon Him sincerely and in truth. He will fulfill the desires of those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him; He also will hear their cry and will save them.” Psalm 145: 14-19  
   When we are falling we are to keep our eyes on God, focus on and praise Him. Learn to wait on Him with expectancy by thanking Him that the answer is on the way. If we keep our hearts in the right place He promises that in due season, when the time is right He will reward us and bring us the desires of our hearts. Our deep innermost desires, too deep for words (Romans 8:26) NOT our casual wishes.

“I trusted in, relied on, and was confident in You, O Lord; I said, You are my God. My times are in Your hands.” Psalm 31:14,15  
   Trust is a firm reliance on the integrity, ability, etc., of a person or thing; confident expectation; responsibility; care.
   Confident means having strong belief or full assurance; sure.
   We need to trust God and remain confident that His timing is right. When waiting on God and waiting for an answer we need to remain at peace, putting things in His hands, it is then that we will be rewarded. If we are in need and we lean on Him for our support, it is then that we can see his wondrous works. He will bring us to the point to where we know it was not by our own works that brought us to prosper but by His hand and because of His unfailing, never ending love.

“Be still and rest in the Lord; wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him” Psalm 37:7

“For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation. He only is my Rock and my Salvation, my Defense and my Fortress, I shall not be greatly moved.” Psalm 62:1,2