Philippians 4:19 – You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus. (MSG)

Every year, we stay with some of our grandchildren while the parents go on a vacation.

Last year, one little grandson prayed every night that a certain toy would be in the store. He longed for this toy; he dreamed about this toy; it was high on his “want” list. He had received permission from his parents, before they left, to buy it. Towards the end of the week, we went shopping, but the desired toy was not there. He kept praying, bless his little heart. The faith of a child!

1 Thessalonians 5:17 – Never stop praying. (GWT)

A couple of days later, we went to the store once again. He was anticipating seeing the toy and buying it with his own hard-earned money. How disappointed he was, when once again, it wasn’t there!

That night, as I tucked him into bed, we talked about how he had prayed every night that the toy would be available, and yet, it wasn’t there. It seemed that God hadn’t answered his prayer.

With disappointment written all over his face that night, I asked our grandson if God had answered his prayer. He immediately said, “No!” I suggested to him that God did answer, but the answer wasn’t “Yes”; it was “No”, or possibly “No, wait a while”. His face just lit up. I knew he understood.

What a valuable lesson this is to learn while we are young. Often, we expect God to grant us every request we send His way. And yet, He knows it might not be good for us, or the timing isn’t quite right. We don’t see anything beyond today, but God sees the whole picture, and isn’t that a good thing?

Let’s learn the lessons here. Let’s pray without ceasing. Let’s trust God with the answers He gives us. Let’s trust that He knows what is best for us. Let’s trust that God will give us all of our needs!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an impatient people we are! We want instant gratification in all areas of our lives. Forgive us when we don’t trust You. Forgive us when we are angry that You haven’t met our expectations. Forgive us for trying to put You in the box that we want You to fit in. Thank You for withholding the things that aren’t for our good. Help us to trust You during those times. Amen.

Judy Miller gjmiller@telusplanet.net 
Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada

Thanks to http://daily.presbycan.ca