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We had a little dilemma. The city decided that all water meters in all homes need to be changed. This would be done at no charge to us; however, we were required to have the area around the water meter clear and free so that the men could come in and do their work.
As is the case with many homes in Canada, our water meter was inside the house. Most water meters are in a free, open basement; however the one in our house was located deep inside a 1.25 meter-high crawl space. And since such crawl spaces are generally used for storage—well I think you get the picture. Add to this equation the fact that we were preparing for a move to a different province and that we were storing the belongings of our son who moved to China, and, well, the changing out of our water meter became slightly more complex than in some homes…
I suspect all of you can relate to this. You may not have a water meter that needs to be changed that is deep within a crawl space and surrounded by boxes, however I suspect that most of you are waiting for God to do something in your lives. Perhaps it is to heal you or a loved one; maybe it is a better job; or maybe you're praying for a spouse or a baby, or perhaps you need transportation. Whatever your need, if you have made your request known to God in prayer, then likely you are waiting for Him to respond. And so you wait, but nothing happens. It is for all practical purposes as if God never even heard your prayer.
But God did hear your prayer: "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer...” (1 Peter 3:12a NIV). We also know: "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him." (1 John 5:14-15 NIV)
Why, then, hasn't He answered your prayer?
I would like to propose that sometimes it is simply that before He will provide the prayed-for answer, He has to clear away a few "boxes"!
Not aware of any boxes in your life?
What about the "boxes" of doubt that so often crowd around the things we ask of God?
It is a well-known fact that doubt will hinder God's hand: "But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do." (James 1:6-8 NIV)!
Then there are the "boxes" of control. God can't help when you refuse to give Him control over the situation.
And what about the "boxes" of unforgiveness? And other sins in you life? Peter tells us that the eyes of the Lord are on the "righteous"! We also know from Isaiah 59 that: "...your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear." (Vs. 2 NIV).
Of course there can also be other "boxes" in the way. Sometimes it simply isn't yet God's time.
I would like to propose that sometimes our miracles are impeded because God is busy trying to remove those "boxes". Through the trial process, He is teaching us faith and trust, He is teaching us to rely on Him and Him alone, He is helping us wait until the "right" time, and sometimes He is cleansing us of unrighteousness!
When God delays the answer to your prayer, be on the look out for "boxes" that might be in the way. Maybe it's time to let God work on growing your faith, on doing away with doubt, on learning surrender, on waiting for Him in HIS time! Let's don't get impatient in the wait. Rather, let's identify the "boxes" that might need to be moved, and with God's help, start moving them!
Oh, one other thing that made the changing out of our meter difficult. Our house was on the market and people were coming through regularly. Any displaced boxes had to quickly be replaced in their original positions around the water meter before someone else could come through to view the house. The good news with those spiritual "boxes" that need to be moved in order for God to move is that they don't need to be put back! Far better for us that they be thrown out completely!
Waiting for God to answer your prayers? Why not talk to Him about any "boxes" in the way?
Inspired by Rob Chaffart
Founder, Answers2Prayer Ministries
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