Suddenly~

TGIF Greetings:)

For the past few days we've looked at this verse and discovered that God has good plans, and we need to get on board with His plans by telling Him we trust Him. We also need to live life as though we truly believe that He makes everything beautiful at the right time.

I will be the first to admit that it is easy to live this way when His plans and ours align. When love is in the air and money is in the bank. When the kids are first in their class and working the afternoon shift to learn responsibility. When everyone is healthy, and everyone is getting along. When the flowers are in bloom and there's not a rain cloud on the horizon.

What about when something unexpected happens?

Matthew 8:24 "Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat..."

My sudden and furious storm happened on July 8, 1990. I got a phone call from my mom that she didn't feel well, and one week later we learned she had pancreatic cancer. She passed away May 24, 1991, and for a long long time I struggled with how it could possibly be part of God's plan to prosper my mom by letting her die of cancer. I could not understand how His promise of no harm fit in with her chemo treatments. How her future was cut short--too short by dying so young.

For a long long time I thought I would drown in the grief. On a daily basis I bombarded God with "why?" questions.

I did not get all the answers, but I did get a few.

Prosperity, as defined by our friends at dictionary.com means "a successful, flourishing, or thriving condition."

The best place where we will all one day thrive and flourish is with Christ Himself in glory.

And, can any harm ever come to us again when we are in heaven? No! No chemo, no needles, no cancer, no pain.

Finally: If God's intention is to give us a hope and a future, is there anything better we could hope for then to spend our future in perfect peace, health, and happiness with Him?

God's timing was not mine--not by a long shot. But here is what He whispered in my heart after I questioned Him--even His very love for me. (I am ashamed to admit it.)

"Yenisita, every good Father calls His children home. Besides, You know what heaven is like. Would you really want me to send your mom back to earth?"

I can honestly answer no; I wouldn't want her to come back.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Let us feel Your presence now and when the sudden storms arise. Thank You that You can handle all our questions and that You have all the answers we will ever need. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Grantor~

Greetings from rainy Miami~

There's just one little phrase left to our verse, and it is the most important one.

1 Chronicles 4:10 Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request. 

Someone once said that the value of prayer is that God answers it, and we see that it was true for Jabez.  

God is the great Answerer!  But allow me to ask a rhetorical question: Can God answer a prayer that has not been prayed?

There is so much emphasis in the Bible on asking, seeking, knocking, persevering, persisting, petitioning, etc...that we can only conclude that God desires a relationship with us that thrives through prayer.  Prayer is a lovely word for communication.  

The foundation for any great relationship is communication.  Think about your relationships.  They are either thriving because the communication is solid or frustrating you because there is mis-communication or a lack of understanding or even an atmosphere where you feel you can not speak freely.

How can we get to know God if we do not speak to Him?  How will we ever "be able to take in the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God,"

(Ephesians 3:18 THE MESSAGE) if we keep Him at a distance.  Not only does God desire for us to reach out to Him, we are the ones who need Him more than He needs us.  We forfeit peace, joy, and hope when we fail to plug into the One Who so freely gives us all these things and more.

Whatever ails you right now, take a moment to turn it over to Him in prayer.  Take a huge and bold step of faith and let us pray.

PRAYER: Dear God, Thank You that You answer prayers.  We don't know what holds us back sometimes from asking, but we come to You today with renewed hope that You are the Grantor of requests.  It's a powerful mystery why You would even listen to us, and maybe we don't fully understand how this all works.  But we do know Who You are, and You answer prayer.  You let the blessings flow when we put our trust in You.  You scoop us up in Your arms and cradle us when we need help.  You love us and love listening to us and love answering us.  Amen and Glory!