“A person may think their own ways are right, but the LORD weighs the heart.” Proverbs 21. As humans, we have wants and desires. It’s fair to say, “We want what we want when we want it, and that’s now.” This is a time of incredible impatience. When we pray for something and don’t receive it immediately, we do one of three things. We either pray some more and hope that God will answer, we take things into our own hands and attempt to get what we want on our own, or we get angry with God. But God’s ways are not ours.

Two of my friends had a son who died as a preteen. Prior to his death, they prayed that he would live and that God would heal him. When the son didn’t get better and actually died, one of the spouses got extremely angry and walked away from God. That spouse is now much older and still has no relationship with the Lord.

When I had an occasion to speak with them, they indicated that they had done “everything right”. They went to church, they loved the Lord, and still, God didn’t answer their prayer. Out of curiosity, I asked, “What was your prayer?” They indicated that they had prayed for healing and that he would live. I said, “What if God did answer your prayer?” They looked at me inquisitively.

Isaiah 53:5 says, “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”. When this verse says, “…by his wounds we are healed”, it doesn’t mean that we get over whatever physical ailment we had. It means that we were healed from our sin and given new life.

So, I explained my question. “What if God healed him from sin and now he lives in eternity, waiting for you in heaven?” I asked. The spouse that I was speaking with broke down. This was clearly a revelation and, in some sense, uplifting because they were thinking, “If that is what God did, I don’t have to worry about my son’s eternity.” The other spouse, however, is still angry with God today.

God is a lot less concerned about our physical bodies than He is our heart. He wants us to desire a relationship with Him. He wants us forgiven so that we can spend eternity with Him. So, when we have prayed and/or are praying that God would heal someone, won’t it be wonderful to find that He did heal them (of their sin) and that they are in eternity waiting on us?!

Things don’t always work out the way we “want” them to. God’s ways are not ours. We live in a fallen world and awful things happen. The enemy is present, creating as much havoc as he possibly can on this earth.

So when awful things happen, don’t blame God. It’s not God who convinces people to drive under the influence. Or to be abusive to those they love. Or to steal, kill, and destroy. It is Satan who does that. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John 10:10.” Jesus came to give us life… not just earthly, but eternal and abundant.

In the book of Job, we see Job lose his entire family except for his wife. But he never gave up on God. And God blessed him and gave him more children. In fact, He blessed him even more than he had previously been! These new children didn’t replace the others, but as Godly as Job was, those kids were probably waiting on him in heaven when he got there. Job’s ability to endure, continuing to praise/honor God in the face of sorrow is a testimony to us even today.

God’s ways are not ours. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. ⁹ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9. His ways are about eternity.

We will lose loved ones in this life. But instead of blaming God for the loss, we should be thanking Him that He ever chose to bless us with this person in the first place.

We will suffer trials in this world, but remember, Jesus has overcome the world. “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

When we do suffer loss or trials, we need to remember God’s promises, “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6. And 2 Corinthians 1:4, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

God is here with us in it. He will never leave us nor forsake us. He will comfort us (if we will let Him). And He will bless us when we are able to comfort others going through similar trials.

Life on this planet will not be perfect. But Heaven will and God provided it so that we could live there with Him, away from all the pains and trials of this life. And, we will live there with Him for Eternity. Thank you Jesus.

Father, I pray that You heal our old hurts and wounds. Let us lay the negativity from those old wounds — the bitterness, anger, and pain — at the foot of the cross. I pray that we would thank God because His ways are best and He loves us more. And I pray that we recognize that God’s ways are not ours. Let us hunger after His will and want it NOW!

If you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savoir and if you have old wounds that won’t heal, I pray that you would go to our Life Preserver page (http://forgiven-n-loved.com/life-preserver/) and pray the prayer that is outlined there. Remember, God’s ways are not ours. He knows far more than we ever could. So, don’t question Him. God wants to heal your wounds and your sin. He wants to forgive you, love you, and spend eternity with you. Please pray that prayer and when you do, reach out to me at admin@Forgiven-N-Loved.com and let me know so that I can be in prayer for you.

Luv ya!