Change Could Be the Answer

But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you shall say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’ Whoever will listen let him listen, and whoever will refuse let him refuse. –Ezekiel 3:27

Sometimes I just wish God would MAKE us do the right thing. Free will is our downfall. Even when we know for sure what God wants us to do, we all too often don’t do it. And we always pay the price.

We know that God answers prayer 3 ways… “yes,” “no,” or “wait.” I think God says “yes” way more often than we think… we just refuse the gift of that answered prayer. Not intentionally. But seldom do we see a prayer answered miraculously and in the way we anticipated. Prayer is often answered through change… and you know how we humans are about change! We’ll do anything to hold on to the same ol’-same ol’! But often circumstances in our lives have to be different before a prayer can be answered.

I’ve been through a lot of changes in the last several years… Richard serving in the military; my boys growing into adults; becoming a grandparent… and all of them I went into kicking and screaming about not wanting things to change. But so much good has come out of each of these things. God was answering a big YES to some of my most earnest prayers. But those answers had to come through difficult changes.

Our free will makes us want to rule our own lives… be our own gods. And it’s our free will that makes God’s voice so hard for us to hear, especially when he is telling us something we don’t want to hear… especially when we are hell-bent on getting our own way.

When those opportunities for change come, don’t dismiss them because there is too much struggle involved or because you have other plans. The more radical the change opportunity, the more likely it comes from God. Before you dismiss it, make sure that God is not trying to answer your prayers of deepest longing. Make sure you are not saying “no” to God’s “yes.”

Lord God,

Give us flexible hearts. Help us to be open to change in our lives no matter how different it is from the plans we made for ourselves. Teach us to receive your “yes” answers to our prayers. Amen.

Joys: another hike up South Mountain; spending the day with Richard; 8 more days until beach time!