Over two years ago, my wife showed me this obituary: "Our precious little boy was taken from us on Monday, April 1, 2002 due to pneumonia with complications of Emphysema.” What made this especially significant to us was that four years early our youngest son spent twelve days in Primary Children’s Hospital for exactly the same thing. Our son survived and is an energetic eight year old. While I believe that God used a skilled doctor and answered our prayers, I am also sure that the family of the other boy loved their son and prayed for him as much or more than we prayed for our son.
The issue of unanswered prayer is not new. A long time ago a man named Job lived a prosperous life and was considered very righteous. One day he lost everything and suffered terrible physical ailments. His friends came around and sat with him for several days. Unfortunately, when they started to talk their helpfulness turned to hurtfulness. They told Job that he was suffering for his sins. At the end of the book Job’s friends were confronted by the Lord for their false beliefs.
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The Apostle Paul had a terrible affliction which he called a “thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan...” He fervently prayed for the Lord to take it away. The Lord in saying no explained, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9.
Although his prayer was not answered the way he wanted, he still saw God’s power and care in his life.
I was thrilled with answered pray for my son’s recovery. However, another family member has had chronic health issues which we continue to pray for and have found little medical help. While that has been a long-term frustration, we have also experienced God’s grace and strength in this unresolved difficulty.
We need an eternal perspective. "... in the end He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God." Job 19:25b
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Remember that God is at work through the process of our struggles. In the midst of his struggle Job declared, "But He knows the way I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold." Job 23:10
God ultimately has a greater purpose in weaving together the fabric of a person’s life that we generally don’t see while we are in process. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
God wants those who have placed their faith in Christ to trust Him even when they don’t understand the exact details of why a specific prayer is not answered.
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