When God Answers Differently

Pastor Calvin Cook

I am allowing the Holy Spirit to interrupt my morning—and my thought pattern.

I have already sat in prayer for a couple of hours. I am carrying many burdens this morning. Some of them I do not feel ready to share with anyone other than Jesus. Of course, how silly of me—He already knows.

As I left my place of prayer and began my morning routine, I found myself sitting in an unusual place in our apartment—a place where I do not normally sit. Everything else seemed ordinary: a cup of coffee, some of my favorite praise music playing, and my cat Mabel nearby, waiting for her morning attention.

We are certainly creatures of routine. But this morning feels different.

Outside, I can see birds dancing among the bushes. The sun is rising, and its light is pushing back the darkness of the night.

I opened my Bible, looking for the Scripture I had planned to share. Instead, it opened to Ecclesiastes. These words seemed highlighted—almost larger than everything else on the page:

“Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked? When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.”
—Ecclesiastes 7:13–14

Long pause.

Why have I missed these verses before?

They speak directly to what many of us experience. Do they mean that both good and difficult seasons come into every life?

But what about me? I am special! I am a follower of Jesus. God loves me—at least that is what the T-shirt I wear says. Why should I have to experience hardship? Why must I walk through difficult seasons?

Could God be teaching me to depend more upon Him and less upon human wisdom, power, and control?

Maybe we do not always give God credit for the good seasons. Have we forgotten what it means to be blessed? Have we lost our understanding of a blessing that truly comes from God?

During difficult seasons, we may blame God without ever thanking Him for the good ones. Blame can become an easy escape. We like finding someone else to hold responsible for our hardship, disappointment, loss, and pain—and God often becomes the One upon whom we place that burden.

We must also be careful when we think we have everything figured out. Self-satisfaction, spiritual pride, and a holier-than-thou attitude can leave us spiritually vulnerable. None of us is beyond temptation. We all need the sustaining grace of God.

Consider Job. He was described as a righteous man, yet his world fell apart. Job prayed while experiencing unimaginable loss and suffering. He did not understand what God was doing, but he continued talking to God. He questioned, struggled, grieved, and even protested—but he did not completely turn away from God.

I pray that I can remain that faithful.

Then there is Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Roman soldiers were coming to arrest Him, led to Him by Judas—one of His own disciples.

I can hardly say Judas’s name without feeling anger toward him. Perhaps that is because I still feel pain and harbor resentment toward people who have betrayed me.

Jesus knew betrayal. He knew what it was like to be wounded by someone close to Him. He also knew what it was like to ask His friends to pray, only to find them sleeping.

Knowing what was about to happen, Jesus knelt and prayed:

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
—Luke 22:42

Sometimes God answers our prayers exactly as we hoped. Other times, His answer leads us through something we desperately wanted to avoid.

Peter promised that he would never abandon Jesus. Yet before the night was over, Peter denied Him three times. But Peter’s failure was not the end of his story. Jesus found him, forgave him, restored him, and gave him a renewed purpose.

In Gethsemane, Jesus prayed honestly: “Take this cup from me.” But He also surrendered Himself completely: “Not my will, but yours be done.”

Jesus teaches us that faith does not mean pretending everything is easy. Faith means bringing our fears, questions, wounds, and desires to God—and then trusting Him with the answer.

God may answer yes.

God may answer wait.

God may answer in a way we never expected.

Sometimes God changes the situation. Sometimes God changes us as we walk through it.

This morning, I humbly acknowledge that there are some things within me that need to change.

What about you?

When God’s answer is difficult, keep praying. When you do not understand, remain close to Him. When you fail like Peter, remember that Jesus still restores. When you suffer like Job, remember that God has not abandoned you.

The answer may not be what you asked for, but God will be with you in the answer.

Prayer

Father, I have prayed, and I am waiting for Your answer. Give me faith when I do not understand. Help me trust You when Your answer is different from what I wanted. When I fail, restore me. When I suffer, remain close to me. Change whatever needs to be changed within me. Not my will, but Yours be done. In Jesus’ name. Amen.