“For the Lord God is a sun and
shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from
those who walk uprightly. O Lord of
hosts, blessed is the man who trust in You!”—Psalm 84:11-12
If the Lord has promised to provide
and is able, why does He not always meet our needs when we ask? Since He
is completely faithful to His Word, the problem is obviously with us, not
Him. In today’s devotional scripture, His
promise of provision has a condition—it is given to “those who walk uprightly”
(v. 11). So if God is not providing for our needs as we think that He should, He
may have a different plan for us. But
we should also examine our lives for possible hindrances.
Sin—one
reason our prayers may not be answered is because we have allowed sin in our
lives and are not walking uprightly. If
the Lord ignored disobedience and granted our requests, He would be affirming a
sinful lifestyle.
Laziness—another
possible explanation for unmet needs is that we have not done our part. Although God is the ultimate source of all
that we have, He is given us the responsibility to work in order to provide basic
necessities, “For even when we were with
you, we command you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk
among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies” (2
Thessalonians 3:10-11). If you are an able-bodied person who is
unwilling to work and wants something for nothing, the Lord is not going to
reinforce your laziness.
Wants—Perhaps
God has not provided as you expected because your “needs” are really wants.
Recently, I asked my grandchildren to give me a list of things that they
would like to have as gifts. As I read
through each child’s list, I came across one who had put a “star” sign next to needs, and a “circle” sign next to wants.
At first I was amused, but then on reflection I could see how at a young
age we are learning that needs
get a higher priority rating than wants. Additionally, we need to realize that
if God knows that what we want will not fulfill His plans for our life, He will
withhold it in order to provide something better.
To avoid disappointment with God,
understand that His actions and character always align. He will not reward rebellion or laziness, and
His answers to prayer fit with His goal of conforming us to Christ’s image.
Prayer—Father
I thank You that any unmet needs in my life are being realigned so that all
that I am is being conformed into the image of Christ, in Jesus Name. Amen.
