Have you
ever wanted something really bad and did everything the way you were supposed
to; I mean you crossed all of your T’s and dotted all of your I’s, and
nothing? Have you thought about how you
would feel or react if things simply didn’t go as planned? I often think about it,
especially in this walk of faith that day to day we endure. Life is a journey
with many peaks and valleys, highs and lows, good and
bad. How do we maintain a steady and balanced state of mind when things simply
do not go our way, when prayers are not answered, when we don’t receive what we
want but receive what we did not expect? Let’s talk about the many “But.. what
if’s” that surprises and confronts us. What should our reaction be?
But.. what if I’ve been praying day in and day out
for a specific request and God doesn’t answer or simply “delays” his answer? How
am I going to react? Will I stop praying because I didn’t get my answer when I
wanted or how I wanted it? Have you
thought about that?
But.. what if I’ve been declaring God’s healing
power over my sick body and I do not receive healing? Am I going to stop
declaring? Will I stop believing that God heals because He didn’t do it for me?
Have you thought about that?
But.. what if my faith is SO big and I am believing
for something BIG and I am wrapped around God’s promises to the point that my
faith is not shaken. I know that I know that I know it will come to pass (next
week). And it’s a month later and everything is still the same. Will my faith
be shaken? Will I still believe and know that I know that it will happen? Or
will I just give up? Have you thought
about that?
And there
are countless examples that I’m sure you can think of as well. The point
here is this: What will your attitude be if what you are asking, declaring, and
confessing with faith turns
out to a big “but what if” moment in your life? It appears out of the blue to disrupt your smooth connection of faith and prayer with your Heavenly
Father. I am the first one to believe in
prayer, having faith, in declaring God’s promises and all of those beautiful
biblical affirmations. But it is important to understand that our prayers are
channeled to the throne of God through this question: Is it God’s perfect will?
Sometimes we will receive exactly what we want and ask for, because it was God’s perfect
will at that particular moment. Many times, we will have to wait, wait, and wait a little longer
to receive our blessing. The word of God says in Proverbs 10:22 that “The
blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it”. When God
blesses, there will be no sorrow, confusion, bitterness, none of that. God’s
blessings bring peace, love and joy. So many times, it is in God’s perfect will
to answer that request but it's simply not the right time. And that is why we must
learn how to not only have faith but also, wait in the Lord for His perfect timing.
You may be in God’s perfect will but be out of His perfect timing and that can
be damaging to our lives.
I would like
to propose that in this New Year, only 9 days new we really think about this.
This is the time where we are still pretty fresh and excited about the New Year
and we are on cloud 9 with our resolutions. Our prayer lives is in full speed
and we believe for anything and everything good to happen to us. And I am all
for that! I’m actually one of those people! Lol But let’s take a moment to
think about the “But.. what if’s” . This will relieve us from many heart
breaks, frustration and even anger toward life-and God.
When the “But..
what if’s” pop up, simply say THANK YOU!
Thank you Lord because things didn’t happen the way I expected, they
happened exactly the way you wanted them to happen. Then what? Then keep doing what you were doing. Your biggest
mistake will be to simply give up. Continue praying, continue believing, and
continue giving thanks because if it didn’t happen when you wanted, it will
happen God wants. His timing is impeccable – and His clock is always on point, literally! If He didn’t
answer a prayer when you wanted, do not give up!! He’s working on something bigger
and even better.. Just wait a little longer! Do not get caught up in the
moment; open your eyes to God's vision. And you will see what God sees, for we only see the puzzle piece but He sees the whole picture.
Be
Encouraged, Be Blessed!
Landy
Perez-Feliciano ♥
