Persistence Refined

This is the second of three posts.

Imagine a parent who responds positively to every request that a child gives, no matter how fleeting. Before long, the child would have far too much to be able to enjoy, and certainly more than his level of responsibility could handle. A parent's solution to this unwise asking might be to answer only those requests that were appropriate for the child. But if the child asked everything that entered his mind and knew no rationale for the answers, he would learn little about himself and little about his parent. There's a more instructive way. He could first learn which type of request the parent is inclined to answer; and he could learn more about himself as to which desires were genuine and lasting, and which were frivolous and temporary. His understanding of the relationship between him and his parent would blossom, and he would mature.

Imagine, then, the perspective of our heavenly Father who hears constant requests from His children. Should He just grant the ones He knows to be the best, even if we never discern a pattern in the answers? Perhaps so, but there is a better way. Delaying the answers will cause us to reflect more on Him and His will; and it will allow us to determine which desires were abiding and which were transient. A relationship will develop where we once sought a mail-order service.

The frustration we feel when we ask God for something and His answer tarries is definitely not the product of an unwilling God. And it is not necessarily the product of improper requests on our part. It is the product of our own frivolity. We toss up petitions casually, hoping He will answer one of the many we present. His preference is for us to learn which ones He will favor, and then to offer them up persistently and faithfully, learning about Him in the process. God designed us for a deep relationship with Him. Let your delays cultivate it.

"The Lord seems constantly to use waiting as a tool for bringing us the very best of His gifts." ~Catherine Marshall

At His Feet ~Tiegreen