Change.

Sometimes things in our life change, whether we want them to or not.

Sometimes, we resist those things with all of our might.  We try to be strong at first, but worry overwhelms us, because this change is not something we are used to.  

We pray to God to please, please let things stay the way they are; the way we are accustomed to; the way that is within our comfort zone…with nothing surprising or unexpected lurking around the corner; no fear of the unknown having to torment us.  We pray, asking God to please let things stay the way they are.

Yet, sometimes…changes happen anyway.

They just happen.   

It’s not within our control.

Then, when this happens, sometimes we withdraw and become sorrowful, worried, and anxious about these changes, wondering why God didn’t answer our prayer; why God allowed these changes we didn’t want in our life.

We spend so much time wallowing in our own self-pity, that we forget about others around us; we spread our fears and worries onto others; we forget sometimes that we are not the only ones experiencing unexpected changes in our life.

Meanwhile, God- whose thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and whose ways are higher than our ways, sends us comforting reminders of His love, and how we should fully trust in Him and let Him bear our burdens; that He is always there for us, helping us through every trial and storm that comes our way; that we should be content where we are, because we are shortsighted creatures who cannot see the whole picture.

Sometimes, He sends us these reminders in the form of a child’s innocent words.

Sometimes, He sends it through the lips of a pastor, teacher, or kind friend.

Sometimes, He sends reminders by letting us witness how a fellow believer positively responds to an unexpected change of their own, or a tragedy.   

But sometimes, we don’t listen.

We are too busy with our own problems and pain to realize that God is even speaking to us.

Then one day, we finally realize how our fears and worries of the unknown are affecting the ones we love and care about.

It occurs to us that something isn’t right. This isn’t how it is supposed to be.   

We wonder where we went wrong.   We wonder if perhaps we did something to make God angry, that He will not answer our prayers the way we wanted Him to; that He would have allowed this unexpected change to take place, even though it was something we did not want or feel ready for.

We become so miserable and desperate that we pull out the dusty Bible from the bookshelf and open it, asking God to please show us where we are going wrong.  

Then, we open the Bible, and open our hearts to hearing God speak:

Matthew 6:8b
"…your Father knows what you need before you ask him.“

But.

I know God knows what I need, but this doesn’t feel right.  I don’t like this change at all.

…your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

But, why am I so worried? Why am I fearful of this change?

Philippians 4:6-7
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

But why don’t I feel God’s peace now?  

After contemplating…praying… and listening… we are filled with conviction, and ask ourselves these questions:

Did I come to God with a thankful heart, knowing and trusting that as a good Father, God would guide me every step of the way through this?

Did I come to God knowing that He loves me and would never forsake me?

Did I come to God, resting my faith on the multitudes of promises He has given in His Word?

Or…

Did I come to Him, with a lack of complete confidence in His ability to help me?   Or with a false sense of entitlement, thinking that my will was always God’s will or that my way is always God‘s way?
 
Did I come to God, expecting His every answer to my petitions to be “yes”?
 
Did God ever guarantee that every answer to our prayers would be a “yes”?

Isn’t it possible that this change which seems negative now, may be part of God’s perfect plan for our lives?  

Isn’t it possible that this change has created opportunities for us to bless other people and encourage them, where we might not have been a part of  their lives otherwise?

And…

Isn’t it possible that our every prayer has already been answered…and we just haven’t taken the time to realize it?


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Verses to ponder:

Proverbs 12:25
25 Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.

1 Peter 5:6-7
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you”

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Romans 8:26-28
“…the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. 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”

Matthew 6:25-26
"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? . . . But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble"

Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.

II Corinthians 4:16-18
Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

II Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.