Matthew 6:8 - Your Father already knows what you need before you ask him. (GNB)
While on summer holidays, we sleep in a tent. Although it occasionally presents
difficulties, it is usually an enjoyable and economical way to travel. Our
family travels and sightsees all day, then stops in the evening to set up the
tent. This routine has usually been satisfactory, although at times I have been
disappointed.
Because we often don't stop until evening, on many occasions the prime camping
locations in a campground have already been taken. One evening, we had to set up
camp in a wide open space, instead of in a cooler, shaded area. Here, I could
see that the morning sun would beat down on the tent and heat it to unbearable
temperatures. Another time, I would have preferred an ocean-view site, as
opposed to the one in the woods which we were assigned.
Often, God's answers to our prayers are not what we expect. On the night we
camped out in the open, we experienced torrential rains. Although all our things
were soggy, we fared quite well, because the field we were in was on high
ground. The lovely, shaded spots I had wanted were in a hollow and were awash
with ankle-deep puddles of water that would have saturated everything. On the
night I would have chosen an ocean-view instead of the woods, the gentle sea
breeze strengthened to strong winds that would have threatened to blow our tent
over. Yet we were safely sheltered amongst the protective cover of the trees.
God knows our needs even before we do. He always answers our prayers, but it may
not be what we were expecting. If we listen, we will always hear an answer.
Matthew 7:11 - How much more, then, will your Father in heaven give good things
to those who ask him! (GNB)
Prayer: Loving God, we come to You often, asking. You know our needs even before
we ask. Give us patience and understanding, as what is right for us is often not
what we want. Amen.
Heather Morton morton@kent.net
West Lorne, Ontario, Canada
Thanks to http://daily.presbycan.ca
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