I was contacted by a friend the other day who is really going through a tough time right now. I won’t go into any details, but he is crying out to God and troubled in his soul. It made me think of a message the other day from church. We were going through Psalms 140-144 and in those David cries out several times for the Lord to answer him, and he helps the Lord out by giving some specific ways in which the Lord could help David out. 

Those written records of David’s prayers were linked with a story from David’s life where he was preparing to attack Nabal, but Abigail heads him off. David thanks her that she kept him from committing something far worse. 

The point was that sometimes we can be praying for a resolution to a problem, and the Lord is working something else in us completely… He is answering the prayer, but differently than we had imagined, or, if we’re honest, than we really wanted Him to. 

I, of course, while I want to encourage my brother that perhaps the Lord is doing something beyond what my friend imagines, the fact is I’m not in a position to judge what is happening. I don’t want to presume I know anything. I did my best to encourage him because I’ve actually been through some of what he is going through now, and had some of the same doubts he is currently going through. But still, our situations are different and I have no idea what the Lord wants to work in him through this situation. So I give some general encouragement and just listen. 

While I don’t know what the Lord wants to do in my friend’s life, I can testify that I have definitely had the Lord answer prayers in ways much differently than what I had asked for and wanted. In the end, I have to acknowledge that He has it all under control and knows what is better for me than I do. And much of life and interaction with the Lord seems to be learning that lesson in various ways: HE knows best, so let him have control.