Have you Stopped Speaking?


Did your parent ever tell you, “No,” or told you to, “Wait,” when you sincerely asked for something? Did your teacher or coach ever turn down your earnest request? Did you angrily stop talking to that person for the rest of your life and refuse to interact with that person because you didn’t get the answer you wanted?   Is that the reason you will not speak to God?  Maybe God didn’t give you the answer you wanted or felt you deserved at the moment you wanted it.

Last night one of my granddaughters and I were looking at " King of Dreams," the Disney movie about Joseph. His jealous, vindictive brothers betrayed him by selling him for twenty pieces of silver(About $350). As he was being shackled and being dragged off Joseph cried out to his brothers to not do it. I turned to my granddaughter and said, “Does that look like the will of God?” I am pretty certain that Joseph couldn’t see God in his brothers selling him off. Of course their actions weren’t kind, right or humane?  His double-crossing brothers meant to humiliate and hurt him.  Their first plan was to kill him. However the caravan of merchants who took him as a slave was an extreme and unusual form of Divine intervention.  Joseph must have wondered why God didn’t immediately answer his prayer to free him so he could return to his father. In fact, as the years went by, rather than things getting better, they got worse for Joseph. He went  from being  a house slave to being a prisoner in a dungeon.
After at least thirteen years in  an Egyptian prison, through a series of “coincidences,” the  purpose for all his suffering came to light.  Sovereignly, Joseph had been set up to save an entire nation and his family when he became second in command to the Egyptian Pharaoh.  Unknown to his family, Joseph, the brother they betrayed,  would be in  the position to determine their survival.  When they found out  that Joseph was in charge his brothers were fearful he would retaliate against them.  Joseph was so powerful and he could have summarily put them to death for their treachery against him. However, Joseph told them, “Do I act for God? Don’t you see, you planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good, as you see all around you right now—life for many people?”*   Joseph didn’t ignore or condone what they did to him. Joseph let them know their attitudes and actions were wrong. However in God’s great plan their unfair treatment was used for good.

I don’t have answers, like Joseph did in his hour of need,  as to why God sometimes chooses not to answer your prayers or my desperate, sincere prayers for all kinds of situations. I just know that God has plans and like my earthly parents God sees things I cannot see. Like Joseph, I’ve lived long enough to see why I didn’t get some of those prayers answers. I am gaining enough sense to understand that I can trust God even when I don’t understand why my other prayers still have not been answered. I also understand I don’t have to stop speaking to God  for the rest of my life when I don’t get what I want when I want it. How about you? Have you stop speaking to God?  

*Genesis 50: 20 Message Bible

P.S. If you would like to read the whole story of Joseph  google and read  Genesis 37 -50 Message Bible

Comments

  1. I could easily write that of course I speak to God - but that isn't the whole truth. Sometimes I do - and then I get cross with him for not 'answering' or should that be that I'm not getting the answer I want! So often he seems to go silent on me. Perhaps I need to accept that what I want might not be what is best for me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Blossom, I don't pretend I know all the answers, but I think I have seen something about the silence. I believe God is working in the silence. Our perspective is limited. I think we will be shocked how the threads of our lives and prayers are interconnected with God's eternal plan.

      Delete
    2. Blossom, I don't pretend I know all the answers, but I think I have seen something about the silence. I believe God is working in the silence. Our perspective is limited. I think we will be shocked how the threads of our lives and prayers are interconnected with God's eternal plan.

      Delete
  2. I am happy to say that I talk to God and can't imagine not doing so. : )
    I think Joseph is my favorite man in the Bible because of his unwavering trust in God. It will be nice to meet him someday in heaven!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Happyone, Thanks for stopping by my blog. Joseph is also one of my favorite characters too. There is so much to learn from him. Even before any written Scripture he was faithful to God in suffering. He had integrity and he wasn't a complainer.

      Delete
    2. Happyone, Thanks for stopping by my blog. Joseph is also one of my favorite characters too. There is so much to learn from him. Even before any written Scripture he was faithful to God in suffering. He had integrity and he wasn't a complainer.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Contentment - A Rare Commodity

Delayed for a Purpose