January 15 Devotion - Choosing the 'Good' hinders us from receiving the 'Best'

 

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways.

  9 فَكَمَا ارْتَفَعَتِ السَّمَاوَاتُ عَنِ الأَرْضِ، كَذَلِكَ ارْتَفَعَتْ طُرُقِي عَنْ طُرُقِكُمْ، وَأَفْكَارِي عَنْ أَفْكَارِكُمْ.

Isaiah 55:9

 We often pray for things that we believe are ‘Good’ for us and/or our loved ones. In His wisdom God has a much broader perspective and gives us only the things that are truly beneficial for our growth as His children; and that are beneficial for the advancement of His kingdom on this earth, and ‘Best’ for us through all eternity.

 

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; ² so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” 

  وَأَمَّا سَارَايُ زَوْجَةُ أَبْرَامَ فَقَدْ كَانَتْ عَاقِراً، وَكَانَتْ لَهَا جَارِيَةٌ  ² مِصْرِيَّةٌ تُدْعَى هَاجَرَ.فَقَالَتْ سَارَايُ لأَبْرَامَ: «هُوَذَا الرَّبُّ قَدْ حَرَمَنِي مِنَ الْوِلاَدَةِ، فَادْخُلْ

عَلَيْهَا لَعَلَّنِي أُرْزَقُ مِنْهَا بَنِينَ»

Genesis 16:1-2

Even though God had promised Abram that he would have a son from Sarai, she decided to help God and not wait. Disaster followed.  

 

Many times, unfortunately, we choose to go ahead without involving God and do what we believe is ‘Good’ for us and we miss out on God’s ‘Best’ for our lives. We do not realize that the ‘Good’ is preventing us from having the ‘Best’. We need to involve God and trust God’s direction/action in all what we do and follow His direction knowing that He will always give us what is ‘Best’ for us at the perfect time. God does not need our help.

 

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father help me to pray for what is ‘Best’ from Your perspective for me and those impacted by what I am praying for. Help me to have the discernment and wisdom to know what to pray for. Help me to pray for those attributes that will help me grow in the likeness of Your Son Jesus Christ, and for the advancement of Your kingdom. I trust that you will only give me what is ‘Best’ for me, and that Your timing is always the ‘Best’. Lord, give me the patience and the wisdom to wait upon Your timing. Thank You for Your abundant blessings and Your deep and inseparable love for me. God, I pray to You in the name of my Saviour and Lord, Your only begotten Son Jesus Christ. To Jesus be the glory, the majesty, the power, and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

 

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein