Quote from Forum Archives on July 27, 2004, 1:28 pm

Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

This week I will be away from home part of the time and as a result the
devotionals may be sent sporadically.

The Burning Bush Devotional

(Over 13,000 subscribers in 75 countries)

07.27.04

Something Better

"So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find;
knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he
who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for
bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for
a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an
egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give
good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give
the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" - Luke 11:9-13.

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything
according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us,
whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of
Him. - 1 John 5:14-15.

Have you ever wanted something so bad that you could almost taste it? Have
you thought it was your heart’s desire (Psalm 37:4) and that God would
surely give it to you? Hasn’t God promised to give you what you ask for and
what you desire? The answer is that God will not give you something that
will be harmful to you. Just as an earthly father will not give a poisonous
snake to a child even though he asks for it - your Heavenly Father will not
give you something that is ultimately bad for you either.

It has been said that God always answers prayer and that He answers those
prayers with a “yes“, “later“, or a “no“. Most of us have heard Garth Brooks
’ song “Thank God for Unanswered Prayers”. However, I do believe that God
always answers the prayers of His children and that He has an unlimited
number of ways in which He can answer. He will answer prayers with a “yes“,
“later“, or with a “no“. He is able to answer “yes” in varying degrees;
“later”, in varying degrees; and, “no” in varying degrees. God is also able
to answer in whatever other way He pleases because after all He is God.

I once had an overwhelming desire to be the pastor of a certain church and I
was sure that this was my heart’s desire. I still remember the moment when I
went to God in prayer and asked Him to send me to that church. What was God’
s answer? His answer was immediate. He spoke in His still small voice, which
at the time sounded almost audible and said to me, “I have something better
for you.” It wasn’t what I wanted to hear in fact it made me angry with God
and it has taken years for me to be able to see that God was right and I was
wrong. For me to have become the pastor of the church I so much wanted to be
the pastor of would have been like God giving a poisonous snake to a little
child. With hindsight, I am convinced that it would have destroyed me.

Now I know that God indeed had something better for me than what I was
asking for at the time. Yes, in a way, He said “no” to my prayer but He said
much more than “no”. He said, “I have something better for you.” Over the
years, I have treasured His promise to me that day being convinced that it
would come about and it has been fulfilled many times over. Maybe God has
something better for you too.

Copyright © 2004. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited. On June 8, 1998 the email
version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent.

Ed Wrather is available for revivals, conferences, and other speaking and
ministry opportunities as the Lord leads. More information about Ed may be
found at www.theburningbush.org/28.html.

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