A chocolate craving ambushed me as I sat in the waiting room at Jiffy Lube.
We wrestled for a few minutes, but it attacked at the most vulnerable time of my day, mid-afternoon. In defeat, I slinked to the vending machine, inserted my quarters into the slot, and waited for a Snickers bar to drop. It didn’t. I glanced behind me and then banged on the glass. Nothing. I grabbed the sides of the machine and shook it. Unbelievable! I fumed as I headed toward the receptionist.
“I’m sorry,” she said, sliding my refund across the counter. “We’ve had a lot of trouble with that machine lately.” The craving howled inside my stomach as I shuffled back to my seat.
Sometimes I approach prayer as I approached that vending machine. An urgent situation arises. I slide my request toward God and expect immediate results. If an answer doesn’t drop down quickly, I complain, “Where’s my answer, God?”
However, God isn’t a vending machine, and prayer isn’t the coin that operates His will. Prayer is a doorway through which I can enter God’s presence and wait for Him to speak. Paul said, “present your requests,” not “demand an answer.” He didn’t mention God granting the requests either. The response we can expect from God is peace—a calm assurance that He will do what He knows is best.
Why does He respond with peace? Paul says God’s peace will guard our hearts. Guard is a military term that refers to soldiers assigned to prevent invasion or protect civilians.
Peace strengthens our confidence in God’s ability to prevent enemies from defeating us—enemies like discouragement, fear, and bitterness. His peace also protects us from making rash decisions and harmful choices. We may not understand why God doesn’t dispense the solutions we desire, but His Word assures us God’s peace “transcends all understanding.”
I banged on the vending machine because I assumed I could compel it to fulfill my desires. Have you been banging on the window of heaven, trying to force the answer you desire to drop? Lower your fist and extend your palms in humble expectation.
Let God fill your hands with His peace and your mouth with thanksgiving.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
Denise K. Loock is a freelance writer, editor, and speaker. She’s the author of two devotional books, Open Your Hymnal and Open Your Hymnal Again, and the founder of Dig Deeper Devotions, a website dedicated to encouraging and enabling Christians to dig deeper into God’s Word. She’s also the editor of Journey Christian News and an assistant editor for Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas.