.....expecting

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ Isaiah 55:8-9

A young woman was taking a nap. After she woke up, she told her husband, "I just had a dream that you gave me a pearl necklace. What do you think it means?" He said, "You’ll know tonight.” That evening, the man came home with a small package and gave it to his wife. Excitedly, she opened the package and found a book entitled "The Meaning of Dreams."

We’ve all been there at one time or another. We have an idea of what we want or expect from God, but reality doesn’t always line up. We pray for something specific and God responds in a way that’s different from what we had imagined. We believe we know exactly how God should bless us, but his blessings don’t match our expectations.

While this can be confusing or even disappointing in the moment, it’s a reminder that God's understanding is far beyond our own. He sees beyond our momentary desires and gives us what is best for our souls. We may not always understand why God answers our prayers the way he does, but we can trust that he sees the bigger picture and is always working for our good.

Just as any loving parent will not grant every request a child makes, our Heavenly Father lovingly provides what we truly need rather than what we merely want. Other times, God may be teaching us patience, trust, or a deeper lesson about faith. Whatever the reason, we can rest in the assurance that God’s ways are higher than our ways, and his plans are always for our good.

So, when God hands you a “book” instead of a “pearl necklace,” don’t be discouraged. His gifts are always perfect — even when they’re not what we expected.

- alan smith

Lord, help me to trust you when life doesn’t go the way I expect it to. Help me to remember that your love and wisdom far exceed my own. Strengthen my faith so that I can trust that your answers to my prayers — though sometimes unexpected — are always good. In Jesus’ name, amen.