Who Knows?

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Have you ever felt a huge need for something and prayed for it?

Have you ever had a pain that hurt constantly and prayed for it?

Have you ever had a sick family member and prayed for them to get well. Let’s make it a little more specific, maybe it wasn’t JUST a family member, let’s say it was a child or a parent. That might make you pray a little harder huh?

During these times, a large portion of  your time spent with God was probably telling God how much you needed, wanted relief, or really wanted your family member to get well.  Right?

There might be a hint of  guilt, feeling selfish, or lack of hope as we humbly, with all our might, pray for this situation to work out in our favor.  We ask our family members to pray.  Our friends to pray.  Our ministers to pray.  We do all that we can so that this issue gets “fixed”, but we want it in our favor.

That need that you were thinking of, after all the hard work you put into praying for it, did you get it?  If you didn’t, how did you feel?

How’s the pain?  If you’re still hurting, are you upset or maybe thinking you didn’t do something right?

This is the one that hurts; did the family member get well?  If that child or parent didn’t recover after all of your hard work trying to let God know your hopes, who did you get mad at or upset with?  Still hurts doesn’t it?  Some might still be questioning God and his decision to let this one pass.  You’re not alone.

In my opinion, if your heart was right, you did exactly as you should have.

A phrase struck me like a ton of bricks during my devotion with God this week.  It came from a man after God’s own heart.  I can’t get enough of reading about David.  All of his trials, his failures, his blatant sins and I still admire David.  I think even more so now.

A little bit of build up.  After David had committed his sin with Bathsheba, had her husband Uriah killed, and Nathan brought some sense back into David, it was time for him to receive his punishment. His punishment was not his death, but the death of the child that was born to him by Bathsheba.

After the child became ill, “David pleaded with God for the child.“  Here are some other things he did. Fasted, slept on the ground, and when the members of his house asked him to get up or to eat, David would have nothing to do with it.  For seven days he didn’t eat, slept on the ground, and he didn’t bathe.

Seventh day the child dies. We then see David moping around, wondering why this happened to him and Bathsheba.  He was more depressed and hurt than he was before, right?

NOPE!

He got up, washed, put on lotions, changed his clothes and then went to worship God.  Afterward he finally got him a bite to eat.  I gather from my reading that he totally confused the folks around him.  They were afraid to tell David that the boy had died because they were afraid “He may do something desperate.” As if.  Then they questioned him about why in the world was he acting the way he was now, and I want you to see David’s response:

²² He answered, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ ²³ But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”-2 Samuel 12:22-23

David thought, “Who knows?” Almost see David rolling his eyes as he says “Who knows?”  He didn’t know, but he had hope, and though the hope was dashed he didn’t let that lead him away.

Don’t stop praying for whatever you want.  Don’t stop praying for the pain to go away.  Don’t stop praying when a family member is sick. Why?

Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to you and give you what you are asking.

If he don’t, then don’t let that cause you to lose your faith.  God still loves you and will do great things through you.

Because of HIM

SC