But this can’t possibly be God’s will!

April 9, 2014: But this can’t possibly be God’s will! Please SHARE this new Precious Prodigal Post: http://bit.ly/Q5Xuat

2 Kings 20:6 "And I will add unto thy days fifteen years..."

Hezekiah was sick “unto death,” and God sent Isaiah to tell him to set his house in order. (2 Kings 20:1) I understand Hezekiah’s distress and his reaction to what seemed like a disaster. He couldn’t understand how this could possibly be God’s will. He was young and didn’t have a son to sit on his throne if he died. There was nothing wrong with Hezekiah praying and asking God to intercede.

I’ve faced situations in my life…and not just with my prodigal…where I couldn’t see how God could let something happen. I’ve even asked God how a circumstance could possibly be for my good and His glory. You’ve probably been there too. And who could blame us? When we are devastated and heartbroken, our vision is limited. With that limited vision, we often cannot see beyond our own needs or pain or fear…our own agony of soul.

So I can totally understand Hezekiah’s prayer when he was overwhelmed. God heard that prayer and sent Isaiah back to tell Hezekiah he would live for another 15 years. Answered prayer…a good thing, right? Well, yes and no. It’s good that Hezekiah prayed, and it’s good that God hears and answers our prayers. However, it wasn’t a good idea for Hezekiah to want his way more than he wanted God’s will. And it didn’t turn out well.

During those 15 years, Hezekiah had a son named Manasseh, and Manasseh would indeed sit on Hezekiah’s throne. However, Manasseh was one of the most evil kings to ever sit on the throne in Judah. Not only was he evil himself, but he also “seduced [Judah] to do more evil” than the heathen nations God had driven out before the Israelites. (2 Kings 21:9) And ultimately Manasseh brought God’s judgment on Jerusalem and Judah.

I’m not saying that judgment wouldn’t have come to Judah eventually. Like us, they lived in a fallen, broken world, and they were more likely to do what was wrong than what was right. What I am saying is that judgment wouldn’t have come through Hezekiah’s son if Hezekiah had wanted God’s will more than he wanted his way.

Whether it’s my prodigal, my health, my finances or any other crisis, it isn’t easy to watch it loom and do nothing. And there have been times when I was so overwhelmed, it was almost impossible to believe what was happening could be God’s will. I’m not saying we shouldn’t pray and ask God to intercede. We can and we should. However, my prayers and yours need to concede that maybe God knows better than we do what needs to happen.

You see, the bottom line is that God is either everything or He is nothing…there’s no in between. If He’s nothing, we might as well quit because there’s no hope for our prodigal, and there’s no hope for us. But if He’s everything, then we can trust Him even when we don’t like the answer and everything within us is screaming, “This can’t possibly be God’s will.” Even then…maybe especially then, I need to have a heart that trusts Him enough to want His will more than I want my way.

Challenge for Today: Can you, just for today, trust God enough in whatever you’re facing to want His will more than you want your way?