Where were you when...

Just want to say that I'm writing this tonight but when you read it, it will be morning :)
So tonight in class I totally got slapped in the face by God. I'm sure that most of you know what that feels like, if I could describe it it's kind of like when you get reminded of something that you know and feel like an idiot that you needed to be reminded of that. So we were talking about the story of Job. What spoke to me was how God handled Jobs complaining. First lets talk a little about his friends. His friends were telling Job that he must have done something wrong because back then they believed that if bad things happend to you it was because you were sinning. They knew that Job was a righteous man but since they saw all that happend to him they believed he was in sin otherwise these things wouldn't be happening to him. So imagine what Job must have been feeling? Knowing that he lives righteous in the sight of God yet still these things are happening to him? Can you imagine all the self accusations that must be going through his head? How would you handle that? What would you be telling God if you were in Job's shoes? How messed up would our minds be if we thought that since we are "following the Lord" why would bad things happen to me? Well let me tell you something that might rub you the wrong way. God didn't respond to Job with a loving, everything will be alright response he told him WHERE WERE YOU WHEN...(Job 38-41) God put Job in his place for four chapters. The way I would sum it up would be God was telling him who do you think you are? Your Job and I'm God, you don't know anything!
This leads me to the supreme back-hand from God. I pray and ask God for certain things that I need help in my life with. I give him my concerns and let's face it we want answers and results. Sometimes God might answer us like Job, what I mean by that is it might be an answer we weren't expecting or might not like. Here's a scary thought we might not even get an answer back. I know when this happens I'll struggle with excepting this or I'm even questioning God's answer or his timing. Even as we were discussing this in class I started to think why hasn't God answered my why questions. Two things came to mind. The first one was maybe it's not time or even better, maybe I wouldn't understand his answer. We have to remember we only know what God allows us to know. It's not because we are smart or we discovered something new, it's because God has allowed us to know whatever that is because we were ready or because he wants us to know. The second thing was WHO AM I TO KNOW!!! WHO AM I TO QUESTION THE LORD!!! I think this is the hardest thing because we want to know now and also we want life to go the way we've planned it. Reality is it's all God timing and God is going to do what he wants when he wants. SMACK!!!
Now I know I've probably haven't been so comforting but sometimes the truth hurts, sorry there's no way around it. I'm not here to say that we need to be afraid that we aren't going to get what we pray for and that God isn't going to ever answer us. The fact is that we need to be ok if that happens. Do you understand that if God never answers one prayer of yours ever he's still worth it? Just the fact that the creator of everything takes the time and effort to hear our prayers is incredible. Here's the good news, God loves you enough to hear and answer your prayers. The greatest thing about God answering prayers is that even though it might not be exactly what you prayed for it's exactly what you need and what's best for you. God's ways are ALWAYS, let me repeat ALWAYS BETTER! We might not believe it at first but put ALL your faith and ALL your hope in him and you wont be dissapointed. (Matthew 6:33)
So my prayer for us today is that we would grasp the concept that we aren't entitled for our prayers to get answered but we would have an understanding that by God's love and grace he cares enough for us that he does anwer us. I pray that we believe that God plans are best and that we would make his plans our plans and not the other way around. I pray that we would ask God to help us with our faith to believe this and that we would focus on him and let him bring everything that we need.