My husband and I kennel Cooper, our Lab with anxiety issues, every night because if we don't we can't sleep. Every noise wakes her up and she growls under her breath or barks, she gets up and down out of bed, and makes it impossible for us to get the rest we need. But if we put her in her kennel where she can't get out, she seems to feel "safe" and both Cooper and my husband and I get the sleep that we need. The only noise she makes during the night then is when she wakes up and whines because she hates to be away from us...she longs to be with us. What she doesn't realize is that what seems like punishment is actually only for her good. As I laid there listening to her cry before she feel asleep last night, my heart just ached for her. I can't explain why its best for her...can't make her understand...it just is. I longed to comfort her, but to do so would only confuse her more.
And then it hit me...
How similar must the Lord feel when I cry out to him? I thank Him for the prayers that He does answer, how I see Him in all parts of my life...but there is an area that I wonder where He is. Why does He seem to stay "silent" in this part of my life? But it dawned on me last night (as I was thinking about Cooper) that whatever His reason, whatever His purpose...I'm sure that it is only for my good. My favorite verse comes to mind:
Psalm 119:65-68: Do good to your servant according to your work, O Lord. Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I believe in your commands. Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees."
Has God taught you anything lately? What made you stop and think?
2 comments:
It's getting more and more important to me to obey my parents.
Whenever I had a really good book, I used to get out of bed at night to read it(against the rules). Now, I'm still tempted, but I keep thinking "this is directly disobeying God." I force myself to lay back down.
God has been teaching me a lot about struggles and comfort. His grace is sufficient to see us through our struggles and then use our situations to help others later. My dad passed away 12 years ago. Now, my uncle is very sick with cancer and I am able to help my cousins in a way that I never would have been able to if I had not gone through that 12 years earlier. This verse in Scripture comes to mind.....
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all of our afflicition so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."
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