God’s Offer
How many questions did you answer yesterday? Do you ever think the following six words would describe your life work pretty accurately?
“I do laundry and answer questions.”
In the midst of all your question-answering — in between putting things into the washer and dryer and taking them out — you have questions of your own.
Yesterday morning I was struck — again — with Paul’s comforting words in Philippians 4:6:
Let your requests be made known to God.
He wants to hear and He wants to answer. As a loving parent, sometimes He says yes; sometimes He says no; sometimes He says not yet. Sometimes He helps us understand why; sometimes He doesn’t.
Sometimes we know what is best for us; He always knows and He always, always acts in our best interests.
The comforting “Let your requests be made known to God” is sandwiched between comforting realities, reminders, and promises.
The reality of joy in the Lord — always.
A reminder to interact with a gentle spirit with others.
The reality that the Lord is near.
The promise of peace.
As always, God is the perfect parent for us and the perfect parent example for us to follow. A joyful, gentle mama who knows that the Lord is near, who makes her requests known to Him, and who lives in His peace — God offers that reality to every mama.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
Let your gentle spirit be known to all men.
The Lord is near.
Be anxious for nothing,
but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God,
which surpasses all comprehension,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4-7