Yes, I would like a venti non-fat double shot strength peace-filled mocha latte, ​please.

Psalms 29:11 (NIV)

The Lord gives strength to his people, the Lord blesses his people with peace.

Have you ever wished God was like Starbucks?  You know you walk up to the counter or drive up to the little speaker and you say,

“Yes, I would like a venti non-fat double shot strength peace-filled mocha latte please.”

I just want to see a menu of the fruits of the spirit and pray for a shot of this with extra that, all piled high with whip cream!

Yep, I so wish I could do that some days.  However, God seems to think I just need my daily portion and that will suffice.  I know.  He is right.  I also know there are many times he is standing there waiting to give me my portion and I don’t take it.  Or maybe you have been in a place where you have taken it but just not used it.

I am afraid it is time to sit down and have the hard talk now.  So, grab your cup of coffee, relax and take a deep breath.

Let’s start with the obvious.  We all know in our hearts, God is enough.  God gives us what we need when we need it.  I think we can all admit to having enough faith to believe that statement.  Our struggle, or at least my struggle is in the delivery.

I have always had faith God can do anything.  My faith starts being strained when you tie in the “will he” and “when will he” portions.

Over the years, I have really worked on both of these concepts.  It has been hard because there are so many times in our lives we pray for something and God doesn’t answer the way we want.  Now notice those last four words, “the way we want.”  All too often we go to God with a prayer and a plan. Then when God doesn’t follow the plan, we accuse him of not answering the prayer.  When in fact he is answering the prayer just with his plan.  Sometimes those plans include answers in the form of “no” and “not yet.”

Gulp. Breath. Ponder for a minute.

I can’t tell you why God is telling you no or to wait awhile.  I can only tell you he has your best interest at heart.  The situation you are going through today may be unimaginable.  I am thinking of a dear one who recently miscarried. Why would God put someone through all of that?  Why would his answer to bringing a new baby into a warm and loving family, be no or wait?  Why is the woman who can’t get pregnant at all hearing God say no or wait?  Why did that lady who never wanted a child and now wants an abortion to get pregnant in the first place?

I wish with every fiber of my being I could tell you why God does things.  But I can’t. I am not him.

I can tell you one thing though.  God is ALWAYS standing at the door waiting to give you his strength and blessing you with peace.  That is never a “no” or “wait” answer.  As a matter of fact, he is standing on his very tip toes, yelling out as loud as he can, “I am here! Just ask me!  I so want to give you strength and peace!  Ask me! Then take it and use it!”

Do you feel like you are in the pits today?  Do you feel the sorrow is so deep you don’t think you will ever get out?  Are you crying out for just a little of that strength and peace? I would love to pray for you.  You don’t have to tell me what you are going through.  You can leave a comment that just says pray, please.

In the mean time, may I leave you with this…

Lord, you have promised to give your people strength and to bless them with peace.  So, right now I am asking that you deliver on this promise and touch each of us with the strength and peace to carry on through our struggles today, tomorrow and forever to come.  I pray that we learn to cling to that strength and peace even on the days when it seems to take all of it just to take one more breath or one more step.  I will trust that it will be there again when I take the next ones and then again and again. I ask all of this in the name of Jesus. Amen

Copyright © 2017 Tabetha Frick All Rights Reserved.