Be Careful What You Ask For!
By Susan Klein
“He causes
His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain
on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
Matthew 5:45b (ESV)
Have you ever prayed
for God to give you a tragedy? I know, crazy, right?!! We typically pray for
deliverance from our difficult circumstances, not ask for them. Who in their
right mind would ever ask God to deliberately give them a crisis? I did. Once.
It was early in my
marriage, and it felt as if my husband and I were in separate lifeboats,
drifting away from each other. I was scared. I had heard that tragedies had the
potential to bring people closer together (or tear them completely apart), so I
prayed for one, hoping for the former. I was also very new to my faith and
couldn’t nearly grasp the power of prayer. Maybe that’s a good thing because I
prayed simply and earnestly, like a child would. That said, be careful what you
ask for! In His infinite wisdom, God granted my request.
My husband and I
walked through the great tragedy of losing of our baby girl; however, the
amazing things God did through that trial could never have been anticipated. He
brought the two of us closer together than we’d ever been, He drew me nearer to
my own parents, He allowed me to give testimony of His grace to countless doctors
and nurses, and He showed tremendous love through our local church body. I
gained a deeper love for and understanding of God as He showed me Himself in
ways I’d have never seen without walking through that painful period.
In the song, “Bring
The Rain” by Mercy Me, the chorus says:
Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain (1)
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings You glory
And I know there'll be days
When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to praise You
Jesus, bring the rain (1)
Sometimes, we need a little rain to gain
perspective and get our focus back on the One who truly cares. Oh sure, we all
love to sing His praises during times of joy and peace, but when we can belt
out praises to God during the most difficult tragedies, imagine the glory He
receives!
What are you asking for? Will it bring Him
glory?
GOING
DEEPER:
1. Could you welcome tragedies, or even pray, “Jesus, bring the rain”?
(Listen to the song by clicking HERE.)
2. Spend
some time looking at the responses of people in Scripture like Joseph, or
Daniel, or Paul in the midst of their trials.
FURTHER
READING:
Susan
is married to Mark, and has two adult children. She enjoys teaching Bible
studies, writing, and tutoring with the Literacy Council. She is a member of
the Peace Team at Oakwood and also co-leads an on-site small group.
(1) “Jesus Bring The Rain,” Coming Up To Breathe, by Mercy Me, INO Records, 2006
