God Be with Me in All I Do

Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him (Psalm 34:8).  A beautiful reminder of pressing into the Lord when life is a struggle.  God does not disappoint.  He is there, just waiting to be seen.  He is steadfast and His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). 

Yesterday did not go as expected.  We had high hopes that God was with us and was going to show up in ways we have been praying for quite some time.  We had faith.  We believed.  We had some reservations because we have experienced rejection from people in this specific request before, but we knew from experience that God shows up.  

Then we waited.  And waited some more.  We prayed in the waiting.  We went for a drive in the waiting.  We cried in the waiting.  We questioned if we were actually following God in the waiting.  We questioned if we were missing something and if that is why we have been walking through this barren land without reprieve. 

Then we got the notification that the prayers we were praying were not answered in the way we had hoped, yet are perhaps actually answered in the way we have been praying.  

I am reminded of 1 Peter 2:2 that I have tasted that the Lord is Good.  He has shown up in areas I have been on the borderline hopeless about.  He has revealed His goodness to me and I am reminded of what he has done for me.  He led me to Deuteronomy 8 which talks about the Isralalites trek through the dessert - they were stripped of their pride and their hearts were tested to see if they would follow the Lord.  

This season gives me a glimpse of what Job may have been going through.  I pray I will never experience such turmoil and anguish to the magnitude he did, yet I also can relate to the loss he experienced and the well intentioned friends giving not so good of advice.  

Although life has not been as rich and joyful in certain areas as I have hoped for, I am reminded in Psalm 23:6, Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

What a beautiful reminder that God's goodness and love follow me all the days of my life!  So while I may feel disappointed that we received a different answer than we hoped for, my prayers are not in vain and my prayers are not for naught.  My lamentations are heard and God hears the cries of His people (Psalm 34:17).