The Bible says, ‘The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right’ (Psalm 84:11 NLT). Sometimes we pray for a certain thing, thinking it’s good for us, or simply because it’s what we’d like. But God, who has a plan for each of our lives, knows what’s right for us and what will keep us on the path He’s chosen for us. That means He’ll sometimes say to us, ‘Not that way. If you trust Me, I’ve got something better for you.’ We can get upset when God says no to us, not realising we might have been even more upset if He’d said yes, and we’d got exactly what we asked for. That’s why it’s so important for us to pray that we’ll be in line with His will. Even if it’s not what we think we want, and even if it’s uncomfortable for a while, we need to trust Him. Trusting God and following His plan can be like walking down a misty lane. The mist hides whatever’s at the end, and you can only see a couple of steps ahead of you. But as you go further along that lane and venture into the mist, more of the goal is revealed and comes into focus. When Paul was in prison, he said, ‘I have learned to be satisfied with the things I have and with everything that happens’ (Philippians 4:11 NCV). His contentment didn’t come from his surroundings – he was in prison during most of his ministry. His contentment came from trusting God and knowing that He ‘makes everything work out according to his plan.’ Paul didn’t understand every detail of God’s plan, but he trusted God with every step he took. And that’s what we need to do too.
