August 22, 2019 –

What if God says, “No.”

What if when you prayed and asked for something God simply replied, “No.”

What if He did not answer at all? What if He turned His face away? How would you respond?

What if He hid Himself from you? What if you got sick? What if you prayed to be healed and you got worse? What if you prayed for someone else and God said, “No.”

What if the sand blew in the wind and got in your eyes? What if you had no umbrella and it started to rain? What if you couldn’t pay your bills and the bank foreclosed on your house? What if your children were taken away? What if your children died suddenly in the night? What if they were taken? What if your husband or wife beat you? What if they left you? What if you were all alone? What if you got laid off at work? What if you were fired?

What if you were blind? What if you were deaf? What if you had a speech impediment? What if you stuttered? What if you had a bad back? A bad heart? What if you had cancer? What if you were confined in a wheel chair?

When God wrapped His arms around me over a year ago and said, “You are going to listen to me and you are going to obey me. And I am going to get you out of here.” I didn’t expect that path He would take me down.

He asked me to give away my video game systems, and He was asking, “Do you love me more than this world’s entertainment? Do you trust me to be your all? Can I fill your time and thoughts?”

He asked me to give away my computer and my design work from 15 years of my life, and He was asking, “Do you love me more than this? Can I be your career? Can you follow my lead as I show you what I created you for? Can I be your purpose for living?”

He asked me to give away my clothes, shoes, coats, and other practical essentials, and He was asking me, “Do you love me more than these? Can I be the one to clothe you? Can I give you warmth and can I keep you cool? Can you trust me to provide for your most basic needs?”

He asked me to give away my car, and He was asking, “Do you love me more than this? Do you trust me to hold you close and get you where you need to be? Do you trust me to watch over you as you lay down in the grass, on a park bench, or behind a dumpster? Do you trust that I will guard and keep you in your most vulnerable state?”

Every single step of the way on this journey He has been asking me, “Do you love me more than this? Do you trust me to be your all?”

Do I trust Him? Do I love Him more than I love having the safety and security that this world offers? I do not know the answer to these questions. But I wake everyday and seek Him. I obey His commands. I read His word. One day at a time, that’s all He is giving me grace and strength for. For today. For Him. Until He takes me home.