“For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11).

Marsha was devastated at the news of her sister’s leukemia. Angrily she spoke to her pastor at the hospital. Through her tears she quoted this verse and then said, “I don’t believe it anymore. None of it! Your Bible says that God won’t withhold anything good. Well, He has, and I am finished. Leave, Pastor. You aren’t welcome here anymore. I quit. Please leave.”

Pastor Kenward walked to the car with tears flowing down his cheeks. Sitting alone in the parking lot, he talked to the Lord. “Father, Marsha is so upset. I don’t know if she really means this or not. But she surely has misunderstood what Your Word is saying. I know that You have tremendous blessings and good things to give even in times of suffering. Please help Marsha and her family come to understand this, I pray.” With that the shaken pastor drove from the hospital parking lot and began the drive to his office at the church.

All the way home he prayed for Marsha and her family. Although he had dealt with people in their sorrow and anger, never had he experienced this level of bitter reaction. The Lord gave the young pastor a great love for Marsha and her family.

He was quite surprised when his phone rang two hours later. It was a very broken and repentant Marsha. “Pastor,” she sobbed, “what have I done? A little while after you left, my sister Amanda was brought back to her room. After I told her what I said to you, she scolded me soundly. I mean she really scolded me soundly! She said, ‘How dare you rob me of the blessing God wants to give me? He is my sun and shield. He gives me grace and glory. He has said that no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. And here you stand, Marsha, in my room, walking the opposite of being uprightly. You call our pastor and apologize to him after you apologize to the Lord.’ So Pastor, I’ve apologized to the Lord and want to apologize to you as well. I am so ashamed.” Marsha sobbed into the phone.

There is a great lesson to be learned in this. God is not a mail order clerk that simply responds to our every order. He is, however, the awesome God Who is a sun and shield, Giver of grace and glory, and the One Who gives good things even in hard times. How amazing! Do you really believe Psalm 84:11? How will this play out in your life today?