“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 to the office in his church. Two hours later the phone rang. It was Marsha. Want to know what she said? Tomorrow!
For today: 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!