How to Love God who is Able, But Does Not. . .

They said it as they stood near a furnace hot enough to kill men who came near.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego told king Nebuchadnezzar, “. . .our God, whom we serve, is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire. And from your hand, O king, let him rescue us. And if not, let it be known to you, O king, that _⌊we will not serve your gods_⌋, and the statue of gold that you have set up we will not worship.”

They felt the heat of the furnace and they knew. God can save us. Their prayer was that God would save them, but they also knew something we forget.

God can’t be figured out. His ways are different than ours. We can know God has power to save us, but we also have to decide to worship Him alone before we know if He will save us.

And God saved Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

The wind blew this week and God is able.

God could have pushed the tornado toward a jail or meth house. Instead He allowed it to hit two elementary schools.

He was able, but He did not.

He protected our house and city from the storm, but He didn’t do that for Moore or Shawnee or many other places.

He gave a baby to the Meth addict who doesn’t care and He didn’t give a baby to the woman who desperately wants one.

How do you love a God who is able, but does not?

How do you let go of what you think is best when God seems to keep good things from you?

And I can’t get around the fact that I do not know or understand. It is a mystery – the way God works or doesn’t work.

And still His Word says it,

“I have plans for you. . . plans to prosper you and not harm you plans to give you a future and a hope.”

Sometimes our view of future is limited to time on this earth, but God, He sees past this earth and looks to eternity. He knows when hard things will bring a future and a hope in eternity.

And when the wind whips wild we can only cling to that truth. That God knows and He has plans and His ways are not ours.

Still I grab for more. I question and ask why and I wait to hear. I wait for a voice.

I may have to wait until I see Him face-to-face. Then all that I don’t understand will be silenced. For He is just and we will all know that everything that happened on this earth was handled by a just God. All the injustice, God will avenge.

Whether the wind blows or the pregnancy test only has one line or you have to say goodbye again and again – we have to choose whom we will worship and whom we will serve.

Me?! I will worship the God who is able, but sometimes doesn’t.

Because to whom else can I go?

He is God, He is faithful, He is just, He is love.