When God Lets You Down

Don't run away, Lean in

1 Peter 5:10

After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you by the Messiah Jesus to his eternal glory, will restore you, establish you, strengthen you, and support you.

(Before you read this, know that I’m using a personal story as an example of what we all experience: An issue that our prayers are answered the way we hope they will be. It’s not about me; it’s about the outcome. ~ST)

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The last few weeks has been tough. On top of a crushing workload with tight deadlines, I flew to California on a turn-around trip (i.e. leaving Ohio on Saturday morning/returning to Ohio on Sunday morning) to go through a 2-hour, difficult extraction of an infected tooth I have been ‘messing with’ for months. I really didn’t want to lose that tooth and did every possible holistic suggestion to eliminate the infection, strengthen the bone, “revive” the tooth, and avoid having yet another oral surgery was tried (I’ve now had a total of eight oral surgeries).

I also prayed endless Bible verses over my tooth and I repeatedly read Bible stories of healing and answered prayer requests.

"Lord, You said if we have faith, we should ask anything and it would come to pass. I know You healed the deaf, gave sight to the blind, made the lame walk, cast out demons, raised the dead. SURELY you can restore this tooth and remove the infection in the bone. Thank you, with gratitude..."

But it nothing helped. Not even heart felt, fervent prayers of others.

.... and here I am, without the most important chewing surface in my mouth. I am relegated to soup and very soft food such as yogurt and soft cheese. I won’t be able to chew anything solid for months, except with my front teeth, which is miserable. Even eating a banana and rice has been moderately painful.

Anticipating this outcome, I ate a big steak the night before the surgery – it was my personal “Last Supper.”

I’m already tired of tomato soup, scrambled eggs, and broth with rice. It’s going to be a while before the mule-kick-to-the-jaw ache resolved.

My friends really don’t understand how bad I feel about losing this tooth. Afterall, it’s “just a tooth.” Right?

Well, it’s a really big deal to me. A big loss. It’s my primary chewing surface because I have an upper partial on the right. I’ve not been able to chew on the right side of my mouth since those teeth ‘went missing’ several years ago.

There are a few additional personal things I’ve been praying about daily for more than two years that have not been answered. It’s hard to explain, but this “tooth thing” was the last straw: It feels like God has really let me down.  

Take a Deep Breath

What do we do when our faith is shaken, when we feel like God didn’t come through for us? How do we restore our confidence in a God who says He loves us, will never leave us, and will bless us with results…

• Whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith. (Matthew 21:22)

• Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Mark 11:24)

• If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (John 15:7)

….and what if our prayers aren’t answered? We don’t get well, our issue isn’t healed, things don’t improve?

Instead of running away, we need to trust HE has a plan. We need to really believe He is the Alpha and Omega in our life – He knew us before we were born, and He sees the entire stretch of our life.

We see what is right in front of us. He has a better view.

We need to take our disappointments, our distress, our sadness, and even our anger to Him and have a real conversation. Tell Him how upset we are with the current situation and how disappointed we are with the current outcome. Ask Him for clarity. Ask Him for direction. Ask Him to show us what we are to learn from this unpleasant experience.

We need to trust and really believe that at some point, we will understand...

• Why the answer to our specific prayer request was No.

• Why the answer to our request for physical healing was No.

• Why the answer to our request for emotional healing and other support was No.

We need to embrace that all things - yes all - work together for those who love God. (Romans 8:28)

Today’s Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, sometimes it just feels like You’re not listening. It feels like You have turned a ‘deaf ear’ to our pain, our fears, our requests. But Lord, we know You have the very best in mind for our lives. Your Word assures us hundreds of times about Your faithfulness, Your protection, and Your love for children, those who love Jesus and strive daily to serve You through Him.

Please help us to understand that our personal requests are not necessarily what are best for the complex matrix of our life. Help us to see how our infirmities and our disappointments, help us to know You better, to trust You more.

Show us how to be patient in adversity and how to weather the physical storms. Give us the tools that we need to lean in and keep our eyes fixed completely on You, dear Jesus. Give us the strength to tough it out and know that there are better days ahead…because ALL things work together for good in Your master plan for our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.