When God Withholds Something Good: Trusting His Plan & Provision

When God Withholds Something Good

Have you ever prayed for something good, something that you believed would make your life better, only for God to seemingly ignore your pleas? It can be frustrating, confusing, and even heart-wrenching when we feel like God is withholding something good from us.

However, as Christians, we believe that God is good and that he has a purpose for all things, even when we can't understand it. So, when God withholds something good, what should we do?

Remember Who God Is

The first step in dealing with God's apparent refusal to give us something we desire is to remember who God is. God is not a genie in a bottle, waiting to grant our every wish. He is the sovereign Lord of the universe, who knows all things and has a plan for all things.

As the prophet Isaiah wrote, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9).

We may not always understand why God does what he does, but we can trust that he knows what is best for us.

Consider Your Motives

When we pray for something good and God seemingly withholds it, it's important to consider our motives. Are we asking for this thing because we truly believe it is good for us and will bring glory to God, or are we asking for it because we believe it will make us happy or successful?

As James wrote, "You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions" (James 4:3).

If our motives are not aligned with God's will, then we should not be surprised if he does not grant our request.

Trust in God's Plan

When God withholds something good from us, it can be tempting to doubt his goodness or his love for us. However, we must remember that God's plan for our lives is bigger than any individual desire or request we may have.

As Paul wrote, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).

Even when we can't understand why God is withholding something good from us, we can trust that he is working all things together for our ultimate good and his ultimate glory.

Look for God's Provision

Just because God withholds something good from us does not mean that he is not providing for us in other ways. It's important to look for God's provision in our lives, even when we are struggling with disappointment or unfulfilled desires.

As Jesus said, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" (Matthew 6:25-26).

God promises to provide for our needs, and we can trust that he will fulfill that promise, even when we do not receive the specific thing we are asking for.

Conclusion

When God withholds something good from us, it can be difficult to understand and accept. However, we must remember that God is good, that our motives may not always be aligned with his will, that he has a plan for our lives, and that he promises to provide for our needs.

As we navigate the ups and downs of life, may we learn to trust in God's goodness and sovereignty, even when things do not go as we hoped or expected.

References

• Isaiah 55:8-9


• James 4:3


• Romans 8:28


• Matthew 6:25-26