"Very Well" Versus "Well, Fine!"

Read: 2 Samuel 10:1-14

“....The LORD will do what is good in his sight." (2 Samuel 10:12)

A friend of mine was telling me about her adventures in babysitting her three-year-old nephew. The little one seemed irresistibly attracted to virtually every potentially dangerous object in her apartment–sharp knives, pots cooking on the stove, even the stapler on her desk. For the balance of two solid days, my friend was kept busy running after her nephew, snatching these potentially dangerous objects from out of his reach to prevent him from hurting himself. Invariably, the little guy’s response to these loving acts of protection by his aunt was to stomp his feet and let out an exasperated “Well, fine!”

It occurs to me that, when it comes to my relationship with God, I quite often act very much like my friend’s little nephew. Many times, I will set my mind and heart on some plan or goal that seems to promise the best of all possible outcomes for my life–at least the most desirable outcome that I can envision at that point in time. But then, when God, who knows “the end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:10 ), comes along and, in a loving act of protection, snatches that treasured plan or goal from out of my reach, my first response is not one of trust and gratitude, but rather, it’s to stomp my feet and let out an exasperated “Well, fine!”

It’s during these times that I need to consciously remind myself that God has explicitly told us in His Word that His intentions toward us are ALWAYS good. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” If I really believe this to be true, then my response to God’s snatching my own plans from out of my reach needs to be one of trusting submission, “Very well,” rather than one of grudging acquiescence, “Well, fine!”

Gracious Heavenly Father, Thank You that You know infinitely more about what’s really best for me than I do. Forgive me for those times when I lose sight of that fact and respond to Your loving acts of protection with an angry and exasperated “Well, fine!” Please help me to recognize Your perfect will for my life and respond with a trusting and thankful “Very well.”