Can we trust Him?

God answers prayer!

I was participating in a conversation this week that revolved around the question of God's existence. In the midst of this discussion I made a comment along the lines if, "I know God exists because I have seen him do too much not to believe in Him!" I have seen God heal the sick, restore marriages and save lives! I know for a fact He answers prayer. I have often quoted God's Word when praying. I have claimed His promises when praying for healing, restoration, etc. I know God hears and does answer prayer.

Then I started thinking.....

What if He doesn't? What if we pray and pray for a specific situation and God doesn't answer the way we want...or at all? Can we trust God to be God even if we don't see His hand move?

I was talking this over with my wife, Sarah, and she pointed out to me Hebrews 11. This is commonly known as the faith chapter, but a couple verses stood out to me. One is Hebrews 11:13 which says, "These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth."

WHOA! They did NOT receive the things promised....the answer to their prayers...yet they held on and died in faith....trusting God would still do what He had promised. The awesome thing was....He did! He did it though in His time and it just so happened to be the perfect time!

The other verse that leaps out at me is Hebrews 11:39, "And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised."

God did not deliver, in their lifetime, what was promised. However He did deliver! The awesome thing was that they still trusted God to do what He promised even if it was not in their lifetime. They had faith! The substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen! (Hebrews 11:1)

So to answer my own question: Can we trust God to be God even if we don't see His hand move? I think the answer is not only Yes, but also, how can we not, when the heroes of the faith did the same thing!

Trust God, even when the answer doesn't come in our time.