If God does not give what you wanted..
A question we often receive is how it works with God when He does not give you what you want. At first glance, it seems like a simple question, but there is often much more behind it. More than just disappointment or doubt.
For if we believe that God gives us what we need, that brings peace. But the moment that feels strained—when you do not receive what you would like—something else begins to surface. And then you often notice that the question is not only why God does not give this, but also why this makes me so restless. If you become restless because God does not give you what you want and your faith begins to waver because of it, then a deeper question actually arises: what is your faith built on?
Is it built on what God does or does not give you? Or is there something deeper underneath? Because that becomes visible precisely in difficult times. The storm comes, and then you see what you are built on.
Matthew 7:24–29 (NASB): “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.” 28 When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; 29 for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
The question is therefore not whether a storm will come. It will come for sure. The question is what keeps your faith standing in that moment. If your faith mainly revolves around what you receive from God, then it remains fragile. It moves with your circumstances.
But if your faith goes deeper than that, something changes. Then receiving or not receiving is no longer the main issue. A different question emerges: who is God to me, apart from what He does or does not give?
And perhaps that is exactly the core. That your faith does not only stand when you receive what you want, but also when you do not.
Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” John 20:29 (NASB)
