Unfulfilled Longings: God Specializes in Fulfilling 5% Probabilities

Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – December 5, 2016

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.. Mark 10:27

One of our daughters and son-in-laws could not have children. After years of testing, prodding, probing and prayers—anxiety, over not over anticipating—stress over whether insurance would pay all, some or none—the doctor concluded that without a special procedure they only had a 5% probability of pregnancy. Ten days prior to the scheduled procedure to increase their chances of conceiving—our daughter conceived—incredibly she tested positive, teary eyed she administered the home test a second time, and there was the additional line—positive for  pregnancy!

She showed her husband—they embraced in grateful hope—she called her mom (my wife), he called his parents, and we all wept together in humble thanksgiving to God. An unfulfilled longing brings us to our knees in anticipation of our heavenly Father’s generous grace. Humility is the Lord’s remedy to keep us positioned for His blessings—our hope may be deferred—but God is still good. He specializes in what man says is a 5% chance but the Lord is faithful 100% of the time!

“In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head” (1 Samuel 1:10-11).

Barren, broken, rejected, sorrowful, ashamed; Just of few of the feelings that could have been conceived in Hannah’s hurting heart. Her culture branded her infertility as failure—the inability to have a child was wrongly interpreted by her peers as judgment from God. But, with a broken heart, instead of stewing in self-pity—Hannah humbled herself and called on the name of the Lord to bless her with the life of a son—vowing with sacred devotion, she pre-dedicates him to the Lord all the days of his life. Her merciful Creator answered her prayer and blessed her with Samuel—who grew into the iconic priest who anointed David, and whose family linage Jesus Christ would eventually be born into. God blessed Hannah’s humility, and her bold prayer and trust in Him.

I can’t imagine the inner emotional upheaval of being unable to fulfill the desire of motherhood, a God-given biological clock ticking; willing—but unable to birth a baby. Perhaps this feeling of anguish and grief rivals other unfilled, deep longings of our soul that remain unsatisfied: a single adult overdue for marriage, or the yearning for a current marriage to thrive—not just survive—or waiting on a work opportunity that seems to have passed you over—or the urge to feel known, understood and loved by another. Whatever or whoever our heart craves for—it’s out of our soul’s solitary confinement and our utter brokenness that our heavenly Father’s mercy meets us in our loneliness. His comfort makes our soul whole, and His grace heals our fractured faith.

How’s your heart? In humility, have you embraced your brokenness as a pathway to answered prayer, blessing, intense intimacy with God and a deeper love for those who love you?

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds…The Lord sustains the humble” (Psalm 147:3,6).

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I trust You during my times of loneliness, You alone are my refuge and strength.

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Application

What very real longing can I leave with the Lord and trust Him for its fulfillment in His timing?

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Related Reading

Psalm 34:18; Isaiah 61:1; 1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 Peter 4:19

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Post/Tweet today

Have you embraced brokenness as a pathway to answered prayer, blessing, intense intimacy with God and a deeper love for those who love you? #WisdomHunters #unfulfilledlongings

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