If I Were God, I Would Have…

Thank goodness we’re not God! Imagine the mess we’d make, driven by our own limited understanding. Garth Brooks had it right: sometimes we have to thank God for unanswered prayers.

If every one of my prayers had received a “yes,” I shudder to think where I’d be now. In Isaiah 55:8, God says, “My ways are higher than your ways,” and how true that is.

I love Kimberly Henderson’s take on thanking God for unanswered prayers. “If I were God, I would have pulled Joseph out of that pit, away from his prison sentence. But then, Egypt would have starved.”

“I would have rescued David from Saul’s fury and endless caves, but Israel might have missed its shepherd king. Esther? I would have kept her safe with her family, but a nation might have perished.”

“And I would have taken Jesus off the cross, shielding Him from pain. But, oh, how much we would have lost—our Savior, our salvation, our eternity.”

So often, we’d rewrite the script, sparing ourselves and others from hardship. But God knows the beauty that will emerge from our trials. He knows the strength this pain will yield, the good that will come from the struggle. Instead of rescuing, He sustains, promising us His presence and purpose.

So today, instead of asking to be pulled out, I’m praying for you to be lifted up. I ask Him to give you strength and hope, to guide you in His perfect time, and to let you see the good He’s working through even the hardest of days.

And one day, I believe you and I will look back, and are extremely grateful for this road, knowing He was with us every step of the way.