I often think I know what is best for me, only to find that its supposed goodness evades me like sand sifting through my fingers.

With earnest effort, I strive for the object that promises to satisfy my yearning. Yet, like the proverbial carrot on a stick, or a dog chasing its tail, its benefit is nothing more than wishful thinking.

It’s like a tantalizing dessert to which better sense says “No,” though my lips say “Yes!” Only later do I realize that my body sides with the verdict my good sense had pronounced!

From relationships to possessions to jobs, so often I have belatedly discovered that the thing I wanted was not what it seemed. God withholding it from me was definitely a blessing in disguise.

God hears every prayer we pray. He knows what we long for. He answers every prayer — though not always in the way we want. Sometimes He says “yes.” Sometimes “no.” And sometimes He just tells us to “wait a while” until we are better equipped to deal with the responsibilities that accompany that blessing.

Continue to seek Him. Thank Him for His answers — even the “no’s” — because He promises we will never lack for blessings.