Memorial of Saint Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr

“See, you have given me no offspring, and so one of my servants will be my heir.” Then the word of the LORD came to him: “No, that one shall not be your heir; your own issue shall be your heir.” He took him outside and said: “Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so,” he added, “shall your descendants be.” Abram put his faith in the LORD, who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.

There are moments in our lives when we might be tempted to complain about God not doing something for us. We might run out of patience and wonder if God will ever give us what we’ve prayed for. However, we need to remember God works on His own timetable... and orders all things for our betterment. He may not give us what we want when we want it for any number of reasons. Perhaps we might not truly need what we’ve asked for. Perhaps we wouldn’t appreciate the gift at the time. Perhaps we aren’t ready for it just yet. Perhaps receiving the gift would lead us astray. There are any number of God reasons for God to delay or deny the answers to our prayers. However, we should realize without a doubt that God always has our best interests at heart. He wants us to prosper and our graces and gifts to increase. He wants us to grow in faith, hope, and love by putting our trust in Him and acting with righteousness.

What are some of the things we have asked God for that we have not received? Can we understand or at least accept God’s decision to delay or deny our requests? How can we put our faith in God just as Abram did?

O Lord, grant us the patience we need to await the answers to our prayers and the humility to accept whatever you deem best for us.

Amen.