Those who know me, know that one of my most favorite leisure activities is playing console and computer games.

When I was younger there were plenty of games that I wanted
– some I got, and some I didn’t. Of course one of the biggest games during my childhood was the TMNT arcade game. Now back then I had no concept of Arcade Machine vs. Home Console and the differences So when I brought the consle port of the arcade game home, it was still fun but wasn’t the same as the arcade.

Now recently I have had the chance to play some classic games for some consoles which I had never owned but always wished that I did have them at the time… what I found was rather enlightening. The games were much worse than I thought they would be and not much fun at all.

Had I gotten these games when I actually wanted them badly, I most assuredly would have been disappointed in them; yet at the time of me desiring them, I‘m not sure if anybody would have been able to convince me of that fact.

This has made me realize something similar that I often do in my spiritual life… Often times I will ask the Lord for things and not understand why I don’t always receive everything that I ask for; and then some time later I will come to find out for one reason or another that I am glad I never got the thing which I begged so passionately for at the time and I actually end up thinking God for His great wisdom and foresight in withholding the thing from me. As it is said in the following scripture verse in Matthew 7:9-11:

“Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” 

God promises to give us every good gift, but He also knows which gifts are not good for us and withholds those in favor of our well-being, and I thank Him for it.

So my prayer so far this week has been to more closely focus on thanking God for all of the good gifts He has given me, and to also thank Him for all of the things which He keeps from me, because I understand now that He keeps them from me for my benefit.

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