For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

Isaiah 55:8

We have read many biblical stories about God visiting His people in unusual ways. Some of these visits were an answer to a prayer request or desire of the heart. Abraham’s desire to have a child from his lions is a familiar story that is often recited to instill faith in the hearers. God waited until Abraham and his wife, Sarah, were past childbearing age before He fulfilled Abraham’s longing to have a child. I consider this to be a backdoor blessing—blessings dispensed in unexpected ways and at odd times.

The widow in 2 Kings 4 can testify of God’s backdoor blessings. After her husband’s death, she was faced with debt that she couldn’t repay. The creditors planned to take her 2 sons into slavery to satisfy the debt. God sees her plight and sends the prophet Elisha to reveal to her that the answer to her dilemma was in her house: a jug of oil. She followed the prophet’s instructions and was able to sell enough oil not only to settle the debt, but had enough leftover to live on. Astounding indeed. This widow was in trouble, but I am sure she didn’t expect God to intervene in her affairs in this manner.

These unusual occurrences prove that God is sovereign and full of surprises.

God is still in the business of making back door deliveries. Beloved friends of ours received one of these unusual and unexpected visits from God a few days ago. They had a desire to declutter their home and to give it a fresh look. However, the busyness of life kept getting in the way of them accomplishing this goal. Out of what seems to be nowhere, God sends a bolt of lightning and strikes their house, causing fire and smoke damage. Ready or not, it’s decluttering and refreshing time. This wasn’t the desired means of getting the job done, but God has His ways of fulfilling our request.

Many of our heartfelt needs or aspirations seem unachievable to the natural mind. God has promised His children that if we delight ourselves in Him, He will give us the desires of our heart. Note, He didn’t reveal His strategy. As a general rule, God’s blessings don’t manifest the way we envision them. He declares, “His thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways.” 

Let’s open our hearts wide enough so that God can by-pass our finite minds and wow us in infinite ways. God doesn’t renege on His promises, but He doesn’t always reveal His secrets.

Pray…

Lord, I do have some dreams and desires that I would like to attain. The thought of how You might manifest them is a little unsettlingly, but I trust You. I know, regardless of how they are achieved, I will be blessed, and You will get the glory. Amen.

Posted by on Wednesday, May 29th, 2019 @ 12:01PM
Categories: Inspirational
Tags: backdoor blessings, blessings, unexpected, unusual, unusual blessings