Real Hope: When God Says NoSample

Not What We Expected

This passage shows us that it’s good to spend time in sustained prayer prior to making important decisions. We can assume that Jesus’ all-night prayer vigil was to do with the choosing of His inner circle of disciples. Prayer meant He got the best possible outcome. The passage also teaches us that what we think is a good outcome might differ from God’s idea. Because Jesus chose Judas. After wrestling in prayer all night, with a group of willing men from whom to choose, Jesus chose Judas. This passage teaches us that answers to prayer are sometimes surprising.

And yet we know that even the wicked Judas played a part. He was not a good man, but perhaps he was a good choice. We can so often scratch our heads in wonderment about a certain answer to prayer. What we got is not what we asked for, or what we understand. Prayer is about aligning ourselves with the heart of the Father. It’s about His will being done even if it’s done in ways that take us aback. We might pray for a good thing, and a bad thing happens. At such times we can only trust that God has some deeper good to fulfil.

And in this case, Judas did his worst while God worked it for good. We can trust that good will have the last word because God will have the last word.

Written by DAVID REAY