This word is submitted by Teresa Seputis (ts@godspeak.org)

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                      When You Don't Get Your Way

Child of Mine, has it occurred to you that there are times when I
deliberately choose not to give you something that you really want? And I
do it for a reason. There are times when I say "no" to you, and there will
be times that I do it so that I might examine the attitude of your heart
before Me.  Will you handle it with maturity and grace?  Or will you throw
a tantrum?  I am looking for mature sons who walk in holiness before Me
and who do My will.

Yes, I know that at times you strongly desire things that you don't really
need.  Many times I give them to you because I love you so dearly. But no
good father gives his children everything they want and desire--if he did,
then he would have a very spoiled child.  Likewise, I don't always give you
everything you desire at the instant that you want it.  It simply doesn't
work that way.

Yes, I have said in My word that if you delight in Me, I will give you the
desires of your heart.*  When I said that, it was never My intention to give
you a blank check that you might have whatever you want any time you want
it.  That would be bribery, and I do not bribe My children in order to get
them to love and obey Me. That is not My way.  No.  It was always My
expectation that as you delighted in Me, you would grow and mature in Me,
and your desires would begin change to better line up with My perfect will
for you.

Look at My faithful servant Paul.  Did he not pray three times for an
affliction to be lifted from him?  Don't you think he truly desired and
expected that I would say yes?  Yet, I refused his request all three times,
telling Him that My grace was sufficient for him.  He handled it maturely,
choosing My plans and purposes over his desire for comfort at the moment.
I am hoping that you will respond the same way that he did.

I refused Paul's specific request.  I did not grant every one of his whims,
and I won't do that for you either.  Yet I did keep My promise to give him
the desires of His heart.  I gave him the things that he most desired: I
gave him real kingdom work to do with Me and I allowed him to walk in My
anointing.  I gave him the nations and the opportunity to lead many to Me.
I also allowed him to raise up many mighty men of faith, to be a spiritual
father to many.  I also gave him greater revelation of Myself; I even caught
him up into the third heaven before My throne and allowed him to hear things
that can not yet be repeated on earth, things that are still sealed up for
the appointed time.  You see, I was faithful to Paul. Even though I did not
grant his every request, I did give him the desires of his heart.

Paul was mature in his walk with Me and I was well pleased with him. Likewise,
I want you to be mature in Me. I want you to walk in purity and holiness. I
want you to have right motivations before Me.  I want you to trust Me in
those times when you don't get your own way.  I want you to worship Me in
the midst of disappointment, knowing that I hold all things in My hand. I
want you to believe I am both able and willing to work My glory in every one
of your circumstances, even when I choose to do things differently than what
you expect.  I don't want you to question My love for you when you don't get
something that you want. I don't want you to assault My character or question
My faithfulness, and I don't want you to sulk or to gripe or to complain.  I
want to you grow and mature, so that you can handle disappointments in a
manner that is pleasing to Me.

Look at the example of My own dear Son, Jesus.  He did not get His way or
the desires of His heart when He prayed to Me in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Yet He choose My will over His own desires, and he did not murmur or complain
about it. I want you to be more like Him.

There are going to be times when you don't get what you want from Me. How
are you going to respond to Me in those times?  I am looking for the ones
who follow the example that My Son set forth. I am looking for the ones
who will walk before Me in holiness and  purity, choosing to be in submission
to My perfect will.

I am searching the earth for such ones, so that I might fill them with
greater measures of My anointing. I am going to pour out My glory upon them,
so I can accomplish My purposes through them.  Will you trust Me and be one
of these?  How will you handle it the next time that I say "no" to you?


* PS 37:4