We have all heard or read genie stories. A man finds a lamp and rubs it, and a genie pops out and grants him three wishes. Maybe you have wished, at one time or another, that genie lamps really did exist and that you could be so lucky. I remember wrestling as a child with the question of what I would ask for if a genie gave me three wishes. I could never nail it down. I was always short twenty wishes.
The fact is, however, there is something available — free for the taking — that is far superior to a genie lamp. I speak of the living God. A genie takes no personal interest in the person rubbing the lamp. He could care less if the lamp rubber hurts himself with the things he seeks. God cares deeply for man. This he proved when he sent his Son to die for us. A genie grants three wishes. God grants unlimited requests. A genie grants a man whatever he asks, even if it is wrong or harmful. God often gives men better than they ask and often says “no” if they ask for something that is not in their best interest.
So be reconciled to God. It is in his heart to come to your aid as you struggle through your trial-filled life in this sinful world. And don’t let your trust be shaken when he doesn’t answer your requests the way you want him to. In his estimation, your spiritual and eternal needs take precedence over your temporal preferences.