My heart’s song has a familiar rhythm. It reminds me of Solomon’s words “there is nothing new under the sun.”

In my early 20s, I had a desperate dependence upon God. I didn’t know the future, and He alone had the answers. Would I ever get married? Would I meet ‘the one’? I trusted in God’s character, His goodness, and His mercy. I didn’t know if I’d someday marry, and I knew God never promised to provide me with a husband.

A few years later, my soul still ebbs with the same rhythm. He is faithful. He is good. His mercy is constant. In the years between, I did meet my husband. We relocated twice. I left a career and started a new one. We bought a house together. God provided for me. I needed Him, and I would need Him regardless of whether I was single, married, living far away or at home (Jeremiah 30:22). See, God doesn’t promise to fulfill our dreams.

When we perceive God as a “wish-fulfiller”, our perception of Him is tainted. We miss out on what else God has provided for us and His bigger plan. We miss out on Him. Perceiving God as a wishing well tends to hurt our relationship with him in 4 ways:

1. It distorts God’s power.  God does have good plans for us, but those plans aren’t according to ours. He isn’t required to fill our every desire. His thoughts are better than our own, and we can trust Him.
2. It denies our responsibility. We forget in order to receive God’s best, we have to follow Him. We are accountable for the way we live. We fail to trust Him. We do life our own way, and there are consequences for our actions.
3. It demands we know what’s best. God’s plans are not our own. We must find contentment when He doesn’t answer according to our desires, and trust in His sovereignty.
4. It distracts us from God’s character. God’s character is consistent. We may not receive our prayer requests in the manner we thought. We may have to wait for something, or God may seem to not answer us. In those moments, we can turn back to God’s character.

I love Chris Tomlin’s Good Good Father, because it takes me to who I know God to be. In our desperation, we can always trust Him. I’ve fallen more and more in love with God. It is wonderful to know He doesn’t change when I falter, and I’m thankful He’s not my personal wish-giver.