Who knows better what's best for us: God or us?

Psalm 47

 ¹O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.

 ²For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth.

 ³He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet.

 ⁴He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.

The question has arisen anew for me in recent days. I have things I see that I would like to happen. Yet, as good for me as these things appear to be, every time I have reached out for them, something happens to stop them. Why? Does God not see how beneficial these things will be for me? Does he not see how bad things are where I am at and I need to get out of here? Does he take some perverse pleasure in watching me struggle? OR, does he have me exactly where he wants me and HIS way is better than my way?

This is an age old problem for us humans. Our arguments rise as our flesh rages: God gave me a good mind and he expects me to use it. I don't have to ask him about every little decision in my life. 

So, we look. We reach. We try to grasp hold of the things we want. We pray and ask God for them. We may even fast to try and force God's hand to let us have them. Then, we get angry when he doesn't allow us to have what we think we need. 

We seemingly never stop to ask some important questions. A) Does God want us to have the things we want to have? B) Why doesn't he want us to have them?

Psalms 47 teaches us that HE will choose our inheritance for us. Notice that it doesn't say that he will give us what we think we need or want. Yes, the scriptures declare that he will give us the desires of our hearts. But, this is only as we delight ourselves in HIM. OUR will must be submitted wholly and completely to HIS will. When this happens, OUR desires come in line with HIS desires. THEN and only then will he give us the desires of our hearts. 

We see the same pattern here in Psalms 47. We worship and praise him with all we are and have. We elevate him to LORD (supreme controller) and KING (ruler) of our lives- then HE decides what is best for us to have. The scriptures truly ring true. We have not because a) we ask not (I don't have to ask God about every little thing- or do I?) or b) because we ask amiss (We don't ask according to HIS will, but ours). 

If we will truly humble ourselves and submit to HIS Lordship over us, the scriptures teach that he will withhold NO GOOD THING from us. BUT, we must allow HIM to decide was is good for us, rather than insisting that our way is better. 

He knows all things. We do not. He sees the ends from the beginning. We do not. Don't bite into that fruit just because it looks good to you. Next time, listen to God. We don't want to repeat what our ancient parents did in the garden now do we?