In a song by Fleetwood Mac called “Oh Well”, an supposed line from God is, “Don’t ask me what I think of you, I might not give the answer that you want me to”.

While it is not a quote of the Almighty’s, it parallels conversations we read in the text of the Bible.

Martha asked Jesus to compel her sister, Mary to help her in her work of preparing to serve their house guests. Mary instead, had chosen to sit at the Lord’s feet listening to his teaching.

Did Jesus agree with Martha? Did he tell Mary to help her sister? No. As a matter of fact, Jesus told Martha that she had burdened herself with what she was doing, and that Mary had actually chosen something better. What Mary had chosen would not be taken from her. Martha wasn’t expecting that.

Peter asked, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”. I don’t mean to be presumptuous, but it seems to me that Peter thought he was being pretty generous offering to forgive a personal affront seven times. Does it not seem that way to you?

What did Jesus say? The Lord of Glory who suffered the most injustices of all said we are to forgive seventy times seven. Did he mean for us to keep a count of wrongs up to four hundred and ninety one? No sir. He later had another apostle to write that love keeps no record of wrongs (I Corinthians 13:5), so the number was not the point. Peter wasn’t expecting that.

A rich man asked what he was to do to inherit eternal life. Another asked Jesus to instruct his relative to divide an inheritance with him. On and on it goes, with folks coming to God with misconceptions, and getting responses they did not expect.

But God does not condemn them. He does not humiliate them. He does not punish them. Instead, he teaches them.

So it seems it is good for us to ask God for things we believe to be right at the time, but when he answers, expect to learn something more than you ever imagined.