Years ago, Dathan Wade, one of the young boys in my church, had a problem. His class was going to walk up town and watch a movie, supposedly with a religious theme. Short of calling the school and telling them he couldn’t go and thereby making a spectacle out of him, his parents didn’t know what to do. They didn’t want him made fun of, but they also knew that they didn’t want him going.

They decided that they had some time, so they would pray about it. As the date got closer, the weatherman began to forecast a big snowstorm for the day that they were supposed to walk up town. Dathan had it all figured out how God was going to answer. It was going to snow so much that they wouldn’t be able to walk up town, and thus he wouldn’t have to watch the movie.

What actually happened is the administration went and watched the movie ahead of time and concluded that it was too graphic for that age group, so they cancelled the trip to the movie.

When Dathan’s dad, Jon, picked him up that day, he told Dathan that God had answered their prayers, and he wasn’t going to have to go to the movie.

When Jon told him why, he said he would never forget that little face looking up at him and saying, “Dad, God has a hundred different ways of answering prayer.”

Years later,  Jon says, “Still true today…God’s never used my plan!”

I have thought of Dathan’s words again and again over the years. I thought of it when the Covid came, and I didn’t know how my family was going to go forward. I felt like they needed camps and revivals, but God had one hundred ways to work.

I have thought of it when I have had problems that needed solved. When I have been concerned about loved ones. When I have needed help myself. When I had a good plan mapped out for God, and also when I’ve gone to God and said, “I have absolutely no ideas for how You can work this out!” God has a hundred ways to work! Let Him work in His way.

If you feel dry and spiritually depleted today, reach out for God. But keep your heart open. God may not come the way you think. Or the place you think. He may not be helping your unsaved loved ones the way you think. He has one hundred ways to work!

God has more than a hundred ways
To answer your need
God has more than a hundred solutions
That can bring the victory
God has overflowing, endless compassion
Mercy, love, and grace
So just trust in God’s many ways.
Abigail Hamilton 7/5/18