What does the Lord want ?

I know a young man who is going through a very rough time. His mom and dad are in the middle of a bitter separation. His dad is unstable and abusive. His mom is overwhelmed with providing and caring for the family. He has chosen to be angry and rebellious. He used to be a really sweet kid who loved the Lord. Now he his hanging out with the wrong crowd and getting to trouble with drugs, etc.

 What does the Lord want for him?

 As his pastor I think I have a pretty good idea. I believe the Lord wants him to know that just because things are rough right now, they won´t always be that way. They don´t always have to be that way. I believe that God wants for him to experience heaven on earth even in the midst of all this conflict. God has an amazingly wonderful future planned for him. The funny thing is that it wouldn´t be that hard for him to see God´s plan happen.

 I´m quite sure the Lord wants him to to apologize. For all the bitter words, for all the disobedience, for all the lying, for making a bad situation a lot worse, for turning his back on those who love him the most...  After the apologies, there is still a lot of anger, conflict and unhappiness to deal with. The Lord wants him to bring those things to Him, pouring out his heart in prayer, not just once, but every day. He also needs to talk to his family about what he is feeling, process the anger, the frustration, and the pain. As his pastor I would love to help him with that, if he would only give me the chance. The pain, the anger and frustration can all be healed.

 Then there is something else I believe the Lord wants. He wants my young friend to ask; ¨what can I do to help?¨ He can ask it of his mom, his dad, and the other members of his family. He can ask it directly to God, who certainly has many ways he can be a help to his hurting family, and to others. My young friend could live knowing that in the midst of a terrifying storm, he is an unwavering beacon of light, love and hope.

Please pray for my young friend. He needs divine intervention. Of course, the dangerous part about asking what God wants for someone else is that you inevitably start asking what He wants for you and your special situation. So while you´re at it pray for yourself, and ask God...

 Lord, what do you want for me?