From Skip Moen’s post “The Anguish of God”: Even in our religious moments, we still want control. Wow, isn’t that the truth. I think most of humanity’s problems stem from this one issue. We want control. But our control is not a good thing. God’s control is. Most of my stupid decisions come from wanting control and feeling I need control. But God asks me to relinquish this control and allow Him to work and move in a way that may seem out-of-control because it’s not my way of doing things. That’s hard for us control freaks here on earth to do. That’s something I need to work on.
This was my weekly devotional from Max Lucado this morning (or actually, yesterday morning). I liked it a lot, so I thought I’d share it. :) Christ in Me by Max Lucado Like Mary, you and I are indwelt by Christ. Find that hard to believe? How much more did Mary? No one was more surprised by this miracle than she was. And no one more passive than she was. God did everything. Mary didn’t volunteer to help. (emphasis added) What did she have to offer? She offered no assistance. And she offered no resistance. Instead she said, “Behold, the bond- slave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). Unlike Mary, we tend to assist God, assuming our part is as important as his. Or we resist, thinking we are too bad or too busy. Yet when we assist or resist, we miss God’s great grace. We miss out on the reason we were placed on earth-to be so pregnant with heaven’s child that he lives through us. To be so full of him that we could say with Paul, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20) What would that be like? To have a child within is a miracle, but to have Christ within? To have my voice, but him speaking. My steps, but Christ leading. My heart, but his love beating in me, through me, with me. What’s it like to have Christ on the inside? To tap his strength when mine expires or feel the force of heaven’s fires raging, purging wrong desires. Could Christ become my self entire? So much him, so little me That in my eyes it’s him they see. What’s it like to a Mary be? No longer I, but Christ in me. From Next Door Savior Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 2003) Max Lucado Very cool, no? I love that Mary didn’t try to “help” God accomplish His will. She let Him do what He said He would do. There are many times when I need to stop trying to help God and just let Him work. Otherwise my way just gets in the way. My other thought that I thought I’d share is that yesterday someone reminded me not to complain but to always be thankful. I didn’t react very well at the time, but it did make me think last night. While I am very thankful for what I have, and I do express that a lot, I also tend to complain a lot. So, in light of the new year, I think I’m going to make an effort to complain less. I’m also going to try and be thankful for what I don’t have (that was a thought that just hit me right now). Being thankful for what I don’t have is a little tougher, but when I don’t have what I want, or even what I think I need, doesn’t that give God a chance to do awesome things? Just a thought.
Matthew 6:8 Don’t be like them, because your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! My favorite word here is BEFORE. He knows before we ask anything. The verse before this says that we don’t have to say the same words or make the same request over and over and over (although the woman who was persistent later on was rewarded with healing) because God already knows what we need. Now, another important word is the word NEED. It’s not about what we want. It’s about what we need. So, if you want that new car but don’t really need it, that’s a different matter. But God knows that we need food and we need shelter and we need to be healthy to work and take care of our families. He knows we need Him, whether we’ll admit it or not, too. I think it’s reassuring that God’s got it covered. It doesn’t hurt to ask, but I know I forget that God already has my back and knows these things, so I don’t have to beg. It’s like with my kids. I know what they need, for the most part, and I’m happy to give them what they need. They don’t get everything they want because, frankly, playing with the scissors or chewing on the electronics is not safe. And sometimes they don’t get what they want or need because it’s not ready yet. For example, at night I make them chicken fingers (yes, it’s sad, but my oldest won’t eat anything else, and I refuse to starve him into eating), and it’s really hard for them to wait. But I can’t serve them frozen chicken. So, yes, they need to eat, but they do have to wait until it’s ready. It’s the same way in life. Sometimes those things we need aren’t “ready” yet and that’s why we don’t get them right away when we want them. And sometimes the things we want aren’t safe so we don’t get them at all… but if God is anything like me, maybe He’ll try a redirect and give you something else that you can have instead! Who knew being a child of God was so much like being a mom!
Zechariah 10:1 Ask the LORD for rain in the spring, and he will give it. It is the LORD who makes storm clouds that drop showers of rain so that every field becomes a lush pasture. I think there’s a danger of thinking the means to solve our problem is the answer instead of the Maker of the solution to the problem. I sometimes catch myself thinking “If I had more money things would be better” or “If I had or If I did…” See the problem? First, it’s all about ME – If I. And second, it doesn’t take into account the fact that God is ultimately the only one w ho can get me out of a problem. Sure, being financially stable would be nice, but it’s not going to make everything better. I still need to learn to depend on God and to trust Him to provide. There will always be challenges that seem insurmountable. I can’t trust in things to fix my issues. Only God can do that. My focus needs to shift back to the Maker of the solution. And it’s not all about me. I don’t know why I always seem to slip into that whole “If I” mindset. I should know from past experience that “If I” do try something it usually backfires and make everything worse! I get in my own way, and in God’s way, too. Again, I need to shift my focus back to Him and His strength, not mine. One last thought… It says to ask God for rain in the spring. I wonder how much of the effectiveness of our prayers depends on asking at the right time. If we ask God for rain in the winter, it would do more hard than good (at least in cold climates). Does God not answer prayers because they’re asked at the wrong time? They do say that “Timing is Everything… “ On a completely different note… isn’t the verse pretty?
Amos 3:7 Indeed, the Sovereign Lord never does anything until he reveals his plans to his servants the prophets. I thought this was interesting. Does God still reveal his plans to His prophets before acting? If He does, are we listening? It makes sense, though. God doesn’t want to hurt His people. He’s rather have us repent and be forgiven than to punish us. So it makes sense that he’d always try to warn us before doing things. I do the same thing with my sons. I am constantly telling them what I’m going to do before I do it. I figure it’s only fair to warn them, and it helps them feel more settled if they aren’t taken by surprise by my actions. Whatever God’s motivation, if He still reveals His plans, we need to be listening. That seems to be the crux of so many issues. Are you listening? Did you hear it?
Daniel 3: 17-18 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, Your Majesty can be sure that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” I often feel that God can do anything, but I don’t know if He’ll do it for me. It’s kind of pessimistic, now that I think about it. But here we have three young men about to die for standing up for what they believe in, and they tell the most powerful man in the known world that there is no way on earth they’re going to obey him! Whether God chooses to save them or not they are going to be obedient to what they know is right. Even if it means they die. That’s pretty amazing to me! There are times when I have a hard time living up to my own rules, and I’ve never had to deal with consequences as dire as what these three had to. So what’s the point? Even though they knew God could, they declared their obedience even if He didn’t. It wasn’t a definite thing or a conditional thing. It wasn’t definite because they didn’t know for certain that God would rescue them. However, it wasn’t conditional either because they chose to be obedient no matter what the circumstances and no matter what the cost. That begs the question: what about me? Do I obey like that? Do I live like that? Will I trust God even if I’m quaking in my boots and it’s my life on the line?
Daniel 2: 29-30 “While Your Majesty was sleeping, you dreamed about coming events. He who reveals secrets has shown you what is going to happen. And it is not because I am wiser than anyone else that I know the secret of your dream, but because God wants you to understand what was in your heart…” Nebuchadnezzar had demanded that his wise men, which included Daniel, tell him what his dream was and what it meant. When the other wise men couldn’t do it (being mere mortals and not believing in God) Nebuchadnezzar ordered them all killed. Daniel though, goes to the man in charge of killing everyone and, after asking for a day to pray and ask God about it, asks to be taken to the king to tell Nebuchadnezzar his dream. Once there he does tell the king his dream, but he acknowledges that it’s not because he’s any better or wiser that he knows what it is. He gives the credit to God. He also says that God wanted Nebuchadnezzar to understand what he was thinking about, what was in his heart. In the same way, God wants us to understand Him, too. God answered Daniel’s prayers for wisdom and understanding and protected Him from being executed with the wise men. But Daniel makes the important point that his knowledge is from God and that God wants him to understand. God isn’t keeping information about Himself and His will a secret. He reveals it when the time is right because He wants us to be in the center of His will. And that’s a good thing!