Christians have a big problem of wanting God on their terms. We want Him to fit into our lives instead of realizing we fit into His will for us. I see so many people who want convenient Christianity. I am so sad, because I am so guilty of this, I am a convenient Christian sometimes. We want our perfect little "cliche" at church and in bible study. We want our friends around us, to do things on our terms instead of His, and for our church to be comfortable for us. We dont want children screaming, big opinions disrupting our own, and people to "rock the boat" because somehow none of those things "we think" can lead us closer to God. But didn't God make himself Sovereign over all things? That including things that bother us and make us uncomfortable. The person that annoys you so much, is not in your church or bible study by accident, that child screaming is purposefully placed there for a reason you dont have to know or understand, and those people rocking the boat may very well be the EXACT people, with the EXACT "rocking" that you need to become closer to God. God is not asking us to fit Him into our lives, He is asking us to remove ourselves from our lives and replace what is gone (aka us) with Him. To walk as He walks, take His steps, and though it is soooooo uncomfortable to do so, it is EXACTLY what we are supposed to do.
Once we have removed our whole self, things should get easier right? I dont think that is right! More hardships will come our way, ones way worse than just someone "rocking the boat." Actually, that really is the challenge on this journey with God. When we are His our expectation of is one of ease as we walk with Him, like we can pray for comfort and think it comes because "It has to." I am not trying to give God less credit, because I KNOW God has the power to instantly instill comfort to us in our time of need without our help, but what if that comfort is supposed to come from the excruciating pain we must first endure. Reasons unknowns, but maybe because if He gave us comfort to soon - we would not learn what we were supposed to. I know that sounds mean, harsh, why would God challenge us like that - doesn't He want me comforted? In fact, doesnt His words say "blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted" Matthew 5:4 - but that is exactly my point! He provides comfort in the midst of what should be challenging, of what is uncomfortable for a time. However, do not feel that your challenges should defeat you - God is merciful to us, He is our Savior. He takes us from the dark, challenging, and seemingly dreadful places. He lift us up. He is our help in our challenges and we never face one moment of each one without Him. My point is, you may suffer or walk in the dark longer than you want to, but never longer than God wants you too. He made you and has purpose in all His does in your life. Remove You and accept Him, it will all be okay, actually better than okay. Hey, lets see what Gods, inspired word says...
Psalm 39: 1 - 8
I said, “I will guard my ways,
Lest I sin with my tongue;
I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle,
While the wicked are before me.”
2 I was mute with silence,
I held my peace even from good;
And my sorrow was stirred up.
3 My heart was hot within me;
While I was musing, the fire burned.
Then I spoke with my tongue:
Lest I sin with my tongue;
I will restrain my mouth with a muzzle,
While the wicked are before me.”
2 I was mute with silence,
I held my peace even from good;
And my sorrow was stirred up.
3 My heart was hot within me;
While I was musing, the fire burned.
Then I spoke with my tongue:
4 “Lord, make me to know my end,
And what is the measure of my days,
That I may know how frail I am.
5 Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths,
And my age is as nothing before You;
Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor.Selah
6 Surely every man walks about like a shadow;
Surely they busy themselves in vain;
He heaps up riches,
And does not know who will gather them.
And what is the measure of my days,
That I may know how frail I am.
5 Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths,
And my age is as nothing before You;
Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor.Selah
6 Surely every man walks about like a shadow;
Surely they busy themselves in vain;
He heaps up riches,
And does not know who will gather them.
7 “And now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You.
8 Deliver me from all my transgressions;
Do not make me the reproach of the foolish.
My hope is in You.
8 Deliver me from all my transgressions;
Do not make me the reproach of the foolish.
...............................
Psalm 40: 1 - 17
I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.
3 He has put a new song in my mouth—
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the Lord.
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps.
3 He has put a new song in my mouth—
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the Lord.
4 Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust,
And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
5 Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works
Which You have done;
And Your thoughts toward us
Cannot be recounted to You in order;
If I would declare and speak of them,
They are more than can be numbered.
And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
5 Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works
Which You have done;
And Your thoughts toward us
Cannot be recounted to You in order;
If I would declare and speak of them,
They are more than can be numbered.
6 Sacrifice and offering You did not desire;
My ears You have opened.
Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.
7 Then I said, “Behold, I come;
In the scroll of the book it is written of me.
8 I delight to do Your will, O my God,
And Your law is within my heart.”
My ears You have opened.
Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.
7 Then I said, “Behold, I come;
In the scroll of the book it is written of me.
8 I delight to do Your will, O my God,
And Your law is within my heart.”
9 I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness
In the great assembly;
Indeed, I do not restrain my lips,
O Lord, You Yourself know.
10 I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;
I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation;
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth
From the great assembly.
In the great assembly;
Indeed, I do not restrain my lips,
O Lord, You Yourself know.
10 I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;
I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation;
I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth
From the great assembly.
11 Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O Lord;
Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.
12 For innumerable evils have surrounded me;
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up;
They are more than the hairs of my head;
Therefore my heart fails me.
Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me.
12 For innumerable evils have surrounded me;
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up;
They are more than the hairs of my head;
Therefore my heart fails me.
13 Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me;
O Lord, make haste to help me!
14 Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion
Who seek to destroy my life;
Let them be driven backward and brought to dishonor
Who wish me evil.
15 Let them be confounded because of their shame,
Who say to me, “Aha, aha!”
O Lord, make haste to help me!
14 Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion
Who seek to destroy my life;
Let them be driven backward and brought to dishonor
Who wish me evil.
15 Let them be confounded because of their shame,
Who say to me, “Aha, aha!”
16 Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
Let such as love Your salvation say continually,
“The Lord be magnified!”
17 But I am poor and needy;
Yet the Lord thinks upon me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Do not delay, O my God.
Let such as love Your salvation say continually,
“The Lord be magnified!”
17 But I am poor and needy;
Yet the Lord thinks upon me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Do not delay, O my God.
I could go on and on because I LOVE talking and yes, I talk through my posts as if they were conversations, but that is all for tonight. Please add your thoughts and continue sharing scripture and stories of your own if you would like. The challenges we all endure need the encouragement from experiences and solutions God has given us and also the insight to see what His words says about it all. Be honest, honestly......
Great blog! All of us struggle with these things because we operate on a very small time scale. Our sense of, 'Okay, that's enough,' comes in increments of minutes or hours - maybe days if we believe that we're strong.
ReplyDeleteBut God's sense of, 'Okay, that's enough,' can take years, decades or even centuries!
I believe our biggest problem with God is that we don't understand Him. Our human minds need to be able to qualify things, putting them in the right slot so we have a good bead on them. There is no slot for God - even men and women who study the Bible and have a great understanding of Scripture cannot truly understand God. No one can.
And therein lies the problem.
Jesus was tested in the desert for 40 days - 40 days of no food and water...and THEN God lets the devil tempt him.
The Hebrews were made to wander in the desert for 40 YEARS because they messed up. God forgave them and let the children of those who had messed up enter Canaan but not the original messer-uppers.
I am so glad that we have a NEW covenant with our God. And I pray as often as I can that His testing will end soon and that we will enter into His rest. I mean, heck, I'm over 50 so it should be soon, right? :-)