Today was my ladies bible study (Jerry Bridges book, "Trusting God Even When Life Hurts". We just went over a chapter about trusting God in his power over nature (i.e: weather, sickness, disease, infirmity, barren wombs etc). I did not get a chance to share my closing thoughts on this chapter so I came here to do that.
How often we respond to these circumstances with questions of "why God?". There is nothing wrong with being honest with God and voicing these things. Yet, you know what I really am starting to long for? An incredibly deep understanding of the character of God that allows me to bypass this step in processing life. I long for the inner core of me to be so trusting of Him in the most vile of happenings, or the strangest uncertainties, or the most mundane annoyances, that I can just lay back and enjoy the ride.
The question at the end was "How can coming to grips with the fact that God is in control of nature affect your daily life?
My answer:
I think the core of handling the uncertainty of nature is in knowing that God will always provide our needs. He won't give us what we cannot handle through Him. I think he wants to stretch our sense of adventure to live under the mystery of His direction and provision. Sometimes we become like the Old Testament people in the stories and God asks us to set out into the unknown, with unknown resources. He takes away our daily comforts, our stocked pantry, our expected budget, our appointment list and to-do's and throws us out an adventure of His timing and choosing. I think He wants us to experience the greater joy of leaning fully on Him rather than the security of our planned out lives.
That is what I am learning. To find joy in the adventure of God allowing my life to be stirred up a bit. See, the joy comes from knowing that he is orchestrating the events both good and bad, and that the journey may not have a visible end, but a reassuring result. That result it my growth to walk by faith. To play a complete game of trust throughout my whole life and enjoy the thrill of the adventure and that I can't loose when He's in charge. This does not mean that my journey though an adventure, would not have its painful moments. Yet, as I process the pain, I want to be okay with the mystery of the bad as well as the mystery of the good. I want to be totally engulfed in my gratitude to be on the journey as His servant.
3 comments:
Amen! What a good idea to post your answers here on the blog.
It was fun to see you today. I hope you got all your school work done.
I love that you're writing about this and what a wonderful thing to know that we all suffer to know Him deeper, especially with the things we don't understand. I read the other day that Jesus learned obedience through the things he suffered (Heb 5:8). I looked up the greek word for suffer and found it to mean to "experience a sensation or impression: feel, passions, suffer, vex." And learned means in the greek to learn or understand (duh). I know full well what it's like to have $20 in your account and have 10 days to live with nothing in your cupboards to feed your family and your gas tank empty and somehow to make it through and think, "where did our meals come from and how did we get through these days without want or need?!" I always think of the lady with the oil that didn't stop until the pots were full. I think you and I could talk for hours... But what a wonderful thing that you desire to trust Him more as that is His Spirit within you calling you to Himself.
yes, an adventure! mike and i often feel that way.
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