The single greatest characteristic of the flesh is its insistence on being in control. That's why there is always such a conflict between the flesh and Spirit. (See Galatians 5:17) We want to control our circumstances and, if we can't, we want an explanation from God about why what is happening in our lives is happening -- and it had better be a good reason.
We all want to find relief from the stresses and strains of life. And didn't Jesus promise that He brings us peace? Then how are we supposed to experience it? The answer is to let go of our own life; to lay it down at our Father's feet and recognize that He is in control and not us. The most direct route toward experiencing a sense of peace is to give up our own attempts to be in control and to trust Him.
Our Father is loving and there's no doubt about that. If He is loving and if He is sovereign (and He is both of those), then we can let go and trust Him even when life doesn't make sense. The young couple in the video below model it very well for us all.
The grace walk is a faith walk. Not a faith we muster up by empty words or forced positive thinking, but a faith that comes from knowing who He is and resting in His character when we can do nothing else.
(Thanks to Mike Zenker for sending this video to me)
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Steve,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this. It really spoke to my heart.
I wonder, if God were continuing to write the Bible, if their story wouldn't be in it?
Blessings,
Aaron
Pastor Steve...thank you so much...I'm choking back tears as I watch this...and you just CANNOT know how this spoke to me...to my situation...and the very thing that I have been wrestling with God....and its a confirmation of the very things He spoke to me yesterday...He just wants us...He doesn't need our "help" or for us to try to control it or fix it, or to question why or why not....just to know Him. Trust Him. Love Him. And to abide in Him. Bless you...you are a blessing.
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this. I was wrestling and praying through this very thing today...His goodness and His sovereignty and trying to let go of the stuff that I can't make sense of or control and realizing how much I long to just let go and trust him fully, just because. Beautiful portrait.
ReplyDeleteThis is Sovereign Father intervening. He changed this couple to believe surrender was the idea and it is. As good Father, He gives and takes away, blessed be His Name. In a fallen world we can expect sometimes our prayers are answered with a 'wait' or 'no' and when flesh tries to take the control we can abide by faith and trust in His character. Our sense of what makes sense is tested but comes forth purified, our faith built up. We either learn a lesson or realize a goodness we hadn't before. It's Job's dilemna or James's excellent Father of Lights giving every good and perfect gift. I love you Abba Daddy. Thanks Steve. David Candel
ReplyDeleteGreat blog. It's not about us doing something for Him, it's letting Him work through us that believe. And His will is for us to know His word. We have to know what what He want's from us by reading and studying His word. He speaks to us though it. You can't bake a cake without directions so why do we think we can do anything without God's instructions.
ReplyDeleteWhat's the message here?
ReplyDeleteIf It was God who took this couples son and then gave them another son, the message of Grace just doesn't add up.
"For God so loved the world that he gave is only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him...?
Georgie - the message is that we can trust our heavenly Father in every situation of life, in both our pain and our pleasure. (I'm not sure why you quoted part of John 3:16 here...)
ReplyDeleteSteve, I'm so glad the Lord gave this couple another child! It's so like the 'end' of Job, Joseph, Daniel, Hezekiah,...Mephibosheth!
ReplyDeleteVery moving, it hurts when things happen that we don't understand. But to claim that God somehow purposely detached Himself to teach this sweet couple a lesson about trust should be listed as Lie #102.
ReplyDeleteLife isn't always fair but I will not deny the finished work of Jesus to fit what I sometimes don't understand.
"Would you condemn me to justify yourself" (Job 40:8)
It seems that man's need to be right where it concerns what we are experiencing in life can keep us from discovering God's answer.