“It is only as we have been through the darkness with Him that… the ‘Why?’ becomes unimportant… we believe that God can and will redeem the pain for our good and His glory.... When I put the sovereignty of God beside His unfailing love, my heart can rest.” Verdell DavisI had another post recently entitled, "Why Me?" We all wonder why things happen as they do at times but sometimes we get stuck in the "Why" and never move past it. We can get to the point where the "Why" becomes unimportant in light of "Who" God is in our lives. This is one of the most difficult concepts to explain and understand and the way to get to that place is also difficult to explain and understand.
A long time ago I became a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. This didn't happen until I finally came to the realization that although I thought I was a Christian, I was not. I think a lot of people are confused by the term "Christian". Saying you are a Christian does not make you one. Going to church does not make you one. Growing up in a Christian home does not make you one. Living in the United States of America does not make you one. There is only one way to become a "Christian" or a Christ follower and that is to follow Him! You cannot pick and choose which of His statements to follow. You need to be earnestly seeking to follow all of His statements, even the difficult or uncomfortable ones. But in order to follow these statements, you need to spend time getting to know what these statements are by reading His words and meditating on them. If you begin to seek Him in earnest, you will find Him...and the more you seek Him the easier it will become to follow Him.
Someone said to me once, "You need to become so close to God that your will and His will become one will." This can never happen if you don't know who He is. Our whole purpose in this life is to know Him and to do His will. If we get to the point where we are no longer concerned about what we want and we are only concerned with what He wants, then we will be on the road to the "Why" becoming unimportant. We will be at the place where our trust in Him, His sovereignty, and His love will overshadow our own desires, our own fears, our own inadequacies. He uses broken vessels. He is a master at making broken things whole, perfect, and complete. But the key to this for us is complete and total surrender of ourselves to Him. Oswald Chambers said, "After surrender – what? The whole of the life after surrender is an aspiration for unbroken communion with God." Unbroken communion with God is the place we want to be. It is the place where the "why" becomes unimportant.
Placing our trust in Him is a continual, every day affair. We can't do it once and consider it done. We have to keep placing our trust in Him daily, and even moment by moment. We have to make a conscious, purposeful effort to do this and we cannot take it lightly. "And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; the God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence. I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies." 2 Samuel 22:1-4 (KJV)
"To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse." Psalm 25:1-3 (NIV)
"Light, space, zest— that's God! So, with him on my side I'm fearless, afraid of no one and nothing. When vandal hordes ride down ready to eat me alive, those bullies and toughs fall flat on their faces. When besieged, I'm calm as a baby. When all hell breaks loose, I'm collected and cool. I'm asking God for one thing, only one thing: To live with him in his house my whole life long. I'll contemplate his beauty; I'll study at his feet. That's the only quiet, secure place in a noisy world, the perfect getaway, far from the buzz of traffic. God holds me head and shoulders above all who try to pull me down. I'm headed for his place to offer anthems that will raise the roof! Already I'm singing God-songs; I'm making music to God. Listen, God, I'm calling at the top of my lungs: 'Be good to me! Answer me!' When my heart whispered, 'Seek God,' my whole being replied, 'I'm seeking him!' Don't hide from me now! You've always been right there for me; don't turn your back on me now. Don't throw me out, don't abandon me; you've always kept the door open. My father and mother walked out and left me, but God took me in. Point me down your highway, God; direct me along a well-lighted street; show my enemies whose side you're on. Don't throw me to the dogs, those liars who are out to get me, filling the air with their threats. I'm sure now I'll see God's goodness in the exuberant earth. Stay with God! Take heart. Don't quit. I'll say it again: Stay with God." Psalm 27 (The Message)
"Patience is more than endurance. A saint's life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, and He stretches and strains, and every now and again the saint says--'I cannot stand anymore.' God does not heed, He goes on stretching till His purpose is in sight, then He lets fly. Trust yourself in God's hands. Maintain your relationship to Jesus Christ by the patience of faith. 'Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him." Oswald Chambers
The "Why" will become unimportant when we understand that the only important thing is the "Who" that we entrust our lives to. "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God." Psalm 20:7 (NIV)
Dear Lord, We entrust our lives to You no matter what happens. Help us to stay with You, God, even when we don't understand the "Why". Help us to get to the place where the "Why" becomes unimportant and help us to understand that the only thing that really matters is knowing You and serving You.
Photo courtesy of Photobucket.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment