Division’s Conquest

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1 Corinthian 12:25

“So that there may be no division in the body, but the members may have mutual concern for one another!”

1 Corinthian 13:4-5

“Love is patient, love is kind, it is not envious.  Love does not brag, it is not puffed up. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not easily angered or resentful.”

Proverbs 18:19

“A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city, And contentions are like the bars of a citadel.”

Dividing and conquering can be a great strategy when trying to accomplish a difficult task, but in the case of relationships and the body of Christ, divisiveness accomplishes destruction.  We are stronger when we are united.

One of the saddest things for me to see is when members within a church begin to devour one another.  When hard times hit a church is when true character is displayed in its members – it is also when we need one another the most.

An offended brother is like an unyielding city.  Forget whether or not their offense is legitimate or founded on truth.  Sometimes you can try to be a peacemaker and still receive abusive treatment from a bitter soul.  What then?

Love.  Recently someone spoke bitterly to me right before I was to lead worship.  I had a choice.  I chose love.  When I contemplated the actions later in prayer to God, He gave me compassion for this individual and the knowledge that their perception was misplaced.  I could leave it in God’s loving hands.  I could trade concern over my own hurt to concern over what really created the bitterness in this person’s soul.

I have been crushed in the past by words spoken with an intent to harm, but not this time.  By the grace of God alone, I did not think of self, but instead of the other person and gave it to my God, Who is fully capable of dealing with all hearts, including mine.  The result?  Peace.  Joy.  No anxiety.  This was a major victory and the evil one must have been bummed.

There is no case for self-righteousness, because we are all guilty.  We all hurt from time to time and all want affirmation, but our neediness is best filled by God, not looking to man to justify or accept us.  People will get mad from time to time.  That’s ok.  We cannot please everyone, and our ultimate audience is God alone.

More than being right is the need for the body of Christ to care for one another.  Brothers and sisters shepherding one another’s souls.  No agendas other than God’s glory.  Wouldn’t it be amazing if we all tried for that goal?  Division would quickly turn to multiplication instead . . . multiplied members, gratitude and joy.

Lord, help us to buildup one another and to put to death our hurt feelings which are birthed in pride.  May You be glorified in all circumstances in our lives and in Your church.

Scriptural Sunday: Sacrifice of Praise

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Hebrews 13:15

“Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, acknowledging his name.”

Today as I was leading worship at my church, the LORD was speaking to my heart about a song I had written a few weeks back.  As I prepared to share it with the congregation, my heart’s desire was that the congregation would know that the message in this song was for them, that God loves them so much.  I prayed for healing and that they would know He came for an imperfect, broken people; that His love and grace cover all of our sorrows and shame.

Sometimes people do not understand how someone could stand in front of 500 people, or in front of anyone, for that matter, and sing a song.  What drives a singer/songwriter to do that?  A sacrifice of praise.

Innately, I am a shy person who wept when the LORD first called me to be on the stage to share songs before man.  I grew up playing a mini-tuba (ok, I could say Euphonium, but most of you would probably not know what that was, lol), with the music stand in front of my face so no one could see me.  Now I have a piano in front of me that I have played and led worship with for 24 years.  I like it that way.  Somehow I am hidden and people will see Jesus, not me.

God is glorified in the weak things, and when He enables me to step out of my shy place of comfort to testify how Holy and awesome He is, it is a miracle indeed!  It is an incredibly humbling experience to share a song that was between me and God.  It is as if it is a part of my soul that I am being vulnerable enough to share as an offering – a private moment of worship and thanksgiving to my God, released as a fragrant aroma to Him.

All too often musicians can feel, though, that they are being evaluated – their motives, their desires, their performance. What was acceptable to God can be picked apart.  This speculation makes it even more difficult to step out, but passion for worship of God drives the worship leader on.  If you have ever wondered what is going on in the mind and heart of a worship leader, know that they are imperfect beings who long to worship God and feel an accountability to do so with a pure heart.

We all share our abilities to serve the body of Christ, but ultimately, all our talents are presented to the King of kings as a gift for Him.  Some serve God by greeting the congregation, some serve by caring for children.  Some teach, some preach, some clean, some serve refreshments, some work the sound system and some sing and play instruments.  All are needed and important, all are an offering.

Not one role should be evaluated as better than another.  Jealousy can lead to a bitter root and cause divisiveness that should not take place in the body of Christ when we consider that our positions might look different, but all are an offering to Him.  We would not want to complain about our place and dismantle the sacrifice of praise while we pursue our own glory. It is in those moments that we have to remember Whose glory we are seeking and to just love one another.  That is part of the sacrifice – loving one another despite our different positions in the body of Christ.

If you serve on the worship team, God bless you!  Your labor is not in vain!  If you are led each Sunday by someone serving on the worship team, please encourage these worshipers.  Their hearts are poured out for you and for God.  Indeed, it is a sacrifice but an amazing privilege, as well.

Lord, be glorified in our lives in our worship of You, in everything we do.  Whether we worship You through singing, serving, or in everyday life, may all of it be pleasing in Your sight.

If this blog has ministered to you, perhaps the music ministry of Seeing Deep will, too!  We are raising support to record a new CD.  You can be a part and pre-order the music at: http://www.pledgemusic.com/seeingdeep

Promoting Justice in an Unjust World

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Isaiah 56:1

This is what the LORD says, “Promote justice! Do what is right! For I am ready to deliver you; I am ready to vindicate you openly.

Isaiah 1:17

Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.

Isaiah 33:5

The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with his justice and righteousness.

Micah 6:8

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

We live in an unjust world, filled with people proclaiming their right to sin, no matter who it impacts.  What is justice? Defined by the latest trend or political whim, justice is relativistic to a godless society.  Oh, if we ever needed Him, it is now.

God is just – how can he permit such wicked oppression on this earth?  Man sure likes to blame God for the mess we have created.  We want our way – free will – but then we do not want to blame ourselves for the fruit of the choices made with our choices.  He is asking us to choose to defend justice – to love mercy, to be His agents on this earth.  What does this look like in America?  God help us to be obedient.

How do we help people, suffering on the other side of the world from the tyrannical evil of those who force their own brand of justice on their victims?  Do we only care when it is on our soil?  If we are called to promote justice and told that He requires us to act justly, we cannot sit idly by while injustice is filling our world, but what are we to do?

Whatever position we are in, we must use for God’s glory and to help others.  Praying for the persecuted is something we all can do, but how can we defend them?  I admit that I have felt that I am not in a position that can impact the evil playing out on the world stage.  But can I?  If prayers of those in Christ are effectual, we must step up our prayers for those in positions of power to act in accordance with God’s will.  On a local level, what injustices are transpiring?  Abortions? Children in need of care?  Are there organizations we can contribute to, who are able to act where we cannot?

Sometimes we might not want to ask God to open our eyes, because our hands will get dirty.  We will be inconvenienced.  It is not an easy thing to get involved.  But we cannot keep our eyes closed any longer.  We need to believe that God will grant us the grace and strength to do His will, especially when it seems too difficult for us.  When I chose to adopt my son, Samuel, it was very challenging – a hardship in many ways.  The challenges of developmental delay and being cheated while trying to help one child were seemingly insurmountable.  But I will never ever regret that choice.

God has treated us better than we deserve.  We have been given mercy when truly His justice would have required our judgement.  May this grace that has been given to us serve as an impetus for us to extend similar grace to others who desperately need it.

God, please help us to see the needs all around us and to act.  Show us where we can serve You and promote Your love and forgiveness to others.

Thoughtful Thursday: The Righteous vs. the Unrighteous

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Psalm 36:1-4

“For the music director; written by the LORD’s servant, David; an oracle. An evil man is rebellious to the core. He does not fear God, for he is too proud to recognize and give up his sin.  The words he speaks are sinful and deceitful; he does not care about doing what is wise and right.  He plans ways to sin while he lies in bed; he is committed to a sinful lifestyle; he does not reject what is evil.”

Malachi 3:18

“Then once more you will see that I make a distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between the one who serves God and the one who does not.”

1 John 3:7

“Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Jesus is righteous.“

Psalm 38:18

“Yes, I confess my wrongdoing, and I am concerned about my sins.”

Psalm 45:7

“You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of joy above Your fellows.”

No one is righteous, no not one, and yet God counts us as righteous.  How can this be?  The blood of Jesus Christ covers our sins and makes us as white as snow.  Such a costly sacrifice should ever be before us, so that we remember the expectation that comes with so magnificent of a gift.

In this politically correct society, we dare not say that some are wicked and some are more righteous than another, but God has said it in His Word.  Of course I am not suggesting that we go around judging one another and compare our own righteousness – that is folly.  We, who have nothing good in us are not capable of judging another man’s heart, but these Scriptures above help us to examine our own hearts.

The deeds of the wicked are obvious, but the thoughts of the heart are not.  I love the word, “practices” used in the the book of 1 John, above.  It does not indicate that I am trying to be righteous in my own strength, but rather seeking after God and living in such a way as to follow after Jesus.  We will never arrive to perfection on this earth.  We practice because we are ever in the company of our flesh that we must be constantly putting to death.  How do we recognize our faults? Looking into the mirror of God’s Word.

By recognizing our wickedness and confessing our sins, we find mercy and are filled with joy.  Living the godly life is not a miserable, boring life.  It is living as God intended – having fellowship with Him and loving others.  Living for the flesh is a miserable account; especially if you belong to the Kingdom of God – the Holy Spirit will chase you down.  Thank God that He has left us with a Helper.  We do not have to live in ignorance of our sin anymore.

The biggest difference between the righteous and unrighteous is conviction.  The unrighteous do not care that they are sinning; they consider it folly to be concerned with sin.  The righteous are stricken to the core for their sin and troubled enough with their sin to run to the One Who can heal them.

God reveals our sins to us because He loves us.  A sinful lifestyle harms us and separates us from Himself.  We might recognize sin in others, but God did not ask us to seek out other’s sins.  If we see sin in another person, may we be humble enough to see that we are no better and approach in gentleness with redemption being the goal, not accusation.

The church is God’s agent on this earth to reveal our condition before a Holy God and to share God’s salvation.  All to often we find judgement and shunning – even in the body of Christ – because we see some imperfection in one another.  This is laughable – if we could only accept one another because we were perfect, there would not be one member in the body of Christ.  We were meant to be a light to extinguish sin in the world, not a judge waiting to condemn, when we have received mercy ourselves.  Sin kills – are we going to let another soul die?

By God’s grace, we are no longer numbered as unrighteous; may we never forget that.  But may we also never forget what it was like to be unrighteous and seek to be the hands and feet of Jesus, throwing a lifeline to the lost, so that they may be found.

Lord, I am forever grateful that You opened my eyes to see my sin and saved me.  Please help the church to hate the sin but love the sinner, that Your amazing gift of salvation can reach more people and rescue them from sin and death.

Worshipful Wednesday: Provision of Promises

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Psalm 37:30-40

“30 The godly speak wise words and promote justice. 31 The law of their God controls their thinking; their feet do not slip. 32 Evil men set an ambush for the godly and try to kill them. 33 But the Lord does not surrender the godly, or allow them to be condemned in a court of law. 34 Rely on the Lord! Obey his commands!  Then he will permit you to possess the land; you will see the demise of evil men. 35 I have seen ruthless evil men growing in influence, like a green tree grows in its native soil. 36 But then one passes by, and suddenly they have disappeared!  I looked for them, but they could not be found.  37 Take note of the one who has integrity! Observe the godly!  For the one who promotes peace has a future. 38 Sinful rebels are totally destroyed; evil men have no future. 39 But the Lord delivers the godly; he protects them in times of trouble. 40 The Lord helps them and rescues them; he rescues them from evil men and delivers them, for they seek his protection.”

We cannot fully appreciate the grace of God until we understand salvation and what we were saved from.  Nor can we really apprehend God’s promises until they are all we are holding onto.  Until we have walked in the steps of suffering, we do not need to hang onto the precious promises contained in this chapter of Psalms and they will be a concept we learn and trust in by faith.

When we consider this reality of suffering, gratitude for the challenges of this life consumes us.  We recognize that we would not have the relationship with God if it were not for struggles that cause us to turn our face upward.  Sure, it would be great if we did not have to walk through dark valleys to appreciate God, but our nature is to crave comfort, not trials.  Our relationship with God would be shallow and we would not know the joy of intimacy with God.

These promises are completely free – for those who qualify.  I know, there is always a kicker to gaining promises.  But the thrill of this Good God is that living in the manner prescribed by God is the most blessed life, anyway.  When we are immersed in His word, His Spirit quickens our hearts to do what is right.  What kind of God would save us, provide promises to encourage us to keep pressing on, then remind us through His Holy Spirit and then enable us?  God Almighty.

Those who study His Word are apt to want to keep it.  Some think of it as brainwashing, but meditating on God’s word is life to our soul, not mere religion nor an attempt to just reform our external behavior.  The Word of God has power to change us from the inside out.  What an awesome God who set a standard, instructs us how to walk in that standard, gives us an incentive to follow His precepts, then grants us grace and forgiveness when we fall short.

Especially precious to me is when I read specific examples of God’s action in the lives of His children, like in this scripture passage above, and see times when God honored those very same promises in my life.  I praise God today for the fact that He makes promises to us at all.  We certainly do not deserve it, but He is the Covenant Maker and Keeper who faithfully continues to show us signs of His never-ending kindness and mercy.

Lord, thank You for providing for the righteous demands of Your law and graciously giving us promises to hold onto when life sends us on different roads we never thought we would travel.

The Higher Goal of God’s Deliverance

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1 Samuel 1:10

“She was very upset as she prayed to the LORD, and she was weeping uncontrollably.”

1 Samuel 2:1-3, 9

1 Hannah prayed, “My heart rejoices in the Lord; my horn is exalted high because of the Lord.  I loudly denounce my enemies, for I am happy that you delivered me. 2 No one is holy like the Lord!  There is no one other than you!  There is no rock like our God!  3 Don’t keep speaking so arrogantly, letting proud talk come out of your mouth!  For the Lord is a God who knows; he evaluates what people do. 9 He watches over his holy ones, but the wicked are made speechless in the darkness, for it is not by one’s own strength that one prevails.”

Each day, I am amazed how God speaks to just what I need to hear.  This blog is written directly out of my devotion time, which is from a bible-in-a-year plan.  Yet in God’s sovereignty, He uses right where I am at in His Word to speak to me. What an awesome God.

Hannah’s story has always been special to me.  God sees our longings, but fulfills them in accordance with His will and timing.  Her response is so humble and surrendered to God.  In the face of a rival mocking her for her perceived inferiority because she could not bear children, she cried out to her God.

Don’t we all not measure up somehow, in someone else’s eyes?  Hannah suffered from the onslaught of minimizing, but it was not so much her concern for Penninah’s opinion.  She did not get involved with the small-minded desire to be esteemed by others or to have what others had for vanity’s sake.  No, she longed to be a mom.  The pain and shame of not being able to bear children stemmed from her innate, God-given role as a woman.  God honored this desire.

The sting of a longing unfulfilled can paralyze us if we let it.  But in this beautiful moment of Hannah’s submission to God’s will, she wipes away her tears and trusts in God.  When God granted her request, she praised Him and then gave back this cherished gift to her God.  Our tendency as humans is to want to hold onto God’s provision, but Hannah knew that Samuel, her precious son, was God’s and not hers.  Ultimately, her desire to honor God brought about more blessing for her and five more children.

More than victory over those who would demean her, Hannah had a joy in her relationship with her LORD and had gained something even more precious – character.  Humility gained from other people’s judgment is a reward, too.  It teaches us perspective and guards us from living to please man and reminds us that none of us are without fault.

Overly being concerned with man’s affronts is not righteous.  Jesus modeled this heart of humility when false accusations were hurled at Him and He is the only One in whom there was not a hint of truth in his enemy’s rants.  He was spat upon and murdered and responded by praying on behalf of those who wished Him harm.

Letting go of the idol of currying man’s favor is a beautiful place of peace and freedom.  Hannah was not trying to be glorified by man or be the best at anything.  She was not concerned with other people’s perception of her, and when Penninah’s judgment hurt, she ran to her Father – and He heard.

Man’s opinion is insignificant in the scope of eternity, but our response reveals pride and insecurities or trust and surrender to God.  Hannah chose the latter and glorified God, not herself.  We can, too.  Her “ladder” was leaned against God, not the culture.  Her greatest goal was not being right or triumphing over her enemies, but in glorifying God and being found in Him.

Lord, help us to be in the world and not of it.  May we care more about pleasing you than anything or anyone else.

The Goal of Selflessness

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Genesis 44:33-34

“So now, please let your servant remain as my lord’s slave instead of the boy. As for the boy, let him go back with his brothers.  For how can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? I couldn’t bear to see my father’s pain.”

Philippians 2:4

“Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well.”

2 Corinthians 6:3

“We do not give anyone an occasion for taking an offense in anything, so that no fault may be found with our ministry.”

What a beautiful picture this is of selflessness.  Although Judah had spared his brother’s life before by suggesting they sell Joseph into slavery rather than killing him, Judah had finally seen that his former jealousy hurt others.  He had robbed his father of a son and was now willing to take the place of another brother, rather than see his father suffer anymore.

Jealousy is an ugly thing.  Striving for favor instead of being content with what God has provided is prideful.  Condemning others as if we hold the one correct view is sinful, yet we do this even in the body of Christ.  Why?  Self preservation. Defending self when we have been unfairly judged is understandable, but is it really the highest goal?  I know, I know. More death to self.  Ugh.  I feel it, too.

Don’t worry – dying to self does not mean we do not matter.  Biblically, we are to be concerned about our own lives, as well, but not myopically focused on self alone.  Deference hurts, especially when you have been wronged, but ultimately not one of us is always in the right.  Seeking God’s glory in the matter is paramount and helps to clear up our vision.

As we all want to have people believe the best in us, so must we extend this grace.  The church is a place where people should not be condemned for being imperfect, for we would all be condemned then.  As Christians, we cannot think that we are better than our fellow brother or sister.  No, we are all in the trenches side by side, working out character and sharing the Gospel.  Instead, humility and grace lived out and generously bestowed is demonstrated by loving one another in the face of rejection and hurt.  God help us to do so.

This weary world always has some new drama to unfold; someone who is not happy with you, or someone wanting “our” position.  But when we see everything we have as not ours in the first place, we have no need to defend self or hang onto anything.  Since we are hidden in Christ, He is our Defender and ultimately the harm others do to us is not to us at all.

Lord, help us to seek the best for others and favor them above ourselves.  May we be sensitive about Your Name being glorified by how we live and not as sensitive about ours.  Everything You have given us to do is about You. 

Scriptural Sunday: How We Treat One Another

Matthew 25:35-40

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,  I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’  Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?  And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’  And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”

I have always thought of the above verse as it concerned doing good deeds and kindnesses for others, but today I think of it differently.  Have we gossiped about a brother or sister in Christ?  We did it to Jesus, instead.  Have we held a grudge against someone?  We held a grudge against God.  Have we spoken harshly to someone?  Minimized another?  Self righteously judged another person, made in the image of Christ?  We judged Christ.  God, forgive us.

It sure hurts to be on the receiving end of such treatment, but that can hopefully serve as an encouragement to not treat others in a similar manner.  Recognizing that all who follow Christ will be misunderstood from time to time and mistreated can help us avoid the needless pity parties and martyr complex, too, but Christ can comfort us in those times.

God help us to love on one another.  It’s a tough world out there and we all could use some encouragement.  Caring for the hurting, resisting judgment and replacing it with grace.  That’s what Jesus would do, and He loves to answer our prayers so we would be enabled to do the same thing.  Praise His Name!

Lord, forgive us when we have selfishly put others down for our own glory and heal us when others have done the same to us.  Our lives are all for Your glory, LORD.  May we treat one another in a way that pleases you.  Love You, LORD!

Not in Vain

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Isaiah 49:1b

The Lord summoned me from birth; he commissioned me when my mother brought me into the world.

Isaiah 49:4

But I thought, “I have worked in vain; I have expended my energy for absolutely nothing.” But the Lord will vindicate me; my God will reward me.

Isaiah 49:5-6

So now the Lord says, the one who formed me from birth to be his servant – he did this to restore Jacob to himself, so that Israel might be gathered to him; and I will be honored in the Lord’s sight, for my God is my source of strength – 6 he says, “Is it too insignificant a task for you to be my servant, to reestablish the tribes of Jacob, and restore the remnant of Israel? I will make you a light to the nations, so you can bring my deliverance to the remote regions of the earth.” 7 This is what the Lord, the protector of Israel, their Holy One, says to the one who is despised and rejected by nations, a servant of rulers: “Kings will see and rise in respect, princes will bow down, because of the faithful Lord, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen you.” 8 This is what the Lord says: “At the time I decide to show my favor, I will respond to you; in the day of deliverance I will help you; I will protect you and make you a covenant mediator for people, to rebuild the land and to reassign the desolate property. 9 You will say to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’ and to those who are in dark dungeons, ‘Emerge.’ They will graze beside the roads; on all the slopes they will find pasture. 10 They will not be hungry or thirsty; the sun’s oppressive heat will not beat down on them, for one who has compassion on them will guide them; he will lead them to springs of water.  11 I will make all my mountains into a road; I will construct my roadways.” 12 Look, they come from far away!  Look, some come from the north and west, and others from the land of Sinim!  13 Shout for joy, O sky!  Rejoice, O earth!  Let the mountains give a joyful shout!  For the Lord consoles his people and shows compassion to the oppressed.

To those who watched as Christ was crucified, it might have seemed as if His work was all in vain.  He, who was to restore Israel, was nailed to a cross, along with the hopes of those who were looking to Him.  If my Redeemer, my Messiah, knew what it was to be rejected despite being God in the flesh, I should expect nothing less as His servant.

We, too, were chosen before the world began.  God knew all of our days before one began.  He is not surprised when we are rejected or when we are seeking to do His will and are met with adversity.  Instead, He uses it all to fulfill His plan.

This world has a lot of politics and striving.  Sometimes we can feel insignificant with our little portion that we offer for God’s service.  But God sees.  When people denounce us for their own gain, or try to minimize His calling on our lives, His will still stands.  Worry is gone, because of the sovereignty of God, nothing is ever in vain.  Our work might be small in man’s eyes, but big or small, it is all for Him.  We might not see the fruit in the here and now, but we can know that all labor done in the LORD is lasting.

When others even within the fold seek to tear down our calling, we have to remember that Christ can relate.  This is expected in the territory of ministry, just harder to bear when it is within the church.  The beauty in it is that God uses it to refine us and make us more like Him.  Recognition is not the goal, but faithfulness to God’s calling.  The only thing in vain is to be concerned with other’s opinion of us instead of pleasing God.

Lord, thank you that Your purposes always stand.  Help us to look to You in the trenches and to not grow discouraged when the work of our hands, all done for You – is rejected by man.

Thoughtful Thursday: Exalted Expectations

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Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Proverbs 23:18

Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

Proverbs 10:28

The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.

Psalm 62:5

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. 

Philippians 4:6

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Philippians 1:20

As it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.

At the root of every heartbreak and every discouragement was once a hope or an expectation.  Sometimes life feels like one big carrot thrust in front of us, full of promise.  Then the carrot is taken away, like a big tease.  What do we do then?  Look for the next carrot, maybe?  That next carrot might be even worse than the former one.  What then?

God placed eternity in our hearts and placed us in this time and space, knowing our complete story.  That brings comfort to my soul, but I sure wish at times that I could know what is coming up ahead.  Well, at least I think I do. But in all honesty, if I had known some of the sorrows I was to face ahead of time, I do not know that I would have operated in the same grace as when those things unfolded.  Fear would have likely gripped my heart and I would have tried to impede the suffering ahead of time.  Probably would have complicated matters worse, instead of simply trusting God in all circumstances.  Ironically, I would have potentially missed an even greater blessing that God had planned – I just could not see it in the middle of the carnage of fallen expectations.

If our hope is in some relief or escape from the pain of our expectations being crashed, that is a shallow hope compared to waiting to see what God is going to do with our mess.  Instead of expecting everything to go our way, despite the fact that we are obviously impacted by every turn of this wild ride called life, what if we were, instead, to look eagerly to the LORD to see what He brings about?

Manipulating circumstances to avoid something terrible is attempting to operate as a god, and last I checked, that does not work out too well.  Surrendering the idol of our expectations to God in submission to His will and plan is placing our lives in the hands of the one true living God – a much safer place than in the hands of fallible man.

I like to know where I am going and am not terribly fond of surprises.  Bottom line – I think most of us probably prefer life to be problem-free, but that is not a likely scenario in a fallen world.  What is known and certain is that God knows it all, and He is in control, even when everything seems out of control.  Praise His Name!

Lord, thank You that You never abandon us.  I am amazed at how You can take every situation, every circumstance and turn it around for your glory and our ultimate good.  Help us to trust You while we wait on You.  Thank You, Father, for not granting expectations that You know would ultimately harm us.  You are good all the time and You are Sovereign – even when our expectations are unfulfilled.