Tuesday's Tab

If you're anything like me, you don't like to wait. If you've known me very long you know that I am by nature very impatient. Sometimes I forge ahead, repressing all the warning signs that this may not be the best path for me. When we do that - go forward without God's direction, it usually does NOT bring us happiness and joy, but more often it brings emptiness and longing for more. Through doing it in our own strength we have put our desires above God's plan, and we all know that's not a good thing to do. God has a plan, and His plans and His reasons are beyond our understanding. Our part in the plan is simply to trust and obey. (Isa 55:8-9)



The enemy will do anything and everything he can to keep our faith from growing. He wants us weak and susceptible to attack. As we grow and mature in Christ, the protective wall of faith guarding our heart grows taller, thicker and more resistant to attack. The lack of trust and reliance on God not only makes us more susceptible to the enemy's attack, but it simply keeps us from growing and maturing in God.



We can't just go off and do it "my way" and expect God to come along and "fix" everything that we mess up in the process. Look at James 4:13-16 [NIV] ...



Now listen, you who say "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money. Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say 'if it is the Lord's will we will live and do this or do that.' As it is you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil."

Oh, I know we SAY we trust God, but when it comes down to an emotional situation, will we turn to God and trust Him, or will we try to control the situation ourselves. Yes, I know it sounds easy -- just trust God -- but when you have trusted yourself for so long it is sometimes hard to break that cycle of self-assurance. Maybe when you hurt you go shopping, work more hours or retreat to your favorite "safe" place. All of these actions are fleshly outlets for your pain and self reliance, and they are distractions from truly facing God's plan. God's plan is greater than the pain you are currently experiencing. Things and people will ALWAYS eventually fail us, but God will never leave us (Deut 31:8). Joy is found when we trust in and are obedient to God's plan for our life - even when it's in the middle of the storm. Joy comes from trusting an unknown future to our all-knowing God.

God wants us to put aside everything that keeps me from hearing His voice. When I'm in the middle of emotional turmoil this is really hard for me to do. I tend to try to distract myself with things or other people instead of being still and listening for Him to direct me. God wants our intimacy with Him, and in this place of intimacy we will learn to trust Him and lean on Him ... regardless of the situation. Just remember, intimacy with Him doesn't necessarily happen quickly. Learning to trust doesn't happen in the snap of a finger. It's not a microwaveable situation! Remember Job ... through his perseverance we know what God worked for Him.

Don't be impatient with God. Let Him work His plan in and through you. Let Him be God all by Himself. He's God ... and we're not.