I'll just write down the things that hit me the most.
Joshua 14:14, Caleb followed God WHOLEHEARTEDLY! (I really want to have that said about me when I die.)
My perspective:
I look at people that I respect or admire, and I feel like a grasshopper in my eyes and theirs.
God's perspective:
We're ALL grasshoppers. God's standard applies to everyone, and each of us fall short of it.
The question is, why did God send out those people to spy out the Promised Land? Did God forget what the land looks like, that there were giants in the land he created?
God wanted them to see, "There's no way you're doin' it on your own."
God wanted them to look around and go, "When this happens, there's gonna be no question that it's God."
God says, "And yeah, you should feel like a grasshopper, but guess what? I'm here! I'm God! I've done it before!"
God says, "Pull the trigger, NOW!" and I say, "Yeah, but..."
Break out of the idea that God's not in control.
2nd Cor 11
The idea is that the blessing just shows more of who God is. Not that we arrive in some spiritual, comfort Disneyland.
Why does God allow us to be in situations that are so hard?
What did Paul get for all of his spiritual revelation and the way God used him? A thorn. A tormentor. So what is his response? To BOAST of his weakness! Actually celebrate it! (Or at least how God can use it, right? "Look, honey, they forgot to tell us we owe $2,400 in property tax. Yay! Not sure how God's going to provide it, but yippee for an opportunity for him to show us He provides in impossible circumstances!")
God says, "Hang in there. This is a process I wanna take you through to bring me glory."
Me: "I canNOT do this, God!"
God: "Exactly right! The perfect position to be in!"
_____________________
May my weakness bring God glory...God knows I have a lot of it.
Specifically, I'm realizing what a horrible listener I can be at times. Over and over, I hurt my friends by giving solutions and prescriptions for their problems instead of just listening and being a friend, or really listening to what they need instead of assuming that what helps me will also help them.
May God turn this weakness into glory, SOMEHOW...that he can still use me to help people really feel his love. I definitely can't do it without him!
And I really don't want to wait 40 more years to enjoy the Promised Land!
What promise are you going to trust in hard circumstances?
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