| |
A few years ago I had the father of one of my former students day suddenly. He had been sick for a little while, but he had began to improve and then suddenly he passed on. For those that have been regular readers of this site, you know a similar thing happened to the wife of fellow East Tennessee blogger, Atomic Tumor, last year. Over the last 30 or so years I have seen similar things happen several other times as well. I mention these things to point out how unsure we are of tomorrow and that we need to be about the work that we are called too today.
Moving on -
Isaiah 41:9 I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, `You are my servant'; I have chosen you and have not rejected you.
Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:11 "All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish.
Isaiah 41:12 Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them.Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all.
Isaiah 41:13 For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.
Isn't it great that we have nothing to fear when we go into battle for God. His chosen people are victorious before the battle is even joined. I know that I personally forget that many times. I get concerned about how a situation will work out. I begin to wonder how God will provide this time. Regularly, I have to remind myself that the issue is already resolved. I have also learned that in time I will see God's will and direction in the outcome.
In hindsight I always see the problem, and it is simple. I try to get ahead of God. I begin to think about the victory before He is even ready to show me where I am going to do battle. God has a time, a place, and a purpose for everything. It is not our place to determine His time, place or purpose, yet we assume it is many times. We do this because we convince ourselves that our labor is vital to His work. The truth is a 180 degrees from that though. His work is what makes our labor useful. The victory is won by Him. He then allows us to share in the celebration and spoils.
Our enemies will not just be defeated by God, they will be disgraced by Him. That is not for the benefit of our ego, but for the benefit of the Kingdom. That way all will know who was the victor and who was defeated. No one will be left to wonder about the outcome, and the defeated foe can not try to "re-tell" the event and change the outcome. God wants His victories to be noticeable and definite. He wants all to see and know who is the one true commander. To me that means He also wants us to be proud of the victories that He wins for us.
To many times I think we try to move past the victory to quickly. God wants us to find and learn the vital lessons that He has for us in the victories. He wants us to learn from His acts, not just be expectant for the next battle and victory because we are always in a hurry to see the end result.
God is not about human time, He is about eternal time and eternal victory. It is our short sightedness and ill directed motives that distract from His work. The great thing though is that no matter how hard we work to foil and distract God from His work our missteps accomplishes nothing. God is going to complete His work, with His people, in His time.
Isn't it great to be the chosen servant of the almighty God that chooses to use us to advance His kingdom instead of the rocks, birds, and animals that would ALWAYS do His will. Free will is an amazing gift, even when we miss use it.
Have a great day and remember that the victory is already won, no matter the battle, and no matter the odds. This is not because of our greatness or worth, but because of the greatness and worth of the one we serve. Stay strong, be courageous, and serve Him mightily today. |
|
