Most
of us are not used to walking by the direction of God's Spirit, nor to obeying
King Jesus each moment of our day, nor to making God's Kingdom a priority in
our daily schedule. Like the man Jesus encountered, we believe, but we need Him
to help our unbelief (Mark 9:24).
Our
total surrender to God often takes place only after a catastrophe that strips
us of every vestige of control that we possess. We are devoid of all natural
resources, and without sufficient ability or direction to go on from this
point.
This
occurred for me when my husband of 22 years decided there was no option for us
but divorce. I had no alimony, no job, no training to procure a job, no home to
live in, and no place to go. This predicament forced me on my face before the
Lord.
I
needed His provision, protection and direction for where to go and what to do
with the rest of my life. Up until this moment, I submitted to my father, and
then to my husband every day of my life, with only a short period alone during
one year in college.
To
help me to overcome the fear that this foreboding time birthed within me, God
taught me to live in the moment. He made the Serenity Prayer a reality in my
life. If I could change a circumstance, I did; if I could not change it, I put
it in God's capable hands.
God
also taught me to live out the advice in Proverbs 3:5-6 for each new moment in
time. I picked apart each phrase in those verses and made them the formula for
my life:
1.
To trust in the Lord with my WHOLE heart.
2.
NOT to lean on my human understanding.
3.
To consult the Lord for EVERY new moment of my day.
4.
To have faith in God's faithfulness to direct my steps.
I
also bought a heart-shaped box and wrote my concerns on slips of paper that I
put in the box. Then, when I was tempted to worry about that issue, I would
remind myself that I already placed it in the heart of God. This allowed peace
to rule my heart.
Fear
left as I realized that I was fine in this instant of time, and that God always
supplied all of my needs. My faith grew as I experienced God's faithfulness. I
started looking for His seed for a miracle in every trial, and I have never been
disappointed.
Prayer:
Father
God, how much better our life would be if we could learn from our parents to
live this spirit-filled life, full of trust in our personal relationship with
You, rather than to have to suffer through a life-altering experience to force
us to cast ALL of our cares on You (1 Peter 5:7).
We
would much prefer to live in this abundant, intimate relationship with You from
a young age, rather than to suffer through a major upset before we let go and
let You be You in our life. However, no matter what our age, to live up to our
dying breath without ever having experienced this intimacy available to all of
Your Saints would be an even greater trauma.
Thought
for the Day:
Most
of us are not aware of the depth of intimacy available to us with God's Trinity
within us; therefore, letting go of control, recognizing His voice within us,
and totally surrendering our life to God - letting God be God in our life - is
the hardest discipline for human beings to learn.
