Wednesday, July 18, 2012

I guess I'll have to...

Good Evening Everybody - I hope you had a good day, trusting and obeying, 'cuz you know there's no other way to be happy in Jesus - than to trust and obey Him, right?  I want to share something with you that the Lord gently nudged me about today.  By the way, He has the sweetest, gentlest nudges for His children.  We have all experienced them.  When I'm walking with Him and am aware of my need to be more like Him, I can be gentle in my nudges as well.  My problem comes when I am operating in the flesh.  Mercy, I can nearly knock some one's head off (figuratively speaking) to get my point across.  I know that those of you who know me personally just cannot imagine such a thing, (no raised eyebrows, coughing or clearing of throats).

Today was one of those days when I could not get up to save my life.  My alarm went off, and I didn't even bother to hit the snooze button.  I just turned it off.  I woke up again at 8:30 - just about the time I should be leaving for work.  My first thought was, "I guess I'll have to call and let Mary know I will be coming in later."  As I was fixing my bowl of cereal, I noticed that we didn't have anymore fat free milk.  The only thing left was the 2% that I usually save for Frank.  I thought, "I guess I'll have to drink the 2% this morning and remember to get what I need on the way home from work.

Just think about how many times we resort to that conclusion.  It is always an expression of having to accept something other than our first choice. I guess I'll have to...mow the grass tomorrow since it rained, and it is too wet today; wear this skirt because my other one is in the cleaners; read my Bible tonight since I didn't get up in time this morning.  We can all think of many times we express this sentiment.  It is very common, right?

Here's the point of today's musing.  Read carefully and think about whether or not you have ever been guilty of what I was guilty of today.  As we were getting ready to turn off lights, lock doors, and call it a day, Frank commented about wondering if a rug we had ordered would get here on Thursday or Friday.  These are the words that came out of my mouth.  "Well, I will be home all day on Friday so it won't be a problem; but if it is delivered on Thursday, I'll guess we'll have to trust the Lord to take care of it until we get home because it will be a pretty big object on the front porch that someone could haul off."

Now, the word, "guess" is an expression of uncertainty.  "I'll have to..." is an expression of something I am required to do.   In the moment I made that comment, the Lord gently whispered, "you don't have to guess about my trustworthiness, and you should always place your trust about anything in me first. I shouldn't be your last resort."  I truly don't want to "spiritualize" mundane things to the point of being ridiculous, but I just wonder if we aren't guilty of using the Lord as a last resort instead of the rock and fortress we run to in all of life's situations - good and bad.  I know from the promises of God's Word and my own life's experiences that trust is the most valuable asset I have in Christ.  It is also the more vulnerable.  I can lose my ability to trust the Lord in the moment I let anything come between "my soul and the Savior." The concept of trust is described as the Assured resting of the mind on the integrity, veracity, justice of another.  I become unsure of the condition of my relationship with the Lord, and therefore I am not resting in Him when I "regard iniquity in my heart." I am reminded of a portion of I Samuel 15:22 that says, "obedience is better than sacrifice..." We obey as a voluntary act of the heart because we rest in and trust the promises of God.  Obedience is also acknowledgement of Jesus as Lord in our lives. My desire and fervent prayer tonight is that I will not even think, much less speak the phrase, "I guess I'll have to..." when referencing reliance on Jesus. 


I just thought of the words to a song I have loved all of my life. "I am resting tonight in that wonderful peace, resting sweetly in Jesus' control.  For I'm kept from all danger by night and by day, and His glory is flooding my soul.  Peace, Peace, wonderful peace; coming down from the Father above. Sweep over my spirit forever I pray, in fathomless billows of love."  


Sleep sweet, and rest - with complete reliance on and trust in - the deep billows of His love. He most assuredly can and will take care of the "rugs" of our lives. Approach tomorrow with the joy of the Lord.  He deserves our trust and praise.  Yikes! Makes me want to shout.   How about you?
I'll talk to all of you again tomorrow.  Good Night.  Mecca 

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