I like to get from Point A to Point B in about 30 seconds. I like outcomes and success stories. Yes, sometimes I even peek at the end of a book to see what's going to happen.
Blame it on my impatience, maybe. I don't like the journey from one thing to another unless I somehow know exactly how it will end - And I only know that if I use enough of my imagination to convince myself what I think will happen.
God has an aerial view of each of our lives (Matthew 10:29-30) and all of history. Not only is He aware but He controls. I find gracious comfort in His sovereignty in my life (Ephesians 1:11) and over all of life (Colossians 1:16-17).
The ground isn't that pretty.
I am a goal-oriented person. I like check marks and cross offs. I may or may not put "Make coffee" on my to-do list, so that I can cross it off. 😏My head is always downward trying to do some mundane task that gets me nowhere.
I create a long-term goal, then complete the small goals to get to the big goal. Realistically, this is a pretty great idea on how to accomplish things. Maybe you do this at work to complete a project or at home to finish remodeling a bathroom.
But following God isn't a goal or a checklist. It's a lifestyle.
I may feel God leading me a certain way, then begin to vision my life a certain way in the next few years because of it. I start to put my hands to the plow and push ahead staring down and working hard. My hard work is noble and sometimes very necessary.
But I don't think that my tiresome chores really give me a good perspective of Who God is.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth."
Interruptions are part of the plan.
God may have given you a task to do, and it gets interrupted by some distraction or by a terrible trial. He may have lead you to a place that leads to two different God-glorifying choices.
It'd be much more relaxing to cozy up and read the next chapter of your life so you know what's going to happen or know what decision to make.
However, God's ending chapter doesn't end with our life. The story He writes never ends. His purposes and plans graciously include us somewhere between when time began and when He will rule perfectly in New Jerusalem.
What a thought! That He would use us to accomplish His ultimate purpose of glorifying Himself.
That doesn't seem too easy when a cancer diagnosis is just spoken or when a friend betrays a relationship or when making a decision of when and if to grow a family.
He never expects us to understand. We desire and hope to understand, but I think we'd be more stressed out if we did. He only expects trust and obedience.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lead on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV)
Casting all your anxieties on Him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7 ESV)
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28 ESV)
Jesus had interruptions too.
One of my favorite stories in the Bible is when Jesus is going to heal Jairus' daughter and gets "interrupted."
And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” And he went with him.
And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” But overhearing[e] what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus[f] saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat. [Bold emphasis added] (Mark 5:21-43 ESV)
Jesus was 100% God and 100% man. I assume that He was somewhat of a goal-oriented individual. He was a carpenter most of His life, so he had deadlines to meet and things to accomplish each day. Here He is in a swarm of people, and He gets interrupted the first time by Jairus to come heal his daughter. Then, He gets interrupted a second time by this woman who wanted to be healed.
Jesus knew and understood (quite obviously better than we do) that God's work is never finished and that God's work isn't a straight line from Point A to Point B.
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