And yet, sometimes I am terrified. Sometimes I am overwhelmed. Sometimes I am blinded to all that I believe because what I see with my human eyes doesn't match what I believe.
Today was one of those days. A situation that God has been giving me victory over became very big and ugly today, and I lost sight of what God has been doing in my life. I began quoting all of the scriptures I remembered concerning the issue, not necessarily even as prayers, but because I couldn't think of anything else to say to God, and I felt like I needed to pray--desperately. I prayed in the spirit because I realized that all too often I have no idea what I truly need, or what the answer is. And in the midst of my craziness, God showed up. He once again showed Himself to be faithful. He did more than I was thinking of at the time, more than I was praying for.
Isn't that just like Him? How often have you spoken His name in the middle of a hopeless situation, and He has shown up in all of His glory and power? How often have you read the perfect verse, or heard just the right song, or had someone say just what you needed to hear at that time?
Romans 8:28 tells us "that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." (NLT--italics mine) Sometimes when we look at a particular situation or relationship, it doesn't appear to have any "God-value" whatsoever. But God weaves the circumstances of our lives together in such a way, that when we see the final product, it is beautiful. (Now, I hope you understand that verse also contains two specific conditions for this promise: love God, and be called according to His purpose for you!) What if God causes these things to become good when we pray and commit them to Him? What if we can't expect God to "cause" anything to become good until we "pause and commit"?
So how do we "pause and commit"? In verses 26-27 we are reminded that the Holy Spirit helps us on our distress, and that He prays for us with groans that cannot be expressed with words, and that the Holy Spirit's prayers are always in accordance to God's will. These verses must be read together with verse 28. So if we want "all things to be caused to work together for our good", we must allow the Holy Spirit to pray God's will for us, and be submissive to that will.
Maybe this isn't the usual blog. Maybe you weren't expecting a theology lesson, but this is where I'm at today. I needed a reminder that God has my best in mind, and I'm guessing some of you did too. As we begin this new year, please allow time to "pause and commit" your life to God--one day, one hour, one situation at a time.
Love and Blessings,
