In the Apr 26 devotional of “My Utmost for His Highest,” by Oswald Chambers, he references Abraham, among others, and his obedience to the point of sacrificing his own son with his own hands (http://www.myutmost.org/04/0426.html). Wow, what an amazing commitment to God. When you hear this story, I’ll bet you react somewhat similarly to me: “I wonder if I would have that kind of obedience.” I have always looked at that story as an inspiration and example of how to give up everything to God, and God’s blessing through it. I think that is good and true. But O.C. mentioned something that absolutely floored me: “Abraham was not a devotee of his convictions, or he would have slain Isaac and said that the voice of the angel was the voice of the devil.” Whoa. I instantly realized that I just might have slain Isaac. With the struggle of obedience, I never considered the other side: selling out to your convictions without continually checking them with and listening to God. A devotee to the conviction, instead of a devotee to God. I heard a preacher give a great example once…he said that following God is like riding a horse. God wants you balanced and on the horse. Satan wants you to fall off that horse, and he doesn’t care which way you fall. The point is that in almost every circumstance, we can fall to either side of God’s path. If we commit to obedience and convictions and passions to the point that our commitment is more to the specific convictions than to God who provides them, then we may severely miss out on the glory of God and what He is doing. This devotional has alerted me to take leaps of faith, obey with self-abandon, and follow the passion God places in me—but not to get so focused on the individual leap, obedience, and passion that I fail to hear God’s voice that never ceases to speak and guide me. Otherwise, I might call it the “voice of the devil” and murder the blessing that God wants to give me. Why would I think that God would stop communicating with me after I respond to a strong conviction? Likely, the opposite is true, so our ears must be continually open to Him.This was so convicting to me…and I love it!
That is very interesting. Not something that I had thought about either! That's definitely a good thing to think about - to keep checking your path with God. Oswald Chambers is pretty insightful. I think that he writes sometimes for "Our Journey"? I went to see James MacDonald last night in Indianapolis - it was a free event. He spoke on trials and he used this really great analogy to ice-ing an injury that I thought you would like! He was a basketball star in high school, but he said once a year he would turn his ankle. He said they take you into the locker room, fill a wastebasket with ice and then fill it with water, and then they tell you to put your foot in the bucket. He said most people can't keep their foot in for a minute because the pain is so intense, but if you can keep it in for a minute that you haven't blown your season. He said if you can keep it in for 2 minutes, that you might be able to play by the end of the month. And if you can keep it in for 3 minutes (he said he'd only been able to do that once), you might play by the end of the week. Anyway, he was preaching on James 1:1-8. The word for patience or steadfastness in that passage translates to hupo-menė - which literally means to "remain under". He then went on to talk about how we cannot come to the joyful conclusion about trials when using gluttony, entertainment, anger, substances, etc... to dull our pain, but that only by "remaining under" can we pass the test. He then gave the test questions - God's test when we are going through a trial. They were:
ReplyDelete1. Do you believe that God is in control?
2. Do you believe that God is good?
3. Are you willing to wait by faith (are you willing to prove it) until you see what God is doing?
Anyway, I thought it was really good and I thought about you and all of the stuff you are going through right now and thought it might be an encouragement! I know that you know most of that stuff, but the ice-bucket analogy has already been helping me look at things differently in my own life. He (James) always says that "God's kids are getting it". And it seems like you are "getting it" right now... but that's a good thing, because it's evidence that God is working on you! Anyway, I love you!
That is an awesome message from James MacDonald. And I’m very happy that you got a chance to go and listen to him in person! I absolutely agree with the point about the trial itself being the catalyst that turns you to God, that God is revealed in a way that you can’t comprehend without that trial. If life was without a single hardship, would we feel a need for anything other than ourselves and this world? Only if we had no sin…Adam and Eve had that for a period. But once we’ve sinned, we have to experience that pain of separation from God or what will turn us back to Him? In fact, that isn't even a cause and effect scenario...sin is the pain of separation from God. In a world of sin, God is shown in contrast…light against darkness, clean against dirty. So trial exposes just how incomprehensibly wonderful God is!
ReplyDeleteAnd I know the temptation of turning to distraction to numb the pain. But would you rather take a pain pill for your cancerous growth or have it removed and be fully healed? Having it removed would hurt much worse at first…much like sticking your foot in an ice bucket…more pain now than the immediate alternative…but less pain, much less pain, in the future because of it. And I really like the 3 questions posed by JM.