When the Israelites came to the threshold of the promise land, they rejoiced at the promised abundance of it. The scouts brought back succulent grapes, fruit, and reports of a land flowing with milk and honey. But, they also brought back an evil report of fortified cities and giants. They decided that the land was unconquerable. How can God's promises come to be theirs with such "impossible" obstacles? The Israelites cowered back in fear and didn’t have the faith yet that God would take care of all the opposition.
God often puts us in circumstances beyond our ability or control so that we become desperate for His power. In these times, it becomes apparent that only God's power has the ability to accomplish anything at all on our behalf or for our future. The giants will prove too great and the fortified cities, overwhelming. Only God can conquer the promised land and give it over to us by faith. I am delighting in this simple revelation, that impossible circumstances bring us to the end of self and the beginning of faith. I was worrying and wrestling with God the last two months and not understanding what I was wrestling. But here it is: "Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?"- Galatians 3:3. I love this verse! Here is another version: "Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?"
God will not accept my human efforts. He will totally reject the work of my own hands. Praise the Lord! I cannot "build the house," or make ministry happen, or enact the plans of God with my own understanding. God wants to do these with immeasurably more than all I could ask or think, according to HIS power at work in me. I want to live a life that cannot be explained by the natural, so how can I execute great plans or finish them in the natural? God help me to get out of the way and walk obediently by faith! ..."For whatever is not from faith is sin" - Romans 14:23b. If I can handle and control everything in my life, then it doesn't need the touch of God, and nothing I am doing is greater than myself or eternally profitable. How do I glorify God, if all that happens in my life can be easily attributed to my own crafting and efforts?
"And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”- Luke 18:7-8.
Since we have so many resources, God grant us grace to not try to carry out and finish the great, spirit-inspired ideas in the flesh. Let us not get deceived like the Galatians, or lack faith like the Israelites. And I speak this foremost to myself, who is in most need of this prayer and blog entry. God brings us to a threshold of His power, and He will come through with great glory and faithfulness. It is tempting to think that after God has revealed to me great vision or promises, that He needs my cunning or worrying to complete what He started. I have my own ideas of how God will logically carry out His plans. But sometimes God will seem to be working against Himself, and go about accomplishing the great work He revealed in a way that makes no logical sense. Then like a child, I try to stick out my hand into the potter's wheel thinking that I need to guide it and finish sculpting. "God, you are obviously going about this in the wrong direction, and it's because you need my help." With my befuddled human hands, I only just mess up the perfect work the Master was already doing. So He kindly wrestles me out of the way, and nicely says that He will sculpt to completion better than I could. I am assured, and sit here in humble agreement.
"For we walk by faith, not by sight"- 2 Corinthians 5:7
When God seems to be working against Himself in what He has promised, or is drying up something we thought was a good thing, then let us have faith and cling to His truth and promises.
There are some simple, but powerful promises that we can pray in all circumstances of life:
God, please finish in the Spirit all that You have begun in the Spirit. I know that You will! "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him" - 2 Chron. 16:9a. In my weaknesses, You show Yourself strong; In my faithlessness, You show Yourself faithful, for You cannot deny Yourself. You said that you are able to keep all that we have committed to You. You said that You will perfect that which concerns us. You said that You will fulfill Your purpose for our lives (Ps. 138) and finish the work that you started. God, we defer to Your immeasurable power, timing, resources, and imagination, to accomplish for us and through us, what we are incapable of doing ourselves. Thank you for leading us into a life that is beyond the natural. You will receive glory, when the world sees what can only be explained by the living and powerful, great God. Grant us grace, Your unfailing love, and the gift of faith. Amen!
"Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the people of the world revere him.
For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm"- Psalm 33:9
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