Have you ever had those days when you sigh and think "If only I had _______" or "If only I could do __________" and yet by circumstances totally out of your control you realize now is not the time for your dreams to come true?
Now when I say dreams, I'm not referring to little materialistic desires like "I wish I had a Starbucks right now," or "I wish I could buy the latest cell phone." In this case I'm talking about deeper dreams, dreams of salvation for family, dreams of healing for sickness, dreams of hard situations getting easier . . . . I'm sure you could fill in the blanks with your dreams.
No matter where we are in life, we know there are things that we will want to change. Though we may raise our requests to God in prayer, the answer that comes back may be "no" or perhaps "not yet." At that point we have a choice to make, will we accept God's will in contentment or will we continue to pine away for the change we so desire?
Clearly, our Father does not intend for us to fret our lives away yearning for all of our dreams to be fulfilled. Instead He commands us to lay our cares at His feet and to place our trust fully in Him. But not only are we to trust Him, we are to be thankful in every situation. Yes, in everything.
Phil 4:6-7 "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Eph 5:20 "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ..."
1 Thes 5:17-18 "Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."
Consider the flip side for a moment. If we weren't thankful for something what attitude would we be portraying? Would we be second guessing God? Would we be in danger of becoming bitter? When we say that we believe God works all things together for our good, do we truly believe it? Are we willing to let the Potter mold us and shape us through His plans for our lives?
Not only are we to be content in all circumstances (Heb 13:5; Phil 4:11)but we are to be thankful that God in His sovereignty has placed those challenges in our lives. Ultimately, any challenge that presents itself is for our good and His glory. Someday, when we have a bird's eye view of our lives, we will be able to
see how God was there at every twist and turn in the road shaping us and molding us to be more like Him. ~~~
Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find, to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
He Whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what He deems best—
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Work in Progress
This life, therefore, is not righteousness
but growth in righteousness,
Not health but healing,
Not being but becoming,
Not rest but exercise.
We are not yet what we shall be,
But we are growing toward it;
The process is not yet finished
But it is going on;
This is not the end
But it is the road.
All does not yet gleam in glory
But all is being purified. -Martin Luther
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Phil 3
but growth in righteousness,
Not health but healing,
Not being but becoming,
Not rest but exercise.
We are not yet what we shall be,
But we are growing toward it;
The process is not yet finished
But it is going on;
This is not the end
But it is the road.
All does not yet gleam in glory
But all is being purified. -Martin Luther
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Phil 3
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