There is a popular Christian quote that says, "If the Lord brings you to it, He will bring you through it." I have used this saying and even shouted on it a couple of times. But a question popped up in my spirit and I thought I would see what the Word has to say about it. The question was, "What if God did not lead you to it? What if it was totally a decision you made on your own?" You did not even think to consult the Lord for advice or direction until something went wrong with the decision you made. I don't know about you, but I don't always consult God in every decision and even sometimes when I do consult Him I decide to go another route, as if God doesn't know what He is doing. Can you relate? You know that day you were sitting at your desk at work, miserable, trying to figure out why you took that job in the first place. You are in a relationship, married or unmarried, and two kids later you see that the situation is not going to get any better. You are living in a city with no friends, no family, all because you followed some man, some woman or just for more money that you thought would bring you happiness, lonely and still unhappy. All of the situations I have described were decisions you made without asking God if that was what you should do. So, does God bring you through even those situations? I say YES, YES, YES!
You see, I have come to realize (to bring into concrete existence) and recognize (acknowledge in a definite way) the power of God. He is sovereign. He can do whatever He wants to do when He wants to do it. If He wanted to put a stop to anything that I had decided in my mind He could. Some things God just allows. The best part about it is that these things still go to serve His design purpose and He is still glorified. I always go back and look at the children of Israel, God's chosen people. I like to make comparisons to my life and also try to learn from their mistakes. But think about it. He delivered them just like He delivered me. I was a slave to sin. Yet even after deliverance they chose to make decisions without consulting God. But God still delivered them when they called to Him and even sometimes before they called. It's like it is when I see my children drowning in the sesspool of their own making. There have been many times that I have rescued them without them asking. It did not matter to me how they got there. It is simply because of who I am.
I thank God for this lesson in who He is. So many times I have set and wallowed around, feeling sorry for myself. I know that the reason I am in this situation is because I didn't bother to ask Him what I should do. There were times that I even felt the urging of the Holy Spirit and I completely ignored it. But I have concluded, my heart is fixed and my mind is made up, that even in my disobedience and lack of trust, God is faithful. He was using these circumstances to teach me total dependence on Him. He was altering all my preconceived notion about what I thought I could do on my own. All the while He was being faithful. It just wasn't about singing a song saying, 'I will trust in the Lord'. I was trusting Him. This meant that I have trusted Him, I am trusting Him and I will trust Him. I Corinthians 1:9 says, 'God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord'. Yes God doe ask some things of us,but His faithfulness does not depend upon whether we decide to do them or not. He is faithful in they way He blesses us and also when He disciplines us. There are many other verses that you can stand on whenever that spirit of doubt tries to creep in: John 16:33, Isaiah 41:10, Psalms 46:1-3, Psalms 55:22, Nahum 1:7, Isaiah 26:3, Lamentations 3:22-23, II Thessalonians 3:3. Mark these verses in your Bible. Write them down. Memorize them. Let them become the very weapon you use when the devil attacks you. The devil loves to try and control your mind. These are just a few verses, but there are many more. Take some time. Learn them. The Bible is full of them. I began this by quoting a popular quote and I am going to end with an even better one....GOD IS FAITHFUL!
Most Gracious Heavenly Father,
I come to you today in the humblest way that I know how, first of all thanking you and praising you for who you are. You are the light of the world. You are my strength, my strong tower, my leaning post. More importantly, you are faithful. I thank you that in spite of my disobedience you are always there to bring me through. You love me even when I don't love myelf. You provide for me. I realize that I would be nothing with You. I submit to your will and to your way. Take complete control of my life. I will follow You Lord wherever you lead. I recognize that You are my everything. In Jesus' Wonderful Name Amen.
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