Little By Little

And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out (your enemies) from before you. I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild beasts multiply against you. Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and possess the land. Exodus 23:28-30

I like to see change take place, but I also like it to happen at a decent pace. I understand that some things take time and you have to be respectful of the process. I just get genuinely excited about the potential of the future and want to see things happen. It's a good thing God is wiser than me in these moments. 

While I am praying for newness and working hard to make it happen, God makes sure His timeline is the one that takes precedence. Much like the Israelites, God knows what I am capable of handling and He sees layers of complexity that I couldn't imagine. God tells me the same thing He shared back then, "I could give it to you all at once but you couldn't handle it." 

The step-by-step, patient path isn't the easiest to follow, but it's the best one. I'm going to keep trusting His timing and plan over mine. After all, He's got the advantage in perspective.

Monday Is Over

It's been a long Monday filled with a variety of emotions and challenges. It has held moments of triumph, periods of reflection, stimulated thought processes, and yearnings for the future. There have been reminders of the brevity of life, the power of a miracle, the comfort of good friends, and shared prayers. I have witnessed tears, laughter, and beaming smiles. I have felt boldly confident in some of the things that I have said and also been completely flummoxed as to what to do next. Needless to say, there isn't a lot that has been lacking from today on the spiritual spectrum.

In spite of all that today has held, I can still hold onto an essential truth: God is still God and I am not Him. I don't actually harbor any illusions to the contrary, but it brings me great comfort tonight in the face of all that I have been a part of today. Our great King is still in charge and His sovereign plan will be fulfilled. When I don't understand everything I am seeing, this brings me peace beyond my limited understanding.

Coincidentally

I don't believe in coincidences, but in the sovereign plan of God that is always right on time. I've seen so much evidence in my own life of details coming together that I can't attribute it to chance. To  be honest, the statistical odds on things repeatedly coming together at just the right moment are astronomical. On the other hand, to assume that the universe is pulling strings merely for my benefit is demeaning to an all-powerful & all-loving God.

For this all to make sense and for us to find peace in uncertain times, I need to believe that there is a greater plan in play. There is a destiny and purpose that our world is moving rapidly towards and God is working all of the details out for the good of those that love Him. This doesn't mean that I comprehend it all and can even see all of the pieces that are in motion. It does mean that I have put my trust in a God who always seems to bring things together in a way that rejuvenates my faith and validates my confidence in Him. I'll gladly stake a claim on that kind of faith instead of occasional coincidences.

Sovereign

There are some songs that seem to resonate with us more than others. Perhaps it's a better fit with our season of life or with a specific situation. I think that it is often a combination of inspired lyrics and the passionate truth that creates a visceral response within us.

As a pastor, I am often afforded the blessing of seeing the reactions of people during songs. Today I was able to experience this as people responded to a song by Chris Tomlin called, "Sovereign." It simply speaks to God's power to hold all of who we are in His hands and our response of trust. This gives us hope when things have not worked at out as well as we would like. This brings us rest when we know that God can handle all parts of our life. This quiet truth brings us peace when we in a place of unrest. It's a confidence I am grateful to have.

Planned Coincidence

So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters. 

As it turned out, she found herself working in a field belonging to Boaz...Ruth 2:3

Without the benefit of a Biblical history lesson this verse may not make a whole lot of sense. Suffice it to say, Ruth (our heroine) went to work in the exact field that she needed to for the most success. This man (Boaz) possessed high character and was the right family for her to marry into even though that was not her original aim. As it turned out, she was in the best position she could possibly be in for her future.

I don't believe in coincidence. I just can't bring myself to believe that I just happened to cross paths with someone or that it was accidental that I was in the right place at the right time. I've seen far too much evidence in my own life to attribute personal interactions to chance. I instead choose to put my confidence in a divine, sovereign God who sees more than I ever could see. I believe that He is guiding me into scenarios that are directly for my benefit and intended to guide me down the right path. 

Some might argue that my perception of this is irrelevant as long as I accept the "happenstance" and move forward. I would quietly disagree. My faith in God's path helps me to keep my eyes constantly open as I wait for these divine, seemingly random moments to appear. My willingness to recognize God's direction in all of this makes me keenly aware of the value of each interaction and incident in my life. 

Victory

I'm currently reading through the book of Judges and just recently finished the story of Gideon. There are a lot of real life examples for us in his history, but one in particular speaks to our need to depend on God to find success.

Gideon has been charged with engaging the Midianite enemy force in battle. The Israelites are ridiculously outnumbered, but God goes through a process of whittling down their fighting force from 30,000 to 300. It's not the best military strategy I've ever heard of, but God doesn't exactly follow textbook principles anyay. God's motivation (as He shared with Gideon) was for the victory to be credited to Him and not to the might of people. It's not because God is narcissistic, but that in His perfect nature and awesome power there is no one else who is worthy of such honor. Naturally, God's people overcome these obscene odds and rout their enemy on the way to monumental victory.

Too often we assume that our successes are only based on our hard work and abilities. I don't discount the need to leverage what we have been blessed with, but when we only credit ourselves with our victories we are ignoring the God who orchestrates it all. Honoring Him is the prudent way to remain humble and focused on following His intent for our lives.

Blink

Your circumstances can change very quickly. In early Hebrew history there was a man named Joseph who had been sold into slavery by his brothers, rose into a position of leadership as a slave, was falsely accused of sexual assault and thrown into jail. He spent 13 long years in this prison (not the comfy standards of modern America) and then his entire world was remade. He was brought out to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh and was immediately promoted to be second in command in all of Egypt. In one day he went from the (literal) pit of despair to the pinnacle of success and power. In one 24 hour period his entire world was transformed.

This isn't just an incredible story of God's deliverance, but it's also a model for our preparation. Joseph may not have realized it, but he had been steadily training for that moment his entire life. He set an example for us in patience, development of character, integrity, work ethic, and devotion to God. It was all of these factors that set him up for an epic comeback fueled by God's intricate plan.

His circumstances didn't always reflect it, but God was in perfect and complete control and was waiting for right time to redeem Joseph. I feel confident that the same applies to us. God can bring us opportunity and transformation more quickly than we believe is possible. What are we doing to get ourselves ready? Are we maintaining our character and refusing to allow our integrity to be blemished? Are we blaming God for all of our current circumstances and cursing His name or do we cling to our faith in His providence and plan? Our lives can be dramatically shifted in the blink of an eye, but we need to be ready to faithfully fill our role as well.

What seems sudden to us is the perfect convergence of God's plan in our lives. We should be focused on being ready for that moment.

But God

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Genesis 50:20 and it contains two powerful words that I find myself meditating on quite often. Joseph has survived the plan of his brothers to bring him harm and has saved his family through his position in Egypt. When his brothers become afraid of what Joseph might now do to them they approach him and try to make sure they will be safe. Joseph's response is one built on an understanding of who God is and how He works through all circumstances. He simply tells them that they intended to do him harm, but God (emphasis mine) intended it for good.

There is power in recognizing that God has greater plans than our current circumstances. I find comfort in knowing that God can work beyond my own shortcomings and sin to bring His plan to completion. I can gain strength in the knowledge that nothing that is done to me through the choices of others can supersede the divine plans of the King. There is peace for my own anxious soul when I dwell on the words "but God" and know that if I obediently trust Him my path will be made straight.