My good friend Jason spoke at NC tonight about what to do when you find yourself in the middle of the wilderness. How convenient that we talk about God being bigger than my confusion after yesterday. Jason shared three things to do while you are in the wilderness. Well I remember three.
1. Be real with God about your circumstances
2. Keep praising God despite the circumstances
3. Identify with Christ in his suffering and brokenness
For me the first one was a great reminder. In the last couple of days God has been showing me that once again I’ve painted my wilderness to look like paradise so I don’t have to deal with it. Do I act like things are okay or tell others how life really is? I hate being negative so I feel like I need to pretend like everything is going fine. But that is very thing that starts the process ignoring things and denying the reality. This is the constant battle I seem to find myself fighting.
Dan shared something I really appreciated while he was leading today. He mentioned that sometimes our healing is wrapped up in the healing of someone around us. That is why we have each other, to walk through the wilderness together. Who in my life needs to walk with me and needs me to walk with them?
A few good quotes from J’s message
- Don’t confuse faith in the end of the story with denying the circumstances.
-God is saying, “If you only knew how I’m going to use you, you would get real about the circumstances and praise me in spite of it.”
-God prunes branches that bear fruit so they can bear more.
God give me strength to face the wilderness head on and stay focused on walking with you through it.
RYC: You don't know the half of it. Are you familiar with Diplomacy at all? The guys at Avalon Hills are sick, sick men.
ReplyDeleteAnd in response to your post, I'll share with you what little wisdom I can. The prophet Habakkuk reminds us (in his own interesting way) that even when God isn't making any sense, he is still God. Recall what he has done for you in the past and take heart. Whether it seems like it or not, he IS working.
Embarrassing...I read your post entitled "Failing" and then came back later to comment on it...but commented on this post instead. I didn't even realize it was a different one! School's starting up again. That's my excuse...
ReplyDeleteI thought of some of the Psalms in which David is VERY real with God about what he's feeling and thinking. But in those Psalms he always comes back to the same theme: I praise you for who you are and will wait for you to show your power. Even in his darkest days David seemed to understand just what you were talking about, that God is still working in those circumstances.
I'm also reminded of what Joseph said to his brothers at the end of Genesis. "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive."