The day was grey and rainy. Perfect for staying in bed and shutting out the world. No way did I feel like running towards life with a big enthusiastic grin on my face, eager to take on all its challenges. Due to extensive pain, I could barely move. It was a time in which I would have appreciated all the sandpaper people in my life to leave town. Why didn’t God’s plan line up with mine?
MY GOD IS A STEAMROLLER
Isaiah 45:2b-3 describes some of God plans for me: I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars. I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden wealth of secret places, so that you may know that it is I, The Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. (NASB) My God is a steamroller smashing those things that cause me terror in the night. He is a Bulldozer with a plan, despite my pain.
I ARGUE WITH GOD
Yet, it is disconcerting when I look at the last part of this passage. Verse 9: What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, ‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’ Does the pot exclaim, ‘How clumsy can you be?’ That’s my whole attitude in a nutshell. I argue with God when I don’t think that things are going my way. I accuse God of bad planning. I have forgotten Who He is.
WHY DOES GOD ASK ME TO PERSEVERE
I don’t want to go through seasons of darkness; those times when life seems filled with more than a soul can bear. Those periods when one’s faith (or lack thereof) is stripped to the core. Why does God ask me to persevere? It is His promise: I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden wealth of secret places, so that you may know that it is I, The Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. There are untold riches that can only be uncovered by walking through the depths; through those seasons when we just don’t have any more strength, any more smiles, any more anything.
I TRULY GET TO KNOW WHO GOD IS
These difficult seasons are when I really get to know Who He is. When I come to the end of myself and stop pretending that I am strong, smart and resourceful. That is when I truly get to know God. The Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. Wow – He knows my name and He calls me even though He knows how frail I am. The journey may not be pretty and the landscape may appear bleak, but I dearly want to know this amazing God, regardless of the pain and discomfort I will meet along the way. He really does have a plan. I guess it is worth getting out of bed after all.
A classic book that may lift your spirits: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=tramp+for+the+lord+corrie+ten+boom+book
A podcast that may open your eyes: https://compelledpodcast.com/episodes/todd-nettleton