“For he commanded and raised the stormy wind…they reeled and staggered…and were at their wit’s end. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works…extol him…praise him.” Psalm 107:25, 29-32.
Even if you barely know me, if you have read a few of my blogs you know that I have spent the biggest part of my life pursuing the approval and acceptance of others. It has been an insatiable beast and no matter how much I have loved…supported…fellowshipped…the truth always came back around. Approval and acceptance of man are fickle companions for they always have an expiration date. Only God’s approval and acceptance never changes…never wanes…never expires. My desired haven was to quit chasing the illusive ghost of making decisions based on the approval of others. God commanded and raised a stormy wind which left me reeling and staggering, making it difficult to stay on top of the waves of despair. So many days and nights I felt as if I were drowning. It was no doubt one of the toughest times in my entire life but, in His gracious love and faithfulness, He heard my cry and comforted me. He stilled my storm, hushed my emotions, and brought me the desired haven I didn’t even know I wanted.
We all have those set of circumstances where God is trying to do work in us to take us to our desired place. What are those desired havens? For one, it is the release of perfectionism. For another, it is to give control of our children’s lives over to God. Another haven is to lay down that habit or behavior that is disrupting our lives. A tough one is to accept the life God has given us and learn to live in His joy, neither being driven nor defined by our circumstances. Whatever it is, God knows what we need to live in freedom from ourselves. When those storms pop up we can know that God is doing something important in our lives to move us to better places. We can trust in His plan what we are experiencing is what He has commanded for us to experience. We can have both confidence and gratitude that every bit of progress is the grace of God.
‘Don’t despise these days; God is doing a deep work in you.’ Steadfast Love, Lauren Chandler, p. 16.
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