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Make Friends With Whatever's Next

Embrace it. Accept it. Don’t resist it. Change is not only a part of life; change is a necessary part of God’s strategy. To use us to change the world, he alters our assignments.

Gideon: from farmer to general; Mary: from peasant girl to the mother of Christ; Paul: from local rabbi to world evangelist. God transitioned Joseph from a baby brother to an Egyptian prince. He changed David from a a shepherd to a king. Peter wanted to fish the Sea of Galilee. God called him to lead the first church. God makes reassignments.

But, someone might ask, what about the tragic changes God permits? Some seasons make no sense…do such moments serve a purpose?

They do if we see them from an eternal perspective. What makes no sense in this life will make perfect sense in the next. I have proof: you in the womb.

I know you don’t remember this prenatal season, so let me remind you what happened during it. Every gestation day equipped you for your earthly life. Your bones solidified, your eyes developed, the umbilical cord transported nutrients into your growing frame…for what reason? So you might remain enwombed? Quite the contrary. Womb time equipped you for earth time, suited you up for your postpartum existence.

Some prenatal features went unused before birth. You grew a nose but didn’t breathe. Eyes developed, but could you see? Your tongue, toenails, and crop of hair served no function in your mother’s belly. But aren’t you glad you have them now?

Certain chapters in this life seem so unnecessary, like nostrils on the preborn. Suffering. Loneliness. Disease. Holocausts. Martyrdom. Monsoons. If we assume this world exists just for pregrave happiness, these atrocities disqualify it from doing so. But what if this earth is the womb? Might these challenges, severe as they may be, serve to prepare us, equip us for the world to come? As Paul wrote, “These little troubles are getting us ready for an eternal glory that will make all our troubles seem like nothing” (2 Cor. 4:17 CEV).

~Thanks to Emilie C. for sharing this quote from Max Lucado

His way was right.

He writes in characters too grand
For our short sight to understand.
We catch but broken strokes,
And try to fathom all the mystery of withered hopes,
Of death, of life. The endless war,
The useless strife--but there.
With larger, clearer sight,
We shall see this: His way was right.
His way was right.

~John Oxenham

All the way...

"The man who is challenged by Fate does not take umbrage at the terms," wrote Dag Hammarskjold. So the man called by Christ. Any terms at all are acceptable if we may be permitted to walk with Him.

"But is this the path, Lord? Must we take this one in order to reach Home?"

"Trust Me."

When the way to the house of the Lord leads through the "Valley of the Shadow," we accept those terms, too. If we suffer loss, scorn, misunderstanding, false accusation, or any other form of trouble, it is what we agreed on to begin with. Compared with the rewards promised, it is nothing; so let us not take umbrage. Let us be quite clear and matter-of-fact about it: "In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer [cheer up!] I have overcome the world" (Jn 16:33).
~Elisabeth Elliot, A Lamp For My Feet

Elisabeth's practical wisdom always hits home for me, and I found this emailed book excerpt to be exactly what I needed to read today.

"Did you not tell Me you'd go with Me all the way?"

"Yes, Lord. And I meant it...I just didn't know it would mean this."

"I am not taken by surprise, child. This is precisely My best for you, though you cannot understand it now. Trust Me, and keep following."

"In Your strength I will, Father...all the way."

Grant grace that I may follow Thee
All the way to Calvary...

All the way my Savior leads me,
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy,
Who through life has been my Guide?
Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort,
Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well;
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well.

All the way my Savior leads me,
Cheers each winding path I tread,
Gives me grace for every trial,
Feeds me with the living Bread.
Though my weary steps may falter
And my soul athirst may be,
Gushing from the Rock before me,
Lo! A spring of joy I see;
Gushing from the Rock before me,
Lo! A spring of joy I see.

All the way my Savior leads me,
Oh, the fullness of His love!
Perfect rest to me is promised
In my Father’s house above.
When my spirit, clothed immortal,
Wings its flight to realms of day
This my song through endless ages:
Jesus led me all the way;
This my song through endless ages:
Jesus led me all the way.
~Fanny Crosby
(hear it on Youtube here)

God's Thread

"An ill dread is hanging over me,
Slung on a single strand of cobweb thread.
I do not know how I can live today
The usual life of common duties, turn
A calm front to the day's perplexities,
A smile upon its small, persistent cares --
While inwardly a raging fear devours
Courage in mouthfuls; and my chariot wheels
Drag heavily; and gladness flies from me,
Leaving me standing shivering on the edge
Of unknown desolation; and all things
Look dark to me. O God, Thou knowest my fear;
Go not far from me lest trouble be near."

"An ill thou dreadest hanging over thee,
Slung on a single silken strand of cobweb thread --
Think: It is cobweb thread? No spider of chance
Spun that fine-twined thread from out herself
In blind obedience to some unknown law.
But I, thy God, thy Father, spun that thread
Whose very substance is My eternal will,
My eternal Love. And in My hand I hold
The further end and guard its whole long length
From human intermeddling. I may use
Some visible hand to operate and loose
The seeming ill; but I alone am He
With whom thou hast to do. And I, thy God,
The Father of Lights in whom no variableness
Nor shadow cast by turning ever was,
Am with thee, to be light to all thy days,
Even to the end. Therefore, thou wilt be strong
And more than conqueror; for I am here;
I go not from My own when trouble is near."
~Amy Carmichael

Asking the wrong questions

I want to be married. [...] Shouldn't that have happened by now?

At first I ask, How do I change this? Then, as resignation sets in, I wonder, How do I survive singleness? In particularly painful moments, I want to know more: Why should I be contented? Why should I stay the course? Does God see me? Does He even care?

Turns out I've been asking the wrong questions.

Read the rest of Elisabeth's excellent, encouraging article here.

No change

The Christian knows no change with regard to God.

He may be rich to-day and poor to-morrow;
he may be sickly to-day and well to-morrow;
he may be in happiness to-day, to-morrow he may be distressed--
but there is no change with regard to his relationship to God.

If He loved me yesterday, He loves me to-day.
My unmoving mansion of rest is my blessed Lord.

Let prospects be blighted;
let hopes be blasted;
let joy be withered;
let mildews destroy everything;
I have lost nothing of what I have in God.
He is "my strong habitation whereunto I can continually resort."

I am a pilgrim in the world, but at home in my God.
In the earth I wander, but in God I dwell in a quiet habitation.
~C.H. Spurgeon

Asking God WHY

My friend, Mary, has posted a poignantly beautiful poem on her blog...Perhaps it will touch other hearts who have come before God with an honest, confused "WHY?"

The Question of a Disappointed Woman

Do you think that the infinite God cannot fill and satisfy your heart?
~Francois de la Mothe Fenmon

And in that cloud thou shalt behold My face

I came across this poem today, and found it to be a perfect compliment to my post some weeks back, about foggy days reminding me of God's presence. May this be a word of encouragement and hope to those of you who find yourself in a cloudy place today. He is there with you. Immanuel.

The Cloud
I thought the way upon the mountainside
Would lead to certain clearness; but my Guide
Whose thought was otherwise
Led to a cloud which blotted out the skies.

I feared to enter into that great cloud,
And fearing, cried aloud,
"O patient Guide, I fear;
Be not far from me now, with trouble near."

"Let not thy heart be troubled. Could I cease
To care for thee?
Can vapors cancel peace, My gift of peace?
O rest in Me.
I wait to meet thee in that cloudy place,
And in that cloud thou shalt behold My face."
~Amy Carmichael

Trust and obey

"Trust in the LORD, and do good;
so shalt thou dwell in the land,
and verily thou shalt be fed."
Psalm 37:3

God does not expect us to argue with Him when He tells us to do something. He doesn't expect us to apply human logic to our circumstances. He simply expects us to obey and trust Him...If you trust God's Word, you will never regret it. Obedience allows you to operate despite seemingly impossible circumstances, because Jesus is more powerful than everything we can see or touch.
-Brother Yun in Living Water