WHEN
GOD SAYS IT ISN’T GOING TO WORK OUT HOW WE WANT IT TO
Have
you ever been in a situation where you really wanted to do something, but you got
this niggling feeling in your spirit that it wasn’t going to work out? That
happened to me this past week. I’ve learned over the years that when the Lord
is trying to protect us from a bad situation, He can become quite the nag (in a
good way, of course!). He knows the opportunities (i.e., challenges) that will
be our biggest temptations, and He will begin to pester us until we give in to
His will.
Thank
God, we’ve trained ourselves to submit because, as the Bible says, we do have
an enemy who will try to destroy us in any way he can: physically, financially,
relationship-wise, etc. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us to “be sober, be vigilant; because your
adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom
he may devour.”
What
happened is a painter friend called and asked if I wanted to help him do a
painting for a neighboring city’s competition. I jumped at the idea. But almost
immediately, we both recognized things that just didn’t seem right in our
spirits. They put out the call for the job, but when my friend showed up on the
first day, they weren’t ready with the application. Then the financial pay for
the project was put in these terms: “up to $9,500.” We asked ourselves, “What were
the criteria for how much they were going to pay?” The terminology sounded
awfully arbitrary! One detail after another made us cringe and question.
My
friend went ahead and worked on a beautifully-rendered mockup. I worked on the
write-up for the application, researching costs for a scissor lift, liability insurance,
(both of which were not cheap), and some other things on the business end, and
putting together portfolio photos.
We both felt it was a good learning
opportunity and were willing to do what we did without being resentful. But
when the Lord says it’s over, it’s over. So today was that day. It’s not a
happy resolution, but it’s the right one, and we both know that makes all the
difference.
All
the positive praying we could do, and it just couldn’t make the outcome be what
we wanted.
My
incident with the mural painting was small, but Ezekiel tells of a much graver
situation. The prophets didn’t like the messages God was giving about war
coming. They decided to enforce their own will and preached peace instead. God
said: “I will destroy you for these visions and lies. My hand shall be against
you, and you shall be cut off from among the leaders of Israel; I will blot out
your names, and you will never see your own country again. And you shall know I
am the Lord. For these evil men deceive my people by
saying, ‘God will send peace,’ when that is not my plan at all!” (Ezek.
13:8-10)
When
we want something and pray about it, we go for the best, and that’s a good
thing. But if in our spirit we sense it’s honestly not to be, let’s remember to
stop and ask the Lord what’s up. He’ll let us know.
Honest
raw truth from God is better than even the slightest bit of “positive thinking”
that is not true. The sooner we accept the “negative” message from the Lord,
the sooner we can deal with it and move through it.
“Yea, though
I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou
art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table
before me in the presence of mine enemies” (Ps. 23:4-5a). If God needs to tell
us negative things, He will do it, but He also leads us through it, no matter
what, and we “will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever” (Ps. 23:6).
In every case, it’s better to go with the Lord than go with our own
earthly desires. And He will always reward our obedience and faith in Him.
Hebrews 11:6: “But without faith it is impossible to
please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is,
and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
Love,
Carolyn
My
new book is out! BIBLE LESSONS FROM NATURE. It should be available on Amazon
this week for sure.
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