The chapter I quoted yesterday still holds more wisdom for us. Mrs. Elliot continues to unfold the desires of our hearts and correct wrong perceptions on God's timing and refusals.As we wait for the spouses, God-willing, He is preparing, we may flutter through many stages of impatience. We may become extremely desperate; wishing every moment was spent with our "beloved", not knowing if we can possibly wait for one more day. This can progress into an attitude of resentment towards God. We become frustrated at His "inconsiderate" nature. Why does He withhold what seems perfectly agreeable to us? We are not the only ones who experience this conflict.
"Why won't God let someone into my life? I feel left out, abandoned. When will it be my turn?" The petulant letter goes on. "I feel deprived! Will He deny me the one small desire of my heart? Is it too big a treasure to ask? I sit in torture and dismay."
Life is likely to continue to hold many forms of torture and dismay for that unhappy person and for all who refuse to receive with thanksgiving instead of complaint the life God has chosen for them. The torture is self-inflicted, for God has not rejected their prayers. He knows better than any of us do what furthers our salvation.
Our true happiness is to be realized precisely through His refusals, which are always mercies. His choice is flawlessly contrived to give the deepest kind of joy as soon as it is embraced.
When we resist His will instead of rest in His sovereignty and goodness, our lives are filled with these self-inflicted "tortures". The happiness we seek is discovered in embracing the season God has us in. Let us cling to the Lord in complete trust.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5
haha. I read this right after I wrote my comment for your previous post and I cant help but laugh at how much it fits into what I just wrote.
ReplyDeleteOh goodness. God is funny. I love how he reveals truth to us.
-Kristy
Kristy, thanks for your comment, and yes, it is amazing how the Lord works. :)
ReplyDeleteJust last week I was reading about Zacharias and the announcement that John the Baptist would be born. Remember how he was chosen by lot to go in and burn incense and that's where the angel made the announcement? After doing a bit of research I discovered that the priests only got to do that once in their life and Zacharias was already an old man so he had waited a long time. But when the time was right, nothing was able to hold it back and the lot fell to Zacharias.
ReplyDeleteThe Lord orders our steps and our times are in his hands. Sometimes it is hard to wait for the things that our hearts truly long for. But I think Zacharias never regretted the wait that produced a John the Baptist.
Eirene, those are wonderful insights! I have never thought of Zacharias' wait in reference to our patience in waiting for husbands (or anything or that matter). That is a greatly encouraging life in biblical history that we can relate to. Just as God ordered his steps, He orders ours as well.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing with us...
I went through the feeling of desperation last spring. There was one guy that, no matter how much I coaxed myself, I could feel nothing more than ambivalence and anxiety. Then there was another guy who seemed perfect--he said the right things and was cute and funny--but then things inexplicably didn't work out. I soon realized that God had intervened on my behalf--neither of these were the guy for me. They had deeper problems that they didn't exhibit when I was with them. But going down a road with them would have led only to destruction. Therefore, I vowed to wait for a guy who was like the guy I always imagined marrying (this has many benefits, including testing out whether I have the right qualities in mind for a spouse). I know that when I meet a guy I should date, God will open my eyes and I'll know that this is right.
ReplyDeleteCoffeegirl, it is encouraging (and sometimes embarrassing :) ) to look back on God's mercies shown in His refusals. I have known many times in which I begged the Lord for someone, and now looking back I know God showed me GREAT mercy by withholding what I wanted from me.
ReplyDelete... oh if I would simply trust Him all the time! :)
I know what you mean! I am so often embarrassed when I look back on all of the prayers I sent upward, begging (or at the very least, coming very close to begging) for things to work out with certain people. And now that I see the full picture, I am so grateful that things didn't work out. But that's why they say hindsight is 20/20.
ReplyDeletesisters,
ReplyDeleteI don't want the Tempter to decieve you in this area, Philipians 4:6-7 commands that we be anxious for nothing. I have stuggled and continue to stuggle with this area. I was anxious about obtaining a husband, now I am anxious about the job he has and the finances. The circumstances changed but I didn't. The problem isn't the circumstances, it's me!
Anxiety about anything is a sin and It is a cycle that ever ends unless, by God's grace we put it to death (sometimes daily and moment by moment). It is deceptive to think, "if I just had a husband . . . because that leads to if I just had children . . .and then if I just had a house . . . and on to if I just more income . . .etc." What we really need is faith and patience, the greater gifts, that the Father is trying to lavish on us through these character producing trials.
We will never be satisfied until we find our satisfaction solely in him. It will always be "the next thing" until we refuse our flesh, stand in faith, and let God do the work in our hearts.
Mother of McCordmobile,
ReplyDeleteThat is the soul of what I am trying to attain. If I don't learn trust and acceptance now, anxiety will follow me throughout every season of my life. I want to be content with the greater gifts. :) Thank you for your encouragement.
Thank you for this. I have never before thought of it as God's mercy when I'm denied something. I too want to trust Him all the time!
ReplyDeleteGreat reminder!!!!