2017 was a hard year for me; my hardest yet.
I have had to rely on everything I’ve learned and been taught in my life; things that I have known since I was a child, yet, up until this year, had little opportunity to put in to practice. Were it not for the grace of God, I would not be writing this. I would not be at peace. I would not have joy. I would not be okay. But God is gracious. He gives us so many great gifts to help us in our times of need and struggle in life.
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And I think, sometimes, we forget that during those times, while waiting for deliverance, waiting for freedom, waiting for healing, they were doing just that — waiting. They did not know the end of the story. They did not yet see God’s intervention. They didn’t know how he was going to work things out for their good, how he was going to fulfill his promise to them. So they waited. Some waited well. They “strengthened themselves in the Lord,” as David did in 1 Samuel 30. They fixed their eyes on the Lord rather than their circumstances, they chose to trust him, not their emotions, and they were determined to walk by faith, not by sight. Others waited, well, badly. They focused on their pain. They focused on their circumstances. They took matters into their own hands, afraid that God would fail them. And the results always proved tragic. The deliverance was delayed, their relationships damaged, and often, their testimonies tarnished. I want to wait well.Adam & Eve. Jacob. Moses. Peter. they all ran.All for the same reason. Sin. They ran from the consequences of their sin. They ran into the arms of sin. And they left a trail of destruction behind them. Am I the only one? I don’t think I am. I think some of you do it, too.
We know the word agape and we know it means sacrificial, but we don’t really connect the dots beyond that. Sure, it costs. But I think I tend to assume that when it’s agape, I’ll win in the end. And by win, I mean be loved in return. I’m discovering that’s not true. At least, not in the way I tend to want. The trend is surrender. I’ve noticed it has become more and more popular — in books, sermons, and songs. It started with people like David Platt and Kyle Idleman, and has thrived quite nicely to this very day. You not only can be challenged to complete, daily surrender to Christ when you pick up a book at the Christian bookstore, but you can be challenged by lyrics of surrender on the radio or quotes on surrender on Facebook. It’s everywhere. You see, surrender has become fashionable. And yet, not. |
bethany HARRISIn a word: passionate. Archives
December 2018
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