This morning I was sulking, thinking about how much I hate the rain. Then I opened my bible randomly to Dueteronomy. I do this from time to time, when I'm not doing a book study. So, I'm grumbling about how it's pouring outside.... AGAIN! and I'm really starting to question whether or not I need to build another Ark. And then I see this: Dueteronomy 28:12.
So often we take the things of this world for granted. We dismiss the smallest of things and make big deals out of others. But more often than not, we forget that God uses ALL things for His glory. We sit around and ask God to bless us and our efforts, and in the midst of a blessing, we pass right over it. Today I was taught a valuable lesson and I was reminded of another passage of scripture. In Isaiah, God tells us that His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts.
We need to remember this. Cause if we don't, we are going to possibly miss out on something that God is doing, something that directly affects us. We may be missing out on receiving that which we have been praying for. And in the future, maybe I'm not going to be so bummed out when it rains!
Tell me your thoughts.
Love y'all.
Well this reminds me of something that a friend challenged me to do a while back. For every one thing I ask God for I need to think of one thing to tell him thank you for. In partenership with that when I use my prayer journal I often try to go back to prayers I wrote out and write the answer God gives me.
ReplyDeleteIt surprises me where and when the blessings come. It is great to see how God will answer us and bless us even when we weren't really thinking about it anymore.
I think sometimes we get so complacent with our lives when they are running smoothly, and we get so regimented with our schedules, that we become oblivious to the slightest changes that surround us- changes that may be God trying to tell us something.
ReplyDeleteRobbie, when you mentioned the rain, it made me laugh to myself, because I realized that the rain was the very reason that I've been able to spend some extra time in scripture and praying over the last couple of weeks. I had gotten so involved in the kid's soccer practices, games, outside yard work and activities, etc., that the wrong things, the positive things, the necessary things get pushed to the side to fit the others in. The rain has been my wake up call!
So true--God's plans are not always our plans. I have learned that the hard way many times in my life (you would think I'd learn, but apparently not). I wouldn't be married to Stephanie today if I had done things my way. Luckily, God forced me to do things his way and I thank him every day for it.
ReplyDeleteThere are so may times we complain about little things: work issues, slow drivers, rain, any number of other things. When I feel my blood pressure rising because of something insignificant that doesn't fit into my plan, I try to remind myself that God's plan is bigger than I will ever know. Maybe God is trying to show me something, protect me from something, or maybe it isn't as insignificant as I think. Instead of complaining, maybe I should stop talking and just listen.
Molly's story is a perfect example, when most everyone is complaining about the rain, God turned it into a blessing for her.
I posted this on Facebook a few weeks ago: "sometimes clarity about God's plans you didn't understand in your past are revealed to you in such simple ways, and when you least expect it."
ReplyDeleteThe story behind this (I will try to keep short) is that 3 years ago I interviewed to be teh Worship Minister at my wife's home church in Tulsa, OK. I knew the church members very well, and love the place. I was runner up, with no real strong reasoning as to why. Months later, we found out Amy's mom had terminal cancer, and we truly could not understand why God did not move us there for the church and for family. Up until a few weeks ago I was still struggling with this. Though we have been back and visit there every time we go to Tulsa, it took a visit over Labor Day weekend for God to reveal why. He needed me here at the Journey! That church is very old fashioned and traditional, with tremendous people, but I would have had a huge struggle with my convictions about certain things and my urge to modernize and be progressive. The journey has embraced us with open arms and we adore this body of believers.
We are still sad we were not there for the last six months of my mother-in-laws beautiful life, but God has blessed us so much by being here, now!
So personally, I have LOVED the rain. Which is weird because a lot of times I want the rain to end and the sun to wash the grey away, but I think I just tried to look for the good in it (puddle-jumping, good rainy day playlists, a brief safe haven from super hot days, etc.).
ReplyDeleteHowever, I can totally relate to this as having some things come into our lives (a departure from the norm) that feels wrong and annoying but is actually really awesome and allows us to see God's face more clearly. I'm sure there are other ways I've seen this, but even being at MTSU is a huge departure from the norm for me. I am not living in Nashville or on campus anymore, I do not know many people at school and I am trying to balance home life and school and other aspects of my busy schedule. But God is showing me, however agonizing it may be, that I will NEVER gain fulfillment in anything or anyone but Him. I feel like I'm still in a place this week where I just want to put my running shoes on and have God chase after me instead of running towards Him, but these changes in my life are helping me to see more clearly what He wants from me and for me.
That may have been wayyy off topic. In any case, I like everyone else's post. Good stuff, people.
Lots of good comments on this subject. Sometimes before prayer I think is there anything really I should ask for? Maybe all I should do is thank him for what he has already done. Thinking about the rain, we live in modern times so when we are hungry food is available. If all we had to eat next month was in the ground behind our house that rain would be very welcomed. God knows the best plan its just that we dont like being inconvenienced. I believe we forget many times that we should thank him for whatever is in our lives We can rest assured it is there for a purpose.
ReplyDeleteKyle I love your take here bud! I have some first hand experience with what your'e talking about and the path I've been on. It's funny but when i was trying to "play God" and run the show I ran it right off the road into a ditch. However, when I finally surrendered and asked God to direct my life and thoughts and I turned my entire will and life over to him things started working out pretty darn well! I met a beautiful woman who I'm now married to, my job got better, my relationship with my kids got better, my life in general just got better. And it was becasue I made a decision to not to try to run the show anymore. What a relief it is to know that God is in control and if he wants it to rain........well it's gonna rain :)
ReplyDeleteI fall right into the same category as Patrick and Kyle. Always praying and asking for God to bless me, but seeming to only want that blessing if its the one I specifically asked for, not realizing that God knew my needs before I even brought them to Him. I still have a tendancy to slip back into that mentality that when I pray that it should be in "my time" and not in "God's". I remember Erik teaching one Sunday about maybe not having everything that we want, but having everything that we NEED and that it was because of God's grace on us that we got to live with our needs met. That always comes right to mind when I start to fall into the "pit" of things not going the way I pictured it or not getting the answer I thought I was going to get. My younger sister is always saying "Let go and Let God" but it is so much harder than just saying it.
ReplyDeleteMixed feelings about rain. Jon needs it for the grass to grow and his business to prosper, but if it's raining, he can't work! I don't mind it, but it makes me sleepy and lazy and want to call in sick and stay in bed!
ReplyDeleteAlso, mixed feelings about unexpected things and change of plans. I like change, but only if I want things to change. I like surprises, but only pleasant ones. Thank goodness that God makes the decisions and not me! He sees the big picture.
Maybe if we're just rolling along, not on the right path, God throws a curve ball and makes us realize where the right path is. How many times have you gotten behind someone on the road going slow, and then up ahead someone wrecks? If that slow person hadn't been in front of you, maybe you would've been the wreck. Sometimes we run late for "no reason" for a reason...
I LOVE the rain. I always have. I love the peaceful sound and sometimes the threatening sounds of storms. I've always been fascinated not only with rain, but with extreme weather. I think it's just amazing how intricately God designed everything. So many of us get hung up on how rain makes US feel. Same with our circumstances. How does this thing I'm going through make ME feel? One thing I'm learning is while God has a specific plan for me, it's not only about me. His plans not only involve the good of me, but the good of everyone else too.
ReplyDeleteA guy at small group the other night talked about how something may seem like a set back, it can also be a time where God is setting us up for something greater. I thought that was pretty cool.
I read today that in our culture rain is viewed mostly as negative, where in other cultures they view it with joy and as a blessing. Thought that was interesting. Anyway, great posts everyone! I love the insight.
At first I loved the rain, it was peaceful and I was able to breathe in the fresh air. Then after 6 days I, like most, got tired of it. But my dad brought up a good point, even though I saw it as a bad thing, many saw it as a blessing. I failed to realize that there are other people in this area besides me. Imagine that! There are people who needed the rain for their crops, wells, and there are many more reasons it was needed. Since it didn't help me (and frankly I didn't like going through my dad wet!) I wasn't looking at it positively.
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