Accepting God’s Plan

Accepting God’s Plan
by Charles R. Swindoll

Read Job 24:1–25

David, in Psalm 139, makes the appropriate comment, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it” (v. 6). If David lived today, he would write, “This blows my mind.” The vastness of God’s inscrutability has a way of doing that to us—and so it should.

If nothing else, the study of Job reveals that we don’t fully understand God’s ways. We cannot explain the inexplicable. We cannot fathom the unfathomable. So let’s not try to unscrew the inscrutable.

If only the men who considered themselves Job’s friends had acknowledged that. It would have been so much more comforting to Job, sitting in such enormous misery, longing for an arm around his shoulder and someone honest enough to say, “We’re here, but we don’t understand why this is happening any more than you do. God knows, but we’re here to be with you through it. God is doing something deep and mysterious, but it is so beyond us we cannot understand it either.”

May I go one step further? God doesn’t have a “wonderful plan” for everybody’s life. Not here on earth, for sure. For some lives His plan is Lou Gehrig’s disease. For some lives (like Job’s) His plan is a life of pain. For others, heartbreak and brokenness, blindness or paralysis, or congenital complications. For many, His plan is to answer no to their requests for healing. But we don’t like that. Some won’t accept it. In fact, they go so far as to say, “If you believe that, you lack faith.” On the contrary, I say if you believe that, you believe the Bible!

The Bible describes the lives of people who don’t get well, who don’t quickly get over their problems, who don’t easily overcome accidents or illnesses. God’s Word pictures its heroes, warts and all. They hurt. They fall. They fail, and on occasion, by His grace, they succeed.

How well do you accept the unfolding plan of God for your life?

Excerpted from Charles R. Swindoll, Great Days with the Great Lives(Nashville: W Publishing Group, 2005). Copyright © 2005 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Walk by Faith, Not by Sight

Walk by Faith, Not by Sight
by Charles R. Swindoll

Read Job 1:1–12

Without Job’s knowing it, a dialogue took place in the invisible world. As the Lord and Satan had their strange encounter, the subject quickly turned to this well-known earthly man. The Lord calls Satan’s attention to Job’s exemplary life, and Satan responds with a sinister sneer. “Of course, who wouldn’t serve You, the way You’ve prospered and protected him. Take away all the perks and watch what happens; the man will turn on You in a flash.” God agrees to let the Adversary unload on Job.

And so, in today’s terms, the Lord bet Satan that Job would never turn on Him. Philip Yancey refers to that agreement as the “divine wager.” Satan instigates a sudden and hostile removal of all the man’s possessions, leaving him bankrupt. Within a matter of minutes, everything he owned was gone.

This brings us to the first lesson worth remembering: we never know ahead of time the plans God has for us. Job had no prior knowledge or warning. That morning dawned like every other morning. The night had passed like any other night. There was no great angelic manifestation—not even a tap on his window or a note left on the kitchen table.

In one calamity after another, all the buildings on his land are gone, and nothing but lumber and bodies litter the landscape. It occurred so fast, Job’s mind swirled in disbelief. Everything hit broadside . . . his world instantly changed.

You and I must learn from this! We never know what a day will bring, whether good or ill. Our heavenly Father’s plan unfolds apart from our awareness. Ours is a walk of faith, not sight. Trust, not touch. Leaning long and hard, not running away. No one knows ahead of time what the Father’s plan includes. It’s best that way. It may be a treasured blessing; it could be a test that drops us to our knees. He knows ahead of time, but He is not obligated to warn us about it or to remind us it’s on the horizon. We can be certain of this: our God knows what is best.

Excerpted from Charles R. Swindoll, Great Days with the Great Lives (Nashville: W Publishing Group, 2005). Copyright © 2005 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Divine Touch

The following is a reply to one of last weeks devotions: the one about how it might be when Jesus returns. It came from a lady I’ve known since junior high and with her permission I share it with you:

“This message reminded me of the first time I really felt God was talking to me. About 6 or 7 years ago my dad was diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm that was so large it could burst at any time. The next morning I was driving to work and it was storming really bad. I was thinking about my dad and what if he died and how we would handle it. Needless to say I was crying as I was thinking. While stopped at a red-light, a sunbeam came out of the pitch black sky and shined right on my car. I had the most awesome feeling come all over my body. I looked up and said ” OK God, I know it’s in your hands and it will all work out” My dad later had surgery in Cleveland. He had a 15% chance to make it through the surgery and less than 5% chance of walking again. My dad walked out of that hospital after recovering from surgery!!!
Who says miracles don’t happen!!!! -Cathy”

Cathy says this event still gives her goose bumps whenever she thinks of it; I can understand that. To know that the Master Creator has just touched a person or part of your life out of His divine love is an awesome thing. What a wonderful God we serve!

Mark 10:27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.

Hard to Admit

This is a little hard for me to admit: Yesterday I was a whinner. Okay, I said it and it’s true. I was having myself a private pity party and I’m ashamed of it now in retrospect. Let me explain:

It rained here all day yesterday. With my body, cold and rainy days equal stiff and sore joints. And I babysat my grandson who I dearly love all day kind of unexpectedly. And he was a little, well, a lot, grumpy. I ended up letting him sleep on my lap for about four hours: the problem was I dumbly chose to sit on our chase chair in a 2/3 reclined position with my legs dangling over the too short end. It was his comfort and well being I was thinking of at the time, not ergonomics. So, after he left I was in a lot of pain; my legs barely would work and I ended up in bed very early. But at about midnight I awoke with a stomach ache that kept me up till about 2:30 am. As I drifted off to sleep I was still grumbling about to myself, how I hurt, had missed church, would be tired today, etc.

As I pittied myself I thought of a testimony my friend and brother in Christ had sent me concerning his painful battle with cancer. In his worst times he praised God for whatever he was going through, not complained about it as I was. Then I recalled how dragging my feet through the house was very much like I was when I had to re-learn to walk after my first surgery. How ashmed I felt.

So I say to you now, I’m not complaining about hurting; I can feel the pain now whereas before, when paralyzed, I couldn’t. I’m not complaining about missing church; I’m thankful I have a good church and wonderful church family to go to. I’m not complaining about being tired; I’m glad I can get out on my own and go. I could go on but I think you see my point and my repentant attitude, which I thank God for showing me that I was in need of. And I also better understand what Paul meant when he wrote:

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.

Thinking

As I sit here this evening fighting off a cold and respiratory infection, I’ve been thinking about, or pondering upon, as I like to say, how blessed I really am. Let me start by telling you about my cold though.

My grandson began to get a runny nose Saturday. By Monday it was pretty steady, Wednesday it had “color” and he had a cough. My daughter in law called Thursday morning to get him into our family doctor and then called me to see if I could chauffeur them to and from the appointment. Of course I could; anything for him, especially if he’s sick.

Well, as I was getting ready Thursday morning it occured to me: I had the same symptoms as him but about 36 or so hours behind his. Considering the timeline of my babysitting schedule, I was fairly sure we had the same thing and that I’d gotten it from him.

Our joint doctor visit confirmed my suspicion: he had indeed infected me. His had settled into a mild ear infection, common for his age, and mine was going quickly toward bronchitis, common for me. The doctor said that he was a “little pietre dish”, but a loveable one. So the cute little germ carrier had suceeded in making his Papaw sick with his slobbery kisses. But how could I be upset by that? No way possible. Anyhow, we are both taking our antibiotics and on the road to recovery now.

So how does this make me reflect on being blessed you ask? In less than two months I have know two different families that have suffered miscarriages: one a church family member who I dearly love and the other, I found out tonight, a friend from all the way back to elementary school. It would have been the first grandchild for both of these fine men (and their families, not to discount anyone, just that I can identify with them more).

A mere two years ago grandchildren were the last thing on my wish list. In fact, with my nerves at the time, still healing from my last back surgery and becoming re-disabled, I didn’t have the patience for kids at all. Period. Then God began preparing my heart for His plan by introducing me to a wondeful little five year old at church. She and I were instant buddies. And still are. He then introduced me to two great, rambunctious little boys, three and five at the time if I recall right; the preacher’s boys. Again I found myself falling in love with these kids and wondering what it might be like to have a grandchild of my own.

In late April, I think it was, I found out our pastor was leaving to go back and work at his home church. And he was taking the boys with him! I was sad, bummed out actually. Here I had been learning to color again with them and enjoying watching them grow and develop and what-not and they were leaving in a few months. It was a, well, bummer. Thankfully I still has my little adopted granddaughter, as my wife and I called her.

Soon we got two more “granddaughters” from this family as the other kids began coming to church, too. We were back to three again. And getting even closer to these precious little ones every week.

Within months I had gone from not even considering the possibility of grandparent-hood to relishing the thought, though sort of vicariously I reckon you’d say.

Jump ahead a bit more to November 4, 2008: I get the totally unexpected news that in six months or so it’s no longer going to be vicarious but real! I was emotionally mixed, to be honest. But now I’m completely content, seven months into Papaw-dom. The little guy is the light of my life, this side of Heaven and second only to God Himself.

Would I have ever believed the changes He was going to make in me and my life? Not likely. Though I knew He could if He decided to.

So even though I feel run down and sick, I’m so totally blessed by this gift and change Jesus has made in me. And as happy and wonderful as I feel, I’m just as sad and hurt for the two families I mentioned earlier. Why God chose to give us Connor, or why He did when He did I don’t know. Why these two other families lost this chance at this time, I don’t know either. But I do know that His ways and decisions are best for His children (Romans 8:28-29) and I trust Him explicitly. And I praise and thank Him for the wonderful gift and change in my life He has seen fit to bestow upon me and make in me.

Thankful

I have much to be thankful for every day, not just on Thanksgiving Day. I am thankful for the health I and my family have, for having a decent home, good medical coverage, and many more things. But I am most thankful for the price Christ Jesus paid for my sins.

I am so thankful He loved me enough to take my justly deserved punishment and make fellowship with God Almighty possible for me. And I can’t thank Him enough for never leaving me, never giving up on me, and giving me a new life and spirit; making me a new creature as the Bible promises He will.

Though I may stumble, may even fall, I know Jesus is always right there with me, ready to pick me up and dust me off and set me on the path again. What an awesome God I serve. What a loving and amazing Father I have. And how wonderfully He has cared for me, even when I deserved if the least. Praise His holy Name!

Normal

Yes, I’m back to feeling, what is for me, pretty much normal again. I’ve been out of “quarrantine” since Friday and have gotten out of the house a few times now. It is good to be able to get out and about. Having been confined for much longer periods of time that this episode, I am very thankful for when I’m not confined for what ever reason.

The Lord saw fit to let me fulfill my obligation as the Sunday School sub. I’m thankful for that as well as the opportunity to serve Him and the church in that capacity. Though I do have to admit I feel I probably profit much more from it than the church does. I plan to write about the lesson this coming week. I figure in hindsight I’ll be able to present it better than I did this morning.

Through the Tunnel

I have “officially” made it beyond the requisite 24-hour period of being symptom free. I survived! LOL Yes, I’m still a bit draggy-tired but otherwise feel pretty well.

I have been studying today for Sunday’s lesson. I’m leaning heavily upon the Lord to help me with it. I’ve not been able to do any productive study before today. And I have nearly an hour to cover the subject matter, by far the longest lesson I’ll have taught to date; the “goal” is around 30 minutes for Wednesday night service.

It is a Tunnel!

I’m certain I see the tunnel now. And I know there is a light at its end.

I woke today feeling like you feel after you’ve had the flu: worn out. It is actually a good feeling though. So far, today has been free of body aches, headaches and no fever symptoms either. It will be tomorrow morning, to make sure I’m 24+ hours fever-free, before I know I’m actually over it.

I am forgoing any couch syrup or other cold meds so I can get an accurate feel for well-or-not. That was the doctor’s instruction.

God willing, I’ll actually be able to leave the house some tomorrow! And if I’m well I’ll not have to ‘beg out’ on my Sunday School obligation this week, like I had to for last night’s service.

Maybe I Spoke Too Soon

Yesterday I thought I was about over this nastiness.  Last night my streak of two nights sleeping well was broken by bouts of burning up and chilling.  These bouts continue today.  I hope I didn’t see my “tunnel” prematurely.  But tomorrow was the soonest the doctor said I could expect to be over this so perhaps it’ll be better the next 12-24 hours.  I certainly hope so at least.