Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22
The reality of life is that people will disappoint and hurt me but God will never do so. It is when I think that somehow God is behind what people are doing in a negative way that I might be tempted to be disappointed with God. By that I mean that if I expect God to be sovereign by forcing people act a certain way, I have missed Who God is. He is certainly in control. But human free will action is a very real and very true experience. Sin reigns in the unredeemed majority of the world. It affects even the people of God as they relate to one another. God does not force people to hurt me. They do so of their own sinful volition. He knows about it certainly and is sovereign over and beyond the actions of mere human creatures. So the actions of people will hurt me, even though God has not hurt me by choosing to let this sort of thing go on. He is above it. He provides the perspective OVER it. It is when I think that somehow God moved an evil personal action against me as some sort of chess piece to block me that I start thinking wrongly about the sovereignty of God. Yes, He can frustrate my sin. He will not frustrate my righteous obedience (when it is there).
I cling tenaciously to promises like this one. I have to admit that my big temptation and sin is to think myself somehow more important than I am. I am humbled when I am honored by people for this reason. I know this week that my professors and peers at CTS will say much about me to encourage me upon the completion of my degree. God allowed me to do so with academic excellence. I realize that it is a professional courtesy and also an expression of Christian love for them to honor and congratulate me. I won't let it become a set-up for other disappointments. I walk away from that line of thinking right now! I refuse to let it be a driving thought. When I do so, I will not be moved from the right place.
Lord, Thanks for seeing me through. And I know that what You have in store for me this week will be confirming and encouraging. I expect only that You will ask me to be Your obedient slave. Amen
Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22
The reality of life is that people will disappoint and hurt me but God will never do so. It is when I think that somehow God is behind what people are doing in a negative way that I might be tempted to be disappointed with God. By that I mean that if I expect God to be sovereign by forcing people act a certain way, I have missed Who God is. He is certainly in control. But human free will action is a very real and very true experience. Sin reigns in the unredeemed majority of the world. It affects even the people of God as they relate to one another. God does not force people to hurt me. They do so of their own sinful volition. He knows about it certainly and is sovereign over and beyond the actions of mere human creatures. So the actions of people will hurt me, even though God has not hurt me by choosing to let this sort of thing go on. He is above it. He provides the perspective OVER it. It is when I think that somehow God moved an evil personal action against me as some sort of chess piece to block me that I start thinking wrongly about the sovereignty of God. Yes, He can frustrate my sin. He will not frustrate my righteous obedience (when it is there).
I cling tenaciously to promises like this one. I have to admit that my big temptation and sin is to think myself somehow more important than I am. I am humbled when I am honored by people for this reason. I know this week that my professors and peers at CTS will say much about me to encourage me upon the completion of my degree. God allowed me to do so with academic excellence. I realize that it is a professional courtesy and also an expression of Christian love for them to honor and congratulate me. I won't let it become a set-up for other disappointments. I walk away from that line of thinking right now! I refuse to let it be a driving thought. When I do so, I will not be moved from the right place.
Lord, Thanks for seeing me through. And I know that what You have in store for me this week will be confirming and encouraging. I expect only that You will ask me to be Your obedient slave. Amen
