August 8: Prayer in the Father's Honour
We all have it so wrong, don't we. Almost every person you meet, including Christians, struggle with some form of doubt over the issue of why God allows innocents to suffer. The past three days I've come to believe it's because we are all on the entirely wrong plane of thinking. We are all assuming that belonging to God is the thing to do because it is there that we find safety and protection, thus people getting hurt means He didn't do His job. We've got to don a parachute and prepare to jump out of that "plane" (pun intended) and skydive for a major paradigm shift.
The only reason to choose to belong to God is because He is! He is our Creator; He is wisdom; He is joy; He is the reason for our existance and our purpose in life!! Before I read today's lesson I read Luke 1 and verse 38 jumped out at me. After reading Chamber's questions, I realized that verse captures it all: "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.
It is only after we have let our dreams, our rights, and our very personalities die that Jesus can be born in us. It is only after we, like Mary, surrender everything to God that we can be used like she was. It is only after we submit to being left alone, totally vulnerable, that we find another great paradox...we cannot be hurt in this new place! Yes, bad things, even horrible things will happen to us and around us, but our safety comes from the unshakeable realization that we belong to God and He will not allow anything to happen that doesn't ultimately work for good.
Jesus, I can't thank you enough for this breakthrough in my understanding!! It is almost incomprehensible, but I believe it with all my heart. I pray that my loved ones will also grasp this truth, this gateway to a life of pure joy, and that they will do the hard work of obedience in order to reach this place.
The only reason to choose to belong to God is because He is! He is our Creator; He is wisdom; He is joy; He is the reason for our existance and our purpose in life!! Before I read today's lesson I read Luke 1 and verse 38 jumped out at me. After reading Chamber's questions, I realized that verse captures it all: "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.
It is only after we have let our dreams, our rights, and our very personalities die that Jesus can be born in us. It is only after we, like Mary, surrender everything to God that we can be used like she was. It is only after we submit to being left alone, totally vulnerable, that we find another great paradox...we cannot be hurt in this new place! Yes, bad things, even horrible things will happen to us and around us, but our safety comes from the unshakeable realization that we belong to God and He will not allow anything to happen that doesn't ultimately work for good.
Jesus, I can't thank you enough for this breakthrough in my understanding!! It is almost incomprehensible, but I believe it with all my heart. I pray that my loved ones will also grasp this truth, this gateway to a life of pure joy, and that they will do the hard work of obedience in order to reach this place.
posted by Jane at 8:35 AM
2 Comments:
The issue of innocent people suffering seems to me to be one of the main points non-believers make. What they fail to see is that life is a ride. One must dip through the valley to enjoy the view at the top. Some times life sucks. But whatever. Remember, for every valley there are two mountains.
-Tucker
Hello, Tucker! You sound like my kind of person!! Make Kevin introduce us sometime. I look forward to reading your posts!!
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