WATCHWORD:
We know that all things work together for good to those who love God. Romans 8:28
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
Meditation:
God Wants to Use You
It was early December, the beginning of Advent, 24 years ago, when my grandson, age 11, was admitted to Riley’s Children’s Hospital with a diagnosis of adult leukemia. It was a time of prayer and a testing of our faith as we watched that little boy bear the cross of treatments and its effects. It was a time of masks and loss of hair, and the realization that God was in charge, that He loved us all and His plan was perfect. It took a while for us to digest and trust the magnitude and power of that statement of faith.
Oswald Chambers, in a recent devotional concluded his meditation with this statement: “God wants to use us as He used His own Son.” It takes a degree of faith to truly believe that God controls our circumstances. Too often we say that God is in control without really believing it, as if what happens to us is fully controlled by our own decisions. It’s when those circumstances go far beyond our intellectual or emotional state we find ourselves calling out, “Help me, Jesus”.
Being faithful to God in all that we do is one of the most difficult things that we do as Christians. We can knock ourselves out serving others, we can do our job with expertise and completeness but too often we don’t wish to be in a situation where we have to be faithful and trust our Lord at times when we bear His cross. When we do that it seems like it takes us out of our control and we like to be in charge. But still, we trust.
But, those early months in Riley Hospital were far beyond our control. We did what we could, we prayed, we reassured ourselves that the doctors and the nurses were all competent and that God was in charge, and our boy would come through this. It was all His and none of ours. And our faith and our trust was justified. My grandson, now 35, is a strong man of faith, a husband and a father.
Each one of us goes through difficult times. Mountains that we must climb. Diagnosis that we have to follow through on which involves procedures that scare us. Or perhaps it is the loved one that is having to fight the battle and we can only stand on the sidelines and pray and trust in the Lord.
Our faith is not an impractical element of our character. Our character is shaped by our faith. As we rest in the truth that our Lord and Savior is in charge of our circumstances and because of that our circumstances will never overpower our life of faith.
God wants to use us as He used His own Son. Think about that as we bear the crosses of our daily lives and continue on in the purpose that God has set for us. So be it, now and forever. Amen.
Netflix Recommendation:
This one might go right by you without notice. Bank of Dave is not a grabber title that says “watch me”, it is what I would call a high-quality sleeper. It’s a true story of the little guy fighting the giant and, in the end, winning. It is a fun movie. Don’t miss it. — Stan
Two Prayers of Faith:
Father God open my eyes, not to see the world more clearly but to see you. Open my eyes to see you working around me and in me. Nothing happens by accident. You orchestrate every day of my life. Allow me to see Your hand in the mundane and the fantastic. Help me to trust in what I cannot see and believe in your invisible presence. Amen.
Father God, my strength is gone. I am unable—but your Word says I can do all thing through Christ who strengthens me. Give me Your strength, not physical strength but the power to move mountains that flow from faith in Jesus. Help me to depend on You to do what I think I cannot do. Let your strength alone sustain me.
Amen.
