Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Control

Pastor Matt made a big deal recently in one of his sermons about the audacity we have in questioning the way God does things. I shared the verse from Romans a few posts ago. I paid attention to how His power is evident in the lightning and thunder. It's like He's flooding me with references of His power and wisdom to reassure me that He is in control.

I decided to start reading 1 Corinthians again. I'm not sure why - well, I wasn't sure why. But I think it was the Holy Spirit leading me to more proof of God's power and wisdom.

Chapter 1 reminded me that God uses the weak and lowly so that He can prove to the world that it is Him, not man that has the power. I've heard that before, but needed to read it straight from the source. It just hit me hard. It brought tears. I'm so worried about being "good enough" and that's such a waste of time. I keep thinking I should have learned whatever lesson by now and that God is tired of having to deal with it again. I don't have to be good enough all by myself. The Cross makes me good enough. What a relief!
1 Corinthians 1:27
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
The Message version is cool: Isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these "nobodies" to expose the hollow pretensions of the "somebodies"? I can be real. I can be faulty. I don't have to be perfect.

Then chapter 2 brought more tears. It's funny too, how the tears come even though you've read it before. Or as I read it again now - I don't get the tears. The Spirit had something to teach me yesterday.
1 Corinthians 2: 9-10
However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him" but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
That Spirit knows the deep things of God. That same Spirit resides in me! I don't know what God has planned for me. But I love Him. So I think my dreams will one day come true. The Message says, "The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God and brings out what God planned all along." I don't want to flit around on the surface either.

Abba Father ~ help me continue to give You control.

1 comment:

Carlotta said...

Bishop T.D. Jakes spoke at the Creative Church Conference at our church recently, about God using the weak/lowly to prove to the world it is Him. Jakes used Moses as an example. I wish you could've heard it...it was inspired!!! It knocked my socks off. Moses...someone who had speech problems was the ONE God called to deal with Pharoah, the ONE to tell Him to LET MY PEOPLE GO! Studdering and stammering, He did it! Studdering and stammering, yet with a staff that turned into a snake! What a beautiful illustration. Only God would've chosen studdering and stammering Moses for such a job. That's why I know He can use me...I have SO many weaknesses, everyone will KNOW it is Him and not me. What a beautiful thing. Anyhow, I wish you could've heard that leasson...it was tremendous!