Have you ever felt yourself doing something you know does not come naturally? Especially speaking in spiritual terms? When there is no doubt that Holy Spirit has taken over and done something in and through you in a way that startles you. You know, when you spin your head around and say "Where'd that come from?" It is here we can know we are being transformed more into His likeness; who He wants us to become.
This is how it happened. A hurting situation arose. Knee-jerk reaction - pray. As I prayed, I humbly asked God to do what I felt was His will (definitely my will) for the situation. I poured out my concern, my hurt, my intercession, my advice. Then, out of the clear blue sky, these words came out of my mouth, "But even if you don't, we will still love you. Even if you don't, we will still serve you. Even if you don't, we will still trust you." What??!?! It's not unusual for me to pray "God's will be done", but I've not prayed the above words. Ever. I was surprised because I knew I didn't come up with this on my own - and pleased because I knew immediately it was the transforming work of God in my life. Something I've been fervently praying for this pre-Easter season. It's a good thing I was already on my knees because I might have fallen over. It excited me and I praised Him.
It's a Shadrach, Meschach and Ebednego prayer. (Daniel 3:18) I've studied Daniel several times over the last 5 years or so; this Old Testament book fast becoming one of my favorites. I think it's probably because I'm so drawn to disciplined, principled people who seem to be unflappable, unshakeable. (Likely because I am far from that but such a wannabe!) I marvel at how they live this way. They know who they are and to Whom they belong. And they live out of this Truth. They don't let aggressive, critical people determine their mood. They don't let situations out of their control control them in a negative way. They pray. They trust God. They walk on. Shouldn't all followers of Christ live this way - to lead the way for all those searching for answers, for Jesus?
Are you wondering how the prayer got answered? Well, not exactly how I laid it out for Him and possibly not at all or maybe it's still to be determined if and how God will act. But somehow that doesn't seem to matter because I am different. I'm not worried. I'm not imagining worst case scenarios or escape clauses (why do we always look for the nearest end to any difficult situation?).
Instead, I am at peace and am even smiling. It's an abiding peace that isn't fleeting. It sticks. In the end it doesn't really matter what happens. Because I've got God and more importantly, God's got me. I love the line in the song In Christ Alone, "Jesus commands my destiny". I believe that's what Daniel's friends knew and clung to. And it's what I'm learnin'.
P.S. Side lesson - Hide God's Word in your heart (Psalm 119:11). I haven't read those Daniel verses in quite a while but if we do our job, read it, God will bring it up when He wants to, for His purposes. So cool.
1 comment:
Angela, this was so encouraging for me today. I had been reading last week a book by Mike Calhoun: "Where was God when...?" I was reading about God's faithfulness so that I could encourage our teens and then this week, a situation came up that about knocked me down. I had to ask myself if I truely beleived that He is faithful and I can tell you that after God working on me~~ I can say that I KNOW He is faithful even if He doesn't answer my prayer to all of this in a way that I want. Thanks for your encourgement. He is good all the time!! May He receive all the glory for all of this.
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