“Good morning, child.”
“Good morning, Father.”
“I was with you all day yesterday and want to remind you that I am going to be with you all day today too.”
“Thank you, God, but You know that I know that, right? You are always with us, Father. Why are You making it a point of specifically telling me that today?”
“I have some challenges for you today, child. Some very real challenges that you would not have asked for. The reason why I’m affirming My faithful presence to you is because I wanted to let some of your first thoughts today be centered on My relentless commitment to you. My children are strong in believing in my omnipresence but I am working grace to you so that you will have equal confidence in My purposed, personal presence. Child, I am going to be with you through all of this day – through everything.”
“It sounds a little ominous, Father. What is it that I’m going to be challenged by? Lord, what’s coming my way? I’m not exactly feeling my strongest and I’m unsure that I’ve been prayerful enough this week. Father, I’m sorry but I should confess that I’ve been busy and not feeding myself with Your word like I normally would. Quite frankly, God, I’m now a little worried that You’ve chosen today for a test or challenge because I am weak. Could we wait two more days- maybe three – and let what You have ordained come after I’ve prepared myself a little more?”
“No, little one. I won’t be waiting for you to be prepared. These challenges are already in motion. They have had today’s date on them since the beginning and they must find you.”
“Please, God – a little grace here, if You will. My mind isn’t sharp and my heart is somewhat listless. My tank is a little empty and I’m simply not up to the task right now. You know how weak I am. I’m sure I’ll be more up to task after this advanced notice and I will bring you pleasure in my success if You can simply allow a little time for me to ready myself. You do see that I’m struggling these days, right?”
“Yes, I do. That’s precisely why I’ve chosen today, child.”
“Please help me to understand why You waited for my me to allow myself to be ill-equipped for this challenge. Forgive me Father, but I don’t agree with your methodology here.”
“Child, I have decided not to allow you to rest in your strengths any longer. I’m grateful to have developed them in you and I’ve seen them achieve many times over what I intended them for. Yet, you rest in them – you focus too much on your ability and that places a sense of distance between us. I do not allow My children to rest in the abilities they have. I have always done My greatest works through the weaknesses of My children. Hear Me…I love you and I am going to be with you through all of today…but I will not be utilizing your gifts today. I will be purposefully employing My grace.”
“Why can You not use both? Why not use my gifts AND Your grace?”
“Child, I pose that question back to you. In your times of strength and empowerment, blessing and boldness, consecration and confidence…why do you regularly become less reliant on My grace? Why do you believe that I need you strong, prayed-up, filled with My truth and walking in confidence? It is not Me who chooses one above the other – it is more often you who does so…and you are inclined to choose to rest in your strengths. Dear one, you have wrongly believed that I need you to be strong when what I require is for you to be dependent. You really need these coming difficulties to grow you in your ability to rest in nothing but My grace. You see, My grace is the only thread-line to my glory.”
“Do I really do that, God? Do I really minimize your grace when I feel strong?”
“Yes, child. You and every single one of My other children have a tendency to forget how dependent they are on Me. I have seen it a trillion times over. Since the beginning I have had to allow enough trouble and weakness in each of you so that you do not become self-reliant and misplaced in your confidence. Do you trust Me, child?”
“Now I’m not as sure, God. I think so. I hope so. Yes…yes, I trust you, Father.”
“Will you praise Me in your weakness? Will you abide while I purify your reliance? Can you declare that all is well even if I remove a portion of your own power?”
“I don’t know. I would have thought so before You began to speak to me so clearly about all of this. I have been taught to be strong and disciplined and prepared as Your servant. Now You tell me that I need more weakness and helplessness and trouble if I am going to bring You glory. You ask if I can abide in You when You remove my strengths…why do You even ask me these questions when we both know that You already know the answer?”
“Because, child, you do not yet know the answer. You really do not know how to trust Me in your weakness. You sing and speak about my grace but…some of what you believe is theoretical, isn’t it? It’s time for your assurance in my goodness to be woven into your life. So, again, will you trust Me, today?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“You have a choice about your response, child. But, no, I am not allowing a choice about the circumstances. I have determined to show Myself all-sufficient to you and it is My will to ordain your weakness so that you may experience something new and lasting from Me. Do you remember what I said when I began to speak to you today? I PROMISED that I would be with you in a purposed, personal way. Is that sufficient? You have always preferred circumstantial guarantees and clear timelines with detailed explanations ahead of the challenges. Child, I love you and want you to know that this tendency in you demands that you be in control instead of Me. Do you not see that? I am your Father and God. I am committed to you and have ordained today’s challenges so that you will know deeply of my careful concern and involvement. I will be showing you that you never need to be strong in order to be assured. Now, one last time, will you trust Me, your Heavenly Father, today?”
What say ye, friend?
Beatifully, and powerfully, written … thanks, brother
It is one thing to AFFIRM our doctrinally-correct view that God says “My strength is made perfect in your weakness”; it is quite another to be brought to the place of weakness so that His faithfulness can be demonstrated to us. It’s like the passage in Isaiah 43:-
1 But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. 3 For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour …
The non-Christian would expect a loving kind all-powerful God would watch from afar & prevent the trouble arising – a smooth path in the sunshine all the way to glory. The nominal christian might turn away when the cost of following seems too great. The believer however knows that (a) our gracious heavenly Father is indeed in sovereign control (Rom 8:28), and also that (b) there is no greater blessing than to know His presence & help when the storms & floods & fires of life are allowed to come our way. As has been said, “If you want to see the rainbow of God’s covenant love, there has to be a storm”.
His ways are indeed higher than our ways, and His thoughts higher than our thoughts – and none of those who have trusted Him in the dark and hurting times have found Him lacking or absent. “Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!”
“Is He safe? No…but He is good.” In my experience the Lord can be seem to be ruthless in the decimation of what we naturally rely on, whether it be our “strenghts” or our self-made defenses. I have discovered that what He is doing is setting us captives free from lesser things. It’s truly ironic the way we reconnect the chains that He has broken.
Sam & Zack say:
We say with the Aposle Paul, when I am weak I am strong, by God’s grace and only by His grace never by our power.This gives us sweet confort when we give all our struggles to the Lord.He is able and in Him we have our assurance.
I have had this conversation (too many times) before. And luckily, He always provides the explanations, details… but only when I prayerfully continue to reflect and allow my eyes to open and heart soften. The clarity always comes after the experience and time after time (everytime), His hand is all over EVERYTHING and it fuels me. God has put wonderful people in my life in the very recent past who have enabled me to fully lean on His grace and the worry, anxiety, loss of focus that normally consume me during difficult times never reached the light of day. All to His glory. His grace. And His blessings!!