Life is good when He does that. When we are given blessings, we are thankful and content. Is it good to have a thankful heart? Of course. We are called to rejoice and give thanks for his blessings. David writes about how we should "...give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name," and to "...make known his deeds among the people" (1 Chronicles 16:8).
Sometimes, though, it appears we think that is all God is around for. We believe God has an agenda to stick to; every Sunday, provide my precious child with good words on Sunday and a restful upcoming week. As long as my precious child prays an egocentric prayer, I will bless him and he will love me for what I have done for him.
Today's view of God is a lot like this. God is the life raft when we are sinking in life's problems, and when we are not, we give God the ol' shout out. Sadly, we fall into the lie that God is our servant and the way life treats us is an excuse for how we should treat him. When life is gravy, we give God a figurative pat on the back and remind him that he is doing a good job. When things are not going our way, we question God's authority and wonder what we have done to deserve such pain.
Like Job from the Bible, we ask, "If I have sinned, what have I done to you, you who see everything I do? Why have you made me your target? Have I become a burden to you?" (Job 7:20) We feel the troubles and trials in life are God punishing us because we are bad. We begin to falsely accuse God of his ability to love us because he has not made us happy children.
If we can't look in the mirror and reflect on our own selfish tendencies, maybe a life lesson from Abraham will help.
Abraham was the ultimate symbol of loyalty to his Creator. He knew his place, even when it did not make sense. The story begins when God calls out to Abraham and says, "Take your son, your only son, whom you love - Isaac - and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you" (Genesis 22:2). This is a command to Abraham to slaughter his one and only son [sound familiar?]. To add to it, this is the same son it took Abraham 100 years (Genesis 21:5) to have as his own. However, it is not God's command that is the focus of the lesson, but Abraham's response: "Early the next morning, Abraham got up and loaded his donkey" (verse 3). There was no hesitation, no argument, and no questioning of authority. Furthermore, whenever God asked for Abraham, "Here I am" was Abraham's reply. As Isaac caught on, he asked his father where the burnt offering was; Abraham's response? "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son" (v. 8). From the moment the journey to Moriah began, Abraham took on the "humble servant" approach. He not only kept perfect obedience with the Lord, but he also relied on God's plan without pouting.
An angel sent by God then responded to Abraham's faithfulness: "...because you have done this and withheld your son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore" (v. 16-17).
God is the ultimate authority, and as we remain faithful to his plans through humble submission each day, we will see what the Lord can do in our lives, as Abraham saw in his own life. Sometimes the Lord places trials and unique situations in our lives to test us as he did with Job and Abraham. Sometimes, he wants to strengthen us like James 1 promises. Most importantly, when trials do come our way, he wants to remind us that he is fighting with us, not against us. John 16:33 says, "I have told you these things, so that in me you will have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
As you begin delighting in the Lord, he will reveal his plan to you. He wants you to succeed (as Jeremiah 29:11 states); but, you need to know your place and trust that "God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). You need to stop pointing your finger and learn to rely heavily on him for everything, because, after all, He did save you from your sin. Instead of shifting the blame, recruit your leader to guide you through life's trials, troubles, and consequences.
So, do you delight in the Lord and all he is doing, no matter what? Do you trust him, despite the troubles this world brings? Is he only your God on Sundays, when it is easy and it confirms your place in heaven? Or, is he literally the Lord over your life?
He loves you, so why fight his love when you can bask in it, through the good and bad?
The lyrics express how we should view God and his plan for us.
Credit: Hillsong United, Youtube
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