Ouch and Amen.

I woke up and checked my phone. Sure enough, the world is still crazy and there are still hard things going on for those I love.

But God is still on the throne.

He’s still at work in a thousand ways I cannot see.

But He is also at work in some ways I can. And one of those things He is doing is what He does for all His children, all the time.

I think this thing He is doing is one thing we wish we’d “outgrow”, but the older I get, the more convinced I am that God will never, this side of Heaven, ever stop showing us wrong-thinking that leads to sin.

He loves us too much not to do so and will keep doing so until we are absent of this flesh-filled body and home with Him.

This sin-revealing, sanctifying work of the Lord in my life to draw me to a closer walk with Him, is one more way I sense His loving care and presence.

As He points out sinful wrong acting and wrong thinking, it helps me know He wants me to experience MORE of His joy-filled freedom and peace-filled closeness.

It reminds me that I’m still capable of being tripped up by the enemy if I don’t daily keep my eyes on God.

One of the ways God has so often done this is through Bible study.

In “Trustworthy” (by Lysa Terkeurst, a study of 1 and 2 Kings) she writes-
“When I struggle with doubting that God is trustworthy, it isn’t in the global sense. I know He’s trustworthy in general—I just wonder if He’s going to come through for me personally.”

And I realize, I still have those thoughts too. Do any of you?

“Is God going to come through for me personally about _?”

Terkeurst goes on to write, “When this happens it makes me want to rely more on my own strength than God’s strength. Before I even know it, I say I trust God with my mouth, but in reality I get overwhelmed trying to fix and control things myself. I get stressed out, overly emotional, and more and more distant from God.”

And I’ve been there. Have you?

I realized I am kind of there now with a situation in my life that I have been praying about for years.

But God has used a Bible study to alert me to my wrong thinking that leads to wrong actions.

He wants better for me and better for you.

He wants me to see I have a tendency to be just like those wayward, idol-worshipping Kings of Israel. As Terkeurst says though, “I don’t run to false gods on the high places. I don’t have to. I already have my own high place. I rely on myself and solutions of my own making above trusting God.”

Ouch and Amen.

Once again, the Lord has used His Word and a Bible study to point out an area in my life that still needs changing if I want more of God’s peace in my life.

By recognizing this tendency to still run to myself and my own solutions with some hard things in my life, I can stop and throw on the breaks, run to Him instead, and experience a yet greater peace.

I want that.

So, my prayer, our prayer has to be, again and again, until the day we join Him in glory— “God show me anything in my life that is keeping me from fully experiencing You in my life. Have thy own way.”

“Have thine own way, Lord!
Have thine own way!
Thou art the potter,
I am the clay.
Mold me and make me
after thy will,
while I am waiting,
yielded and still.
Have thine own way, Lord!
Have thine own way!
Search me and try me,
Savior today!
Wash me just now, Lord,
wash me just now,
as in thy presence
humbly I bow.
Have thine own way, Lord!
Have thine own way!
Wounded and weary,
help me I pray!
Power, all power,
surely is thine!
Touch me and heal me,
Savior divine!
Have thine own way, Lord!
Have thine own way!
Hold o’er my being
absolute sway.
Fill with thy Spirit
till all shall see
Christ only, always,
living in me! (Pollard)

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PS. If you aren’t in a Bible study, I highly encourage you to get in one! God will use it in your life!