The Unknown

Recently I have been attacked from every side. I have been beset by my enemy, I have felt the heat from his firey arrows and the sting of his whip on my back. He has told me all sorts of negative and evil things to try and discourage me and take what little pleasure that I have in my life. But you know what I have learned in the last few weeks...my priorites were in the wrong place. I was seeking happiness and joy in the things that I could put my hands on or purchase with my bank account. I was too prideful in what I believed were my own accomplishments. I have learned in my short life, that when you begin to take for granted the things that God blesses you with, He will take you down a peg and take those things away in order to teach you how to totally depend on Him. 

The moment that it hit me today, I was in deep thought about a situation that is completely out of my reach, depth, and control. You see, I am what you would call a “control freak.” I have to be, or at least believe that I am, in total control of my life and surroundings, at all times. Funny huh? How far that is from the way it really is? God is using this situation in my life to open my eyes to the unknown, to a faith that I haven’t been using. A faith in the unknown and what can be accomplished through it. A faith, that when place in God,can raise men from grave even when they are three days dead. A faith that can heal a woman by a simple touch of a hem of a garment. And if I am honest, a faith that I don’t understand. 

Part of my “control centered” life revolves around knowing the outcomes and the answers. I thrive on being the smartest guy in the room and when I am not, the next time, I will be. It is a competitiveness that can be both a blessing and a curse. For what good is knowledge if you don’t know how to apply it in life or have the ability to share it with those that need it most without sounding overbearing or condescending. It is the job of all children of God to share their experiences and knowledge with those that need their help. To allow them to learn from their mistakes and help them avoid the same pitfalls in life. To show them the unknown. 

How deep was God’s love for me that He would give His only Son as a sacrifice for me so that I could have knowledge of the unknown and have a relationship with God? Not only did God’s Son give His life for me, He hung on a cross and endured more pain and scorn than any other human in history. All to show me the unknown. All to show me a love that I am sad to say I still can’t comprehend and doubt that I ever will on this side of heaven. 

To those that will, I ask that you join me in prayer for this situation that I am facing and that, what ever the outcome, God be glorified and that someone see His hand at work in it. Some may want to simply pray that God show me grace through this situation. I would thank you for that but I truly want God to mold me through this and in addition mold those I am closest to (my family, my friends), and show us and others exactly how great a God we serve and show us that while the outcome may be unknown, we haven’t anything to fear as long as we serve God in Christ Jesus.