Higher Ways
I will proclaim the name of the Lord; how glorious is our God! He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is! Deuteronomy 32:3-4 (nlt)
Recently our grandson (whose name shall remain anonymous due to the behavior involved) was taking a trip with his mommy. He had chosen a movie and it was placed in the DVD player. Ten minutes down the road, he decided he did not want to watch the movie originally chosen. Without going into great detail, I will just say that approximately twenty minutes later the car came to a stop on the ramp of the interstate; all that belonged to this little guy was packed up and placed in the trunk.
His behavior did not change immediately, but after some time he calmed down. From the back of the car our daughter heard, “Mommy, I am sorry I threw a fit; it made me sad. Did it make Jesus sad?” To which she responded, “Not only did it make Jesus sad, it made Mommy sad, as well.” He paused, then proclaiming, “Jesus wants me to have all my things back.” To that she replied, “No, Jesus does not want you to have your things back. Son, apologizing does not entitle you to your things or excuse your behavior.”
Children are all about getting their way; and at times I have acted so childishly too. On this journey, I have at times thrown a few fits; I did not get my way! My heavenly Father has calmly taken all my things, putting them away. He has taken our home, a job, a retirement plan, insurance, and Mark’s perfect health, just to name a few. He has my attention!
Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts’” (nasb).
There was a time when I thought that certainly Jesus wanted me to have my things back. I now realize this journey has been about much more than my things. To accomplish His ways and get our attention, He must at times remove what we hold dear. Our daughter knew what it would take to get our grandson’s attention.
Father, thank You for getting my attention. You have removed my things in order to accomplish Your plan and Your ways in my life. I would not exchange the deep intimacy I now have with You for those things I once held dear. Amen.
No loss, no gain.We have to go through significant losses so that we experience Him and His power of resurrection in us to do His work. We may whine, complain and be angry at God when going through significant losses. But He is in the process of pruning, shaping us so that we become better vessels.It is great that we can share in His suffering.
In my life, I migrated 4 times in between 3 countries because of how the Lord called me and my husband moving to pastor different churches. The losses affect my work, relationships and with relocation every time even loss of material possessions. But now as I look back, I count them as gain as the Lord opens up new opportunities and new ways of doing things for me. I praise Him because He is the one that orchestrate everything and we just have to follow Him.