Letting God sort it all out

February 23, 2010

A friend emailed me today:

“Hi sister. Remember to think of all the wonderful things you have seen in how God is working in so many lives and new ones coming to Him every day.”

And I replied:

“Yes… I keep reminding myself over and over again what you prayed yesterday morning about sadness being a “deadly sin” and how we are to be joyful in everything.

I’ve just turned this all over to our Father… there is NOTHING, of course, that I can do about any of it, other than just answer phones, take notes, file… and listen to every one… sure a lot of different viewpoints…. I don’t know what to say to anything any one tells me, so I just keep saying, “Uh huh… uh huh…. Uh huh….”

This whole thing going on here is a thing only God can sort out – but HE CAN SORT IT OUT!”

And then I went to Your Word… and here’s what YOU said to me:

Job 13:5 O that you would be completely silent, and that it would become your wisdom! [Yes, advice that I need to take! Especially right now in this situation!]

Proverbs 17:1 Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it, than a house full of feasting and strife…. 9. He who conceals a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates intimate friends. 10. A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding, than a hundred blows into a fool… 14. The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so abandon the quarrel before it breaks out…. 22. A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones…. 27. He who restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. 28. Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.
[Thank You for Your word, Lord! For these words! Now!}
[But why do we, Your people, who say we believe and honor and obey Your word, seem to actually just mouth it, say how lovely it is … but don’t take it to heart and let it actually change us, transform us, into Your image?] [Now that is truly SAD]….

Daniel 1:8 But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank
[Oh Father, why oh why do we keep “defiling ourselves” by turning to the world’s ways to “build Your kingdom” … and then again to try and fix the mess that doing that has gotten us into… instead of just once and for all turning it all over to YOU, and listening to YOU, and OBEYING YOU, and becoming like YOU in all areas of our lives?!?!?]

Daniel 2:20 Daniel said, let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. 21. It is He who changes the times and the epochs: He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men, and knowledge to men of understanding. 22. It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him. 23. To You, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for You have given me wisdom….

Hosea 13:6 As they had their pasture, they became satisfied, and being satisfied, their heart became proud; therefore they forgot Me… 9 It is your destruction, O Israel, that you are against Me, against your Help.
[oh dear, that is us, Your church, today… so often…so much….]

Luke 21:14 So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves, 15. for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute.

[And then Your direction and encouragement, Father:]

Colossians 2:2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, 3. in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge….
6. Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7. having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. 8. See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of man, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. 9. For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, 10. and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority….
17…. the substance belongs to Christ….
19…. Holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. 20. If you have died with Christ… why… do you submit yourselves to decrees… 22. … in accordance with the commandments and teaching of man? 23. These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion… but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.