Let God be God

"But after a while the Philistines returned and again spread out across the valley of Rephaim.

And again David asked the LORD what to do.

'Do not attack them straight on,'

the LORD replied.

'Instead, circle around behind 

and attack them near the poplar trees.  

When you hear a sound like marching feet 

in the tops of the poplar trees,

be on the alert!

That will be the signal that the LORD is moving ahead of you to strike down the Philistine army.'"

2 Samuel 5:22-24 NLT

He had done it just a few days before, defeating the relentless Philistines.  When David's determined enemy threatened again, it would have been easy for David to assume he was to use the same strategy as in his previous victory: engage the Philistines head-on.  Instead, David had a well-developed understanding of God's sovereignty as well as of His higher ways, leading Him to seek out His wisdom. (Isaiah 55:8-9, Micah 4:12)  David knew each unique circumstance required a separate inquiry to the Lord in order to discover His distinct and specific plan.

I must keep this truth in mind as well.  Instead of assuming I should proceed as usual, it is important that I constantly seek His will in each and every situation.

In His Time

I am bound by time.  My life is often driven by appointments to keep, deadlines to meet and schedules to which I must adhere.  Whenever facing a struggle or difficulty, I often have a certain time-frame in which I'd like for it to be resolved.  I despise open-ended commitments; I'd much rather know the beginning and ending date.  I depend so much on the constraints of time.

It is a mistake for me to place God in this same category, assuming that He thinks the same way I do.  Instead, He is not bound by time in the least.  He is never slow and my artificial deadlines mean nothing to Him. (Isaiah 57:15,Psalm 90:4,2 Peter 3:9)  If I am determined to finish a project by the end of the week, it doesn't influence His perfect plan one bit.  I can no more will God to work within my parameters of time and space than I can herd a group of cats in the direction I want them to go.

Since time is not a factor for God, I would be wise to wait on His perfect timing, letting Him be God.  I often limit Him in my efforts to place a time constraint on His work.  When things don't work out in the period I have in mind, it is easy for me to give up, thinking it will never happen.  Or, when I grow tired of waiting, I'm easily persuaded to try another path, straying away from God's perfect plan.  Or, when I run out of steam in my effort to keep up appearances while I hope against all odds that God will come through, it's too simple for me to give up, cutting my losses and coming to the conclusion that I'm just not cut out to live by faith.

Time means nothing to God.  His plan is perfect, but if I'm going to let Him have His way in my life, I'll have to give up my desire to let time color His kingdom and influence His ways.  If Jesus is to be Lord of my life, I must let Him be Himself, working in the way He best sees fit.  If that means things happen faster than I expect; so be it.  On the other hand, if it means I die waiting, I must be ready to accept His sovereign, perfect plan.  (Hebrews 11:13)

If I am to live my life according to God's plan, not assuming I know what's best, I will need to let go of my desire to limit Him by the constraint of time.

In His Way

He has his own way of doing things.  When I first got married to my husband, it was hard for me to adapt to his ways.  I liked to hurry through my chores, eager to be finished while he took his time, relishing the process or working.  He didn't mind leaving projects unfinished while I preferred to wrap up a job before I could rest.  He tended to be more laid back while I was pretty structured and rigid.

Now that we've been married for a quarter of a century, I have learned that there is more than one way to do things and my way is not the best way.  If I want to keep the peace in our home, it was necessary for me to learn to sometimes yield to his way.  

Similarly, when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I also gave up my right to run my own life.  Instead, I acknowledged that He is the One who knows what's best for me.  Even though I prefer giving myself the illusion that I'm in control, when I admit that His plan is the one that will most benefit me, life goes so much better.

Instead of fighting to be the master of my own destiny, I can let Him lead me down the path I would never choose for myself. (Psalm 23:3-4) In place of trying to understand why things are happening the way they seem to be falling into place, I can seek His will without demanding to comprehend His mysterious ways. (Proverbs 3:5-6)  As a replacement for doing things in the way I best see fit, I can let Him choose for me.

If I am to live my life according to God's plan, not assuming I know what's best, I will need to let go of my desire to do things my way.

For His Glory

My goals are in stark contrast to God's.  While I'm mostly concerned with my own comfort, welfare and reputation, God focuses on what will make the most of Him.  Whereas I tend to invest in what will bring attention and accolades to myself, God's goal is to make His name known to all the earth. (Isaiah 45:3, Isaiah 43:10) Although I look for the easiest path, God's plan is to mold me into the image of His Son using whatever means necessary to reach this goal. (Romans 8:28-30)

Therefore, if I want God to get credit for the great things He is doing, it is necessary that I cease looking for praise from people.  It is easy for me to get caught up doing things that will make me popular, or that give people a warm, fuzzy feeling, or that evoke a smile.  Instead of looking for such responses, however, it must be my intention to seek God's best, resulting in Him getting all the glory in place of me stealing some for myself. 

Furthermore, I will need to make less of me so more of Him can be showcased in my life.  While it is natural for me to do what makes me look good, I must switch to a desire that seeks to show off God's attributes.  Instead of doing something in my own strength, then, it will be necessary to let God work through me, loving the despised, forgiving the inexcusable, and showing mercy to the cruel and heartless.

Finally, it will be necessary for me to let go of doing what comes naturally.  In place of following my flesh, I can let the indwelling Spirit of God lead me, resulting in His fruit being produced and displayed in my life.  In this way people will see my good deeds and praise my Father in heaven.  (Galatians 5:16-22, Matthew 5:16)

If I am to live according to God's plan, not assuming I know what's best, I will need to let go of my desire to get all the credit.

In the same way that David understood the need to seek God's face in every situation, never assuming yesterday's solution will work for today's challenge, I must also gain this same understanding of God's sovereign nature.  In so doing, I will find a desire to let God work things out in His timing, in His way, and for His glory.  Then I will let God be God.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God and His timing even when it seems like He is way too slow.

When do I limit God with my own assumptions and expectations?

How am I proving that I think I'm in control instead of God?