Did it Ever Occur to You?

"Judah's defenses have been stripped away.

You run to the armory for your weapons.

You inspect the breaks in the walls of Jerusalem.

You store up water in the lower pool.

You survey the houses and tear some down

for stone to strengthen the walls.

Between the city walls, you build a reservoir

for water from the old pool.

But you never ask for help from the One who did all this.

You never considered the One who planned this long ago."

Isaiah 22:8-11

Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong.  Engine trouble.  Health woes.  Income cuts.  Mounting debt.  Relationship struggles.  Homelessness threatens and I wonder, can't I ever catch a break?  Why is all this happening to me?  Where did I go wrong and what did I possibly do to deserve such suffering?  So I try harder.  I maintain my car according to my mechanic's recommendations.  I cut out all processed foods and regularly cleanse my body of impurities, adding exercise to my daily routine.  I take on a second job to start paying off my debt.  Still, things don't get better.  What's missing?

It's easy to try to fix what's broken in my life, working hard to turn my life around.  But no matter how hard I try, I can't reverse my misfortune.  How could I have such horrible luck?  Maybe I'm asking the wrong question.

What?  Despite popular perception, life is not what I make of it.  Yes, I do make choices which have consequences; I reap what I sow.  But I can no more direct my own path than a farmer can change the weather.  Mankind is at God's mercy, under His dominion, here for His purposes (John 9:3, Romans 9:16).

Therefore, when things start to go haywire despite my best efforts, instead of asking, "why me?" I'd be wise to turn to my Father through faith in Jesus and ask, "What are You trying to say to me?  What is the message I need to hear?"  And when I ask with a pure heart, truly wanting to know the answer, I will hear from the One who is behind my misfortune, who is using the difficulties to draw me back to Him.  I so easily stray that I often get off track before I realize what's happening.  Thankfully, God is not so easily deceived or misled.

Did it every occur to me to ask God what He's trying to tell me?

How?  My husband and I were struggling to lay the paving stones in a straight line.  We were building a patio area in the corner of our yard between two trees and were relying on our own perception to establish the perimeter.  No matter how we tried to line the bricks up, though, they never looked quite right.  We finally tied a string between two stakes to help us gauge our work.  Once we had a standard by which to judge our work, we were able to lay the stones in a straight line.

In the same way that it's difficult to lay patio pavers in a straight line without a some kind of straight edge to guide me, it's just as hard to tell if my thinking is off by relying on my own perception.  I need a "straight edge" by which to judge my perception.  In fact, I can't even trust my own ability to judge rightly.  Therefore, I'm wise to do as David did and ask God to search me and test me, showing me where I'm off, how my thinking or behavior is offensive to Him (Psalm 139:23-24).  It could just be that I'm reaping the destruction my hurtful habits or selfish ways have sown (Galatians 6:7-9).

Did it ever occur to me to ask God how I've strayed off track?

Help?  I'm a product of my culture, resistant to help, determined to make a go of it by myself.  No matter how much I struggle, I tend to want to try to make it on my own.  I feel bad asking for help, seeking support, or reaching out for assistance.  It's not surprising, then, that this independent streak would translate to my relationship with God.

The going gets tough and I think I need to get going, dig my heels in and apply more elbow grease.  A little determination and grit will get me where I need to go, I think.  That is until I'm overwhelmed, in over my head, and pushed beyond my means.  Then I realize the foolishness of my stubborn autonomy.  I need God and often He places me in positions beyond my ability to handle to get me to come to the end of myself (2 Corinthians 12:9).  When I do, I may realize my need for God because He is the only One who can change my situation, give me what I need, save me from myself.

Did it ever occur to me to ask God for help?

When life gets sticky and it seems like I can't catch a break, I find myself asking the wrong questions.  Instead of wondering why this has to happen to me, it's time I start asking God what and how, and be willing to ask Him for help.  These are the questions to ask in times like these:  Did this ever occur to me?

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can keep a godly perspective when encountering trouble.

When do I automatically blame myself or others when things go wrong?

How have I forgotten to place God in the center of any of life's equations?