Re:Verse passage–2 Corinthians 4:7-18, 5:1-10 (day six) When God rescued the nation of Israel from Egyptian slavery, He immediately led them into the wilderness. In the wilderness He taught them the lessons of spiritual life. None of these lessons were more important than DAILY dependence. Manna was provided every day. Every day they had to go look for it. This is a lesson that most of us have to learn or relearn. In 2 Corinthians 4:16, the Bible speaks of being “renewed DAY BY DAY’. Paul’s experience and expectation is that God will provide energy, courage, wisdom and resources, but only as we are faithful to seek His promised help. “If my people will humble themselves and SEEK my face” says the the Lord as a precondition of His healing power. Not once, but once a day we are to seek and find Him! What we need, and what is offered by God, is a DAILY miracle. Are you too busy today to stop and find God’s help?
What a coincidence. I have been working through this same issue all this week. I see so clearly from scripture what is being offered, but just cannot ever seem to get there. Why, I ask, is the wilderness so hard/lonely/long? Then it hit me that it is because I am not learning my lessons. A soldier cannot be deployed into battle until he/she has been adequately trained.
A Christian must be trained in total dependence. It is totally different than how we would naturally function and so requires some serious training. I was reading yesterday from W Ian Thomas’ book The Indwelling Life of Christ. He said:
“Dying to self is a wonderful position to be in, because dead people cannot die, and dead people do not have problems. You see, every time you give yourself the right to have a problem or the right to worry about something, you give yourself the right to live your own life. However, if you adopt an attitude of total dependence on the Life of the Lord Jesus, the only life with which God will ever credit you, then no matter how threatening a situation may be, you can relate it to Him. You can say, “Thank you, Lord! This is no longer my problem or my worry; it is Yours.”
I got a glimpse of how to do this a few days ago when I held down my toddler as the doctor stitched up her sweet little face. I drew everything from Him (my source) just as I had done the day I had her. It reminded me so clearly what this looks like. Total surrender, acceptance and trust in my God. I am nothing. He is EVERYTHING.
Father,
The following passage from the same book speaks so clearly to me:
“It may well seem to you at times that God has spoiled your “picture” – all that you hoped to accomplish with your own talent and gifting, your own great ideas, success and performance. You resent what He has allowed to happen, but the Holy Spirit will quietly say, “Yes, indeed, I spoiled your picture, but I saved your life! You will live to paint again, but the hand that holds the brush will be the hand of God!”
Thank you Father…may it be so.