After
writing my last post, where I said I wish I had known spiritual things when I
was younger, I felt the Lord did not want me to keep thinking and saying that
about my life. There were so many things we need to learn about God and being a
Christian. But God doesn’t zap all that knowledge inside us when we are
following him. We learn as we live, struggle and experience the good and bad
things of life. This is the way he teaches us.
God could
have made David a king immediately after Samuel anointed him. But Dave had to
flee and hide from King Saul for 20 years. If David had not suffered the loss
of all things, even his family and home, we would not have most of the Psalms,
which have given wisdom and comfort to millions of people. When I am in
distress, I turn to the Psalms. They teach us how to rely on the Lord when we
are confused, sad and frightened.
God could
have delivered his people from Egypt at the time Moses wanted to do that. But
he didn’t, and Moses was spent 40 years living as a shepherd before God called
him. Moses must have matured and become patient as he looked after sheep. When
God did call him, he felt he wasn’t up to the task, which is what God was
waiting for. Moses had become humble, and as the Bible says, “The meekest man
on earth.” Now God could use him.
God allowed
Joseph to be a slave and then a prisoner before he could use him. Joseph had
learned to trust God through two of the worst conditions that can come upon a
person. He came to Egypt a spoiled child but grew to be one of the few people
in the Bible that records none of his sins. His forgiveness towards his
brothers is beautiful to read about.
I feel like
God doesn’t want me to regret the past years of my walk with him. There were years
when I was angry at him and wouldn’t speak to him. When I turned and came back
to him, I could only read one verse in the Bible at a time. Slowly, I could
read more and spend more time praying. I was an alcoholic during that time, for
10 years. Yet God didn’t leave me. He was always there hearing my prayers and
helping me.
How do we
thank a God like that? He stoops low to save us. He, himself, the God of the
universe is humble. He will take us as we are. He has great patience to stay
with us through all our trials and temptations. There is a song lyric, “I’m
confident your faithfulness will see me through.” (Song: Confident, sung by Steffany
Gretzinger) I believe that now for
myself. No wonder we will praise God in song through all eternity.
