That doesn't mean that I like it.
Lately Sara Groves' song Open My Hands has been on constant replay in my mind (and on my itunes). And this morning I listened to Tim Keller speak about Rom 12:1-2, how we are to constantly offer ourselves as living sacrifices because we know that the Father is both infinitely wise and infinitely loving -- so in fact the only reasonable course of action is to surrender our lives full to him. And then tonight it was Mark Driscoll, speaking on Luke 11:5-13, about how even very imperfect human fathers delight in giving their children good gifts -- how much more the perfect Father? And shouldn't we, knowing that He loves us and is only ever good, be moved to ask boldly and trust Him fully?
Notice a pattern?
I still want to cling to my own ideas and plans and worries and dreams. Which is dumb, and it shows how twisted my heart is. I say that I believe He is only ever always good, but then I stress out about everything that you can imagine. If I'll find another job that I love. If I'll be single for the rest of my life. If I'll get my grading done on time. If I will ever get to see broken relationships being used for good. If I'm going to fall down the stairs and break my leg. What grad school I should go to. What activities to use in a lesson. You name it... chances are that I worry about it.
And then there are the good things that I really want to hang onto. Last week my team was talking about Abraham sacrificing Isaac -- can you imagine how hard it was for him to be willing to obey and not to say, "EXCUSE me?? Do you remember that this child is the miraculous fulfillment of a promise that YOU made to me?"
Yeah, I do that a lot.
But instead -- instead I need to let go of all of my life, all of my worries and all of my plans and all of the things that have only been given to me to steward -- and instead trust that He is good. I want to learn more and more to live and to pray as if I really believe that He withholds no good thing from us.
I believe in a blessing I don't understand
I've seen rain fall on wicked and the just
Rain is no measure of his faithfulness
He withholds no good thing from us
No good thing from us, no good thing from us
I believe in a peace that flows deeper than pain
That broken find healing in love
Pain is no measure of his faithfulness
He withholds no good thing from us
No good thing from us, no good thing from us
I will open my hands, will open my heart
I will open my hands, will open my heart
I am nodding my head an emphatic yes
To all that You have for me
I believe in a fountain that will never dry
Though I've thirsted and didn't have enough
Thirst is no measure of his faithfulness
He withholds no good thing from us
No good thing from us, no good thing from us
I will open my hands, will open my heart
I will open my hands, will open my heart
I am nodding my head an emphatic yes
To all that You have for me
No good thing from us
No good thing from us
He withholds no good thing from us
I will open my hands, will open my heart
I will open my hands, will open my heart
I am nodding my head an emphatic yes
To all that You have for me
I've seen rain fall on wicked and the just
Rain is no measure of his faithfulness
He withholds no good thing from us
No good thing from us, no good thing from us
I believe in a peace that flows deeper than pain
That broken find healing in love
Pain is no measure of his faithfulness
He withholds no good thing from us
No good thing from us, no good thing from us
I will open my hands, will open my heart
I will open my hands, will open my heart
I am nodding my head an emphatic yes
To all that You have for me
I believe in a fountain that will never dry
Though I've thirsted and didn't have enough
Thirst is no measure of his faithfulness
He withholds no good thing from us
No good thing from us, no good thing from us
I will open my hands, will open my heart
I will open my hands, will open my heart
I am nodding my head an emphatic yes
To all that You have for me
No good thing from us
No good thing from us
He withholds no good thing from us
I will open my hands, will open my heart
I will open my hands, will open my heart
I am nodding my head an emphatic yes
To all that You have for me
[Sara Groves, Open My Hands]
overcome evil with good
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ReplyDeleteAll which I took from thee I did but take,
ReplyDeleteNot for thy harms,
But just that thou might’st seek it in My arms.
All which thy child’s mistake
Fancies as lost, I have stored for thee at home
I LOVE those lyrics! They are really speaking to me right now--and always. Seems I constantly live in the mire a bit, but that's all right, as long as God's there with me. Okay, add that song to my "must download" list. Great update!
Delete