This morning when I read this this passage in my copy of the devotional “Jesus Calling,” I was reminded of where I am spiritually at this after recently going through a trial.
“Living in dependence on Me is a glorious adventure. When you depend on Me continually your whole perspective changes. You begin each day with joyful expectation, watching to see what I will do. You accept weakness as a gift from Me, knowing that My power plugs in most readily to consecrated weakness. My plans are far superior to yours. You consciously live, move, and have your being in me, desiring that I live in you.”
Like with you, sometimes the trials I experience are brought on by my own doing. Yes, for sure, others may add to them or be a catalyst in helping to ignite them, but I have a free will and I pretty much choose what I want to do in life. I can’t blame others for what I caused or permitted to be created. For had I not had my hand in the trial, it would not have occurred.
Therefore, I must take full responsibility for it.
Once I took full responsibility, then God was able to strengthen and lead me through the trial I had brought upon myself. Doing this freed him up to do what He wanted to do in and through me. He ultimately wanted to use it to make me more like himself and he wanted to help me want to choose to be totally dependent upon him. God wants no less from me than for me to breathe, live, move and have my being in him and him alone.
Does this make sense? I sure hope so because I want God to be able to use what I’ve learned to help you get through the trials you are presently or will in the future go through because you’ve brought them upon yourself.
I would like to tell you how this passage from “Jesus Calling” speaks to me and relates to where I find myself today.
I’ve learned:
Though I would not have chosen to go through my recent trial, I wouldn’t trade anything for it because I’ve learned even more than ever before to continually depend upon God through his spirit.
I’ve accepted my weakness as a gift from God knowing that God’s power plugs readily into my weakness. I’m one of those people who doesn’t give less than 100 percent to anything I believe God has called me to do.
When I’ve failed, whether it was because of my or someone else’s decision, it’s been incredibly hard for me to forgive myself. After the experience of this trial, I finally get it! How can I not forgive myself when God has forgiven me so much?
God’s plans are far superior to mine. In Genesis 50:20, Joseph was speaking to his brothers when he said, “…you meant evil against me but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result…” In other words, Satan wants to bring harm to us through our trials but God desires good to come from them. We often don’t see how he possibly could do this but he tells us he will.
More than ever before, my greatest desire is to live, move and consciously be spirit-led moment by moment, day by day.
There are two tools I would recommend that you to keep in your spiritual toolbox. These are the podcast by Tony Evans titled “The Power of Prayer,” dated Aug. 28, and the YouTube clip for the song “It Matters to the Master” by The Collingsworth Family. I pray these will help you as much as they have me in my time of trial.
