Mighty Works in Progress

Have you ever noticed that God often seems to take His own sweet time in fashioning our lives and hearts?

Perhaps like any true masterpiece, painstaking patience is often necessary when aiming at perfection.

Mysterious, Methodical Manifestations

For now, suffice it to say that often in the Christian walk of faith, God’s ways seem somewhat odd to us. They are often mysterious, methodical and only manifested to our understanding over time.

His timing seems slow to us and we think things would be so much more glorifying to Him if circumstances miraculously just be “better”, “fully grown” and complete overnight. As discussed in the last episode in this series called “Brace Yourselves…”, we prefer immediate, painless healing, longing to throw off any restraint or guardrails that might cause us momentary discomfort or hinder the accomplishment of our own desires.

So often, He seems to be on a TOTALLY different time-table than we are. Surely that’s part of His mercy, as Peter noted in 2 Peter 3:9….

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

As I’ve been recovering from a wrist fracture recently, it’s seemed obvious from the very moment I fell, that if it be His will for me to regain my guitar skills, this may be a long process. Certainly not an “over night” type of thing.

While travelling on the “path of Life” we need a FAR higher perspective. In fact, from my perspective, what I truly need is “the mind of Christ”.

Complaining When God Redirects our Path

Breaking that wrist changed the trajectory of all the things on MY agenda, altering my plans dramatically for coming weeks, months and potentially for years or even the rest of my days. My life has been entrusted to Jesus for a LONG time, and the assurance of that helped SO MUCH in processing it all. And as the Bible says “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.'” (James 4:14-15)

I know that God is looking at a MUCH bigger picture than my individual life. The way of life is certainly NOT for me to fit Him into MY plan…. It’s more for Him to change ME and fit me into His plan. And I’m incredibly grateful that He has graciously welcomed me into being a part of that plan.

In pondering the ways that the Lord can suddenly change our direction, often to our chagrin, it reminds me of how we tend to be so much like the Israelites when they were slaves in Egypt and Moses first approached Pharaoh about letting God’s people go. Pharaoh slung insults at them saying they were lazy, and proceeded to give them even HARDER labor (make bricks with no straw supplied). They responded to Moses and Aaron: “…May the LORD look upon you and judge you! You have made us a stench to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.” (Exodus 5:21b)

Their current struggle blinded them to the fact that God was using the whole thing as part of a MUCH bigger and miraculous story of His glory and power, as He used Pharaoh’s stubborn heart to work out the Israelites’ deliverance from slavery.

Higher Perspectives

Another profound story to ponder is that of Joseph, in Genesis 37 to the end of the book. He was sold into slavery by his brothers, falsely accused and sent to prison, and forgotten to languish there for a couple more years. Throughout those years God remained good to him, causing him to prosper nonetheless, and ultimately used his tumultuous story to preserve the lives of God’s people during a potentially deadly famine.

Do you ever wonder what Joseph’s perspective was as he sat in that prison cell… Did he twiddle his thumbs and feel sorry for himself? Or did he fill his heart with praise in the midst of long, boring difficult days? I imagine many people would question God’s plan when in that type of situation. Whatever his thoughts in those dark and lonely days, he was held there until the perfect time, because God was doing something bigger.

By the end of the book, he certainly had gained a Godly perspective as he said to his brothers:

… Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

(Genesis 50:19b-20)

When life throws US a curveball and in so doing, God redirects our path, are we prone to complain and question or to trust and follow each step as He leads?

Consider the account in Daniel about the astounding faith of the men about to be thrown into the fiery furnace:

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

(Daniel 3:16-18)

Do we have an “even if He does not” kind of faith? Are we able to trust His mysterious plan and timing?

Having the Mind of Christ

Ultimately, I don’t know what the outcome will be of this season of life. Without the input of the Holy Spirit, it likely would have thrown me for a loop.

Yet looking through the eyes of Jesus, it all makes SO much sense, even though it’s like watching a story unfold in the mist one scene at a time.

For a while now it has been on my heart to reach out to Christians who are enduring difficult times in whatever way the Lord sets before me. Now, sharing my own challenges in my videos, blog and podcast, it seems even more relevant.

Just as the Israelites were prone to complain before they could see the bigger picture, and just as Joseph could look back at his life’s ups and downs and say “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good”, let us trust Jesus in hope, that He knows exactly what He’s doing as He weaves His goodness into our lives, even in the midst of our struggles.

I pray that whatever words are spoken in the midst of this personal challenge in my own story will speak Life and Truth to your heart, encouraging you that you and/or your loved ones are not alone in this desire to stay close to Jesus as we follow Him on what seems to be a rocky section on the path of life.

He is with us every step of the way, and He bids us to care for each other, being His hands, feet and perhaps mouthpiece.

Please check out next moth’s episode for more insights into our roles in the body of Christ. And, by all means, please join my newsletter if this fellowship of like-minded believers is supporting your heart in the midst of challenging days (shiningriver.com/newsletter).

We may not SEE what He’s doing always, but surely He IS working behind the scenes of our lives, taking His sweet and perfect time, in His mysterious, methodical way, manifesting His mighty work in and among us.

Here is another video of one of the songs I sang in Ocean Grove, NJ on the day I broke my wrist. It’s a hymn called “Sweet Hour of Prayer”. What a comfort when He “calls us from a world of care”….