A couple weeks ago (I know my daughter won't be happy with me telling this story) I ended up sending some gifts to my daughter and her mother for their birthdays. In the process I used shredded paper from my diamond cut paper shredder. I needed to pack the items with something as the contents were fragile.
I had received two text messages. The first was to tell me that even with my precautions the content was received broken. The next one had to do with a question from my daughter asking why I used shredded paper from the shredder. As I asked what her concern was, she revealed that she had taken scraps of the paper and put it together finding her name and my son's name on an email to my wife from a few years ago.
My first thought was I was amazed at her persistence to put the paper together. I did not know there was any such thing in the packing, but as I assured her regardless the act was unintentional and was not meant for harm, but protection.
As I pondered further about this God showed me this is the way we are. He has an amazing gift wrapped up for us and we ignore the content because our Nancy Drew side comes out during the hard times.
We look at the fragments of our journey trying to piece it all together to see what God is doing and why we are going through what we are doing. We totally negate the plans, goals and promises within the box only for the goal to find out why. Why am I going through this? We see a fragment of our name going down this dark road and assume that there is only bad ahead and God's intent is leading us down a dark road. We find it more important to make sense of the journey rather than hold fast to the promise.
It is like we must know in order to out maneuver God's path and goodness for us. What we are really say though is "God I don't trust you promises and good that are the best for my life." We are not willing to submit our will to God fully and hold onto His promises thinking there has to be a better way.
The book of Exodus should show us otherwise. God allowed two men; Caleb and Joshua the opportunity to reveal God's truth for the Children of Israel. In turn the people where so frightened they wanted to kill the messengers and do their own thing not trusting for God's best even though they had seen God come through time and again. As a result 45 years past and an entire generation was wiped out. Do you ever think what would had happened is they resolved to hold to God's promise regardless how impossible or difficult it seemed.
Forward if you would to Christ in the Garden of Gathsemine. Christ asked God the Father to let the cup pass from Him if possible. He was asking is there another way because I know this is difficult. God did not change the plans and Christ held onto the promise which resulted in your freedom from sin.
I now look as a father to my daughter. She sees the path she is on is hard and looks at the fragments saying I see this and that and what I think is going to happen can only be bad. All I can say though is what is in the box? Do you trust me? Do you see the gift I have for you?
It is too easy to loose track of the blessings and promises especially when things have been so dark. We need to resolve to hold on to His promises regardless how dark the path.
Here are a few promises to hold onto. First in Jeremiah 1:7-12 God tells Jeremiah that He knows the plans for Jeremiah and not to diminish who he is. Later in Jeremiah 29 God reminds him again I know the plans I have for you. This still holds true to you.
If this is not enough flip to Psalm 23. When one of my friends challenged me to study and hold fast to that verse I found out something new. God does not say He will deliver us from the Valley of the Shadow of Death. Instead He would lead us into it and allow us to enjoy a feast in the presence of our enemies. When I thought about it I thought how stressful it would be to eat dinner in the same dining room as one who would want to cause me great harm or even death?
When I looked at the verse a little more God asks "Do you trust me?" The reality is when we know He is in control He puts up a shield to protect us so we can enjoy His promise regardless how dark the situation.
CAL
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