Monday, March 2, 2009

Take the limits off

Yesterday during our blizzard, I downloaded session 6 of the Bible study I'm doing. I was all settled with my coffee my Bible and my workbook. The girls were running in and out playing, and the man was taking his regularly scheduled Sunday afternoon nap. Life was good.

I was about five minutes or so into the video when our power went. No big deal, I thought my laptop's battery would prove itself faithful. Wrong...my plan suddenly changed.

To say I was slightly aggravated would be an understatement. I do not like sudden changes. I was VERY comfortable and looking forward to receiving the Word that I felt certain God was going to deliver to me.

I tried to read a magazine, but couldn't concentrate. I picked up a book, it just seemed boring. It wasn't going to do me any good to keep fighting Him, so I picked up yesterday morning's sermon notes.

To say I hesitated to go over those notes again is an understatement. As powerful and awesome as our pastor's sermon was yesterday...it was very personal and quite frankly made me uncomfortable. I really didn't want to go there. But I had to.

Yesterday, my pastor said the following.

"Sometimes God will NOT intervene until things are totally humanly impossible."

Oh boy. I have fought letting that sink in. And by fought I mean plugging my ears and saying LA LA LA LA.....

You see, I have what to me feels like an impossible situation. Oh I have talked to God about it, A LOT. Believe me, I have poured out each and every thought, concern, fear...I have exhausted myself from all the talking. His response?

Well. He gives me verses like...Is. 59:1 reminding me that His ears are not dull and that yes He does hear me. He reminded me through song that He is mighty to save.... but yet at the point I am typing this..no resolve to this impossible situation.

I know that this situation is an avenue for God to teach me something new about Himself. I want that. I've felt that for quite sometime. The next statement our pastor made was this:

"Our impossible situations are opportunities to experience a new dimension of God's glory."

A new dimension. A deeper level.

I have to have it.

I have to know that all of "this" matters. That all of "this" is part of the process God is going to use to refine something in me. I have to know that this process is going to remove something in me that keeps other's from seeing Him ON ME.

If God chooses to do it little by little okay. I'm taking the limits off of Him and going to rest today knowing that as much as I think I know about my impossible situation...He knows more.

This post is so long but I have to share one more thing.

After I re-read my notes from the sermon, I grabbed my journal to write down some thoughts. Before I started...I read what I had written Sunday morning before we left for church. This gave me cold chills. (FYI ~ I write in my journal like I'm conversing with God.)

"I thank you for being adequate to do the impossible!"

I did not know that our pastor's sermon would be entitled "Impossible Odds".

Is God cool or what?

God reminded me what He has been teaching me for almost two years. Sometimes He has to take you through a season to teach you humility before He brings a season of increase.....

Once the power came back on I finished my Esther session 6. Can I just tell you that had I watched the complete video BEFORE I soaked in yesterday morning's notes, it would not have meant as much. Just one more way God is proving to me that I can trust Him with "this".

Listen to God speak to you through this song...(If you can't listen to the entire 9 minutes...listen to about 2:50 seconds) Just close your eyes and let God speak to your heart.




When I grow up...I want to play keyboards with Israel. :) Don't laugh, God wants us to DREAM!!!!!

5 comments:

Kate said...

Sometimes God will NOT intervene until things are totally humanly impossible.

Just this week the kids and I read... The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. Isaiah 59:16

I would say based on both from Bible text and personal experience that your pastor is right on.

Kate

Heather said...

"Sometimes He has to take you through a season to teach you humility before He brings a season of increase....."
Oh, how I have experienced this firsthand. Humility and desert-ness and just a desperate sense of need and want. So thankful today that He is good to bring that to an end and provide for the season of increase!!!! Oh, how I praise HIm!

God's girl said...

Girl your posts always bless me so. I love your heart and it makes me miss you even more!
Love you girl!
Ang

Fran said...

I'm about to die over here. I'm loving this and my heart wants to jump up and down with you.

God IS SOOOOO cool and I love Him for His coolness factor! ;)
Ok..now you are gonna die..this is my word verification: coolings

Big hugs,
Fran

Patty said...

OH Steph, I love this word!!!

I KNOW this is for our situation now: Sometimes God will not intervene until things are humanly impossible.

Thank you for your prayers and I believe God is going to intervene for both of us in a way we would never expect!

Love you!
Patty