October 20

“You can take each thing that is wrong in your life as a chariot of God for you....Misunderstanding, unkindness, disappointment, loss, defeat--all these are chariots waiting to carry you to places of victory you have so longed to reach.”  Hannah Whitall Smith, God is Enough, 10/3

Why is this true?  Because God works all things for our good, if we love Him.  And what does it mean to love God?  It means to obey Him.  Even before that, it means to be available to Him, and we can only be available when we are humble.  There seems to be an awful lot of conditions to be met before God can do anything.  But not really....because all we need to do is accept God’s gift of Jesus Christ and He does the rest.  How quickly and completely that happens depends on our cooperation--but all that requires is the same humility in us that started the process.  Perhaps we lose that initial humility because it is a “heady” thing to be so close to God.  Our flesh can get quite pumped up and in our way pretty quickly.  I would venture to say that most of our “troubles” are meant to keep that in check.  We need constant reminders that we’re mere humans and without God are nothing.  It is His image we are created in, and it’s His life in us that makes us so valuable.  Otherwise, we are no more than any other object on this earth.  We really must keep that in mind when we humans do amazingly wonderful feats--whether in our physical capacities or in mental accomplishments.  To God goes all the honor and glory!

“Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.  Ascribe to the LORD the glory of his name; worship the LORD in holy array.”  Psalm 29:1, 2