“So here I am again, God, right in the middle of a problem, wishing I wasn’t right in the middle of a problem! I am praying You deliver me quickly, in fact, now would be good. This is hard and uncomfortable God, I don’t like it.”
This is how my praying, (whining?) was going this morning, when suddenly I was brought up short by a thought. What if this is right where God wants me? Right here in the messy middle of what looks to me like a Mount Everest size problem. Aagh, really?
The more I thought about it though, the more it lined up with what I know of God. He is far more interested in our spiritual growth than in the outcome of our circumstances, at least as far as the easy, happy endings I always imagine for myself. His goal for us is to make us more like Jesus all the time, using whatever means necessary.
Please don’t misunderstand me, God does not cause bad things in our lives or deliberately lead us into terrible problems. The sin and brokenness in the world can do plenty of that on its own. However, when we inevitably end up facing trials, God uses every little detail to bring us closer to Him.
So even though I am still not excited to be facing the problems I am facing, I feel better knowing that God is going to use them to draw me closer to Him. And even though it is not comfortable, I can be confident that I am right where God wants me and He will show me how to climb the mountain in front of me.
“Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to You, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” Psalm 61:1-2
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