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Friday, April 28, 2006
Surprise Party
In a previous post I touched on the endless subject of the sovereignty of God. Again I want to reinforce that it is something we can neither understand nor comprehend but rather let's approach it with childlike faith and wonder. The book of Daniel is where I want to focus on today. It is a book that yells God's sovereignty out through a mega phone quite extravagantly.
(A side note to this post: I am writing this while chewing on some really gummy fruity jelly beans. As you might know, I LOVE fruity candy and have a mega sweet tooth- a dangerous combination. For Lent I gave up fruity candy, which for me proved to be a major sacrifice. Now, in celebration of the risen Christ, I am enjoying these extra sweet, super fruity jelly beans- HALLELUIA!)
Daniel 2:21-22 says, "He knows all, does all: He changes the seasons and guides history. He raises up kings and brings them down, He provides both intelligence and discernment. He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though He himself is surrounded by light."
God is sovereign. God is in control. God is the great I AM.
Webster defines the word sovereign:
1. Self-governing and not ruled by any other state
2. Having supreme authority or power
3. Outstanding, for example, in its excellence or effectiveness
So in this one word we see that God is all-sufficient in that He is self-governing: no one else tells God what to do. It is as the saying goes, 'The buck stops here!' God has supreme authority- no one has more authority, more power, more wisdom, more strength than God. Who else tells the sun when to set and the moon when to rise and it obeys perfectly? No one but God! He is outstanding- above the rest- in a league of His own.
No one can compare to Him. No one can control Him or manipulate Him, neither by obedience nor disobedience. No one can surprise Him, but rather He is the one who throws the surprise parties. He plans them right down to the very last detail. He decorates the cake, ties the ribbons on the gifts and throws the noisemakers to the guests inviting them to join in the celebration.
I often think of life as one big surprise party. God has good things for us and often gives them when we least expect them but need them the most. He knows all about the gifts He is going to give us and spends time preparing each gift so it is just perfect when we receive it.
(MmmMmMmmmm...strawberry)
Imagine how much fun it is for the person throwing the party. There is great joy and anticipation. Why? Because they love the person they are doing all the planning for. They put time and energy into thinking of what that person's favorite things are. They try to creatively think of ways to bless the person. Much effort goes into this process. The planner knows all the details and knows what is to come while the one the surprise party is for has no clue of what joy is about to come.
God is in the surprise party business. He is sovereign over it; in control and planning the details. He sees the end and knows what the party is going to look like. He knows just what gifts are going to be there and when the time is right to open them. He knows the way to bless us more than we could ever ask or imagine, dare to dream or hope for. This is how we can trust and take delight in a Sovereign God- He is good, He knows what's coming, He's in control, and working out the details.
There is another aspect of surprise parties that relate to God and His sovereignty. It is the quiet whisper before the big event. When a surprise party is being planned people begin to whisper as not to let the big secret out. The planner, as a way to conceal excitement until the appropriate time, might seem distant. This is intentional because the joy of a surprise is irreplaceable once the surprise aspect is gone. Timing is key to it all working out as is intended by the planner.
(mmmMMmMmMMmM...lemon)
As we wait, God often seems distant. We make up in our mind what it is we want to receive, when we should get it, and how it should all happen. But God has His own plan and it is greater than our plan. It is perfect and pleasing- for Him and for us. His distance we feel is most often caused by our expectations not being met. Imagine His perspective: He knows that there is a surprise party being planned that will bless our socks off! He just wants us to wait. We need to wait for our time will come. Joy will come.
It is like when your birthday comes and all day long no one really notices it is your birthday. Sure, you might get a casual 'Happy Birthday'- but no cards, no flowers, no balloons, no presents. The afternoon rolls around and your plopped on your couch with a carton of ice cream and an unlit candle as the climax of your celebration and you think to yourself, "What was up with everyone this year- I guess as you get older birthdays just aren't as big of a deal. Afterall birthdays are for kids right?!?"
The next thing you know the doorbell rings and a friend is there holding a great new outfit in your size, ready to take you to an unknown destination. You arrive with your friend to find a room full of people you love at a decked out party. Each person is there to celebrate you- because they love you. They all have gifts especially for you. Specifically picked out to bless you and fit perfectly into who you are.
If only you could have known this during the disappointments you felt earlier in the day- during the times when your expectations and hopes were let down. The party planner surely noticed your disappointment and wanted to cheer you up but it wasn't quite time yet. In waiting, the joy now greatly surpasses the joy you could have had earlier- this was the better way, the way intended and the way that was planned for you. Surprise!!!
(MmmmmMMMmMMmm...orange)
God is in control just as the party planner is in control- only even greater! He leaves no detail not tended to. Life comes and with that disappointment comes. Age brings increasing expectations and expectations are often not met. We feel let down by ourself, by others and by God. Our circumstances might change but God never will! No matter how old we get and how many expectations are unmet, God remains the same- He remains good- He remains Sovereign. He is El Elyon!!!
We are to live by faith. Only by faith can we know God as El Elyon. It is only by faith that we can believe that He is sovereign. It is only by faith that we can trust in His authority, power, control and goodness.
Living by faith is understanding that God is not always going to meet your expectations, but rather that He is ALWAYS going to meet His expectations for you!"Daniel 4:34-35, "His rule is everlasting, and His kingdom is eternal. All the people of the earth are nothing compared to Him. He has the power to do as He pleases among the angels of heaven and with those who live on earth. No one can stop him, saying, What do you mean by doing these things?"
I have had a difficult time with the expectation factor. It seems more often then not my expectations are greatly let down and unmet- and this is often by God. I face the question of how to deal with this. Does it mean He does not care or is not good? Does it mean He doesn't have time for the details of my life? Does He not love me enough to give me whatever it is I think I need or deserve?
The answer to all of these questions is a big resounding NO!!! The exact opposite is true. He cares so much and is so good that He wants me to wait till His perfect time for His pleasing way. He is taking as much time as is possible to get every detail worked out and perfected. Why? One simple answer...love.
He is giving me a heart that follows hard after Him. He is shaping me into what He wants me to be. Often a way this molding takes place is through pressure being applied to me. This happens in the times of disappointment. He wants me to come to Him to find all satisfaction in Him. He wants me to be content in Him. He wants me to trust Him and His sovereignty and love.
The greatest part of this whole challenge and shaping process is that it is God initiated and God incorporated. God not only wants me to come to Him and trust Him but He is giving me all that I need to do this. We are human beings not human doings. In quietness and trust there is peace and strength. This is because we are letting go and letting God have His way in us. So here we are back to that sturdy ole place we seem to keep getting at once again...surrender.
(MmmMMmmMMMMmm...pineapple)
Let me close by sharing with you a couple of great surprise parties that God threw which are recorded in the book of Daniel.
Daniel 3- The Blazing Furnace:
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were devout worshippers of God; the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But their king, Nebuchadnezzar, issued a decree that everyone must worship his gods and the gold statue he set up. Of course this was something Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were unwilling to do. Because they did not bow down to their king's gods they were going to be put to death.
The king had the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual because he was so enraged by their disobedience. It was so hot that it killed the soldiers that threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the flames. Yet all throughout this terrifying and confusing time the men never wavered in their devotion to trust and worship their God. They declared in vs.17-18, "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us, He will rescue us from your powers. But even if He doesn't you can be sure that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up." The fact that they were able to make this declaration literally as they stood before the fire is remarkable! It is bold and required great trust in the sovereignty of God!
Time for a surprise party Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego...here's a friend to get you there...
God did deliver them that day. As king Nebuchadnezzar was watching Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego burn he noticed there were four men in the furnace- and beyond that, they were walking around. There were only three men thrown into the flames and they were bound and tied by the strongest soldiers to prevent escape, but now there were four unbound men!!!
Vs.25 & 28,"Look! Nebuchadnezzar shouted. I see four men unbound walking around in the fire. They aren't even hurt by the flames! And the fourth looks like a divine being! Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the kings command and were willing the die rather than serve or worship any other god except their own God."
There was a great celebration and blessing that day. God surprised everyone by how he rescued Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. His ways are not our ways, His thoughts are not our thoughts. He could have prevented Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from ever even having to enter into the raging fire- but by letting them enter the flames He was able to display His sovereign strength by delivering His beloved children. There was a surprise ending filled with joy and excitement which resulted in worship, greater worship of God. HE was glorified even in the midst of the flaming fire!!!
Even as we face the flames or are standing in the midst of the blazes God is there with us protecting us so we, as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, might not be scorched and so He can be glorified. His way might be the hot way but it's always the highway. Although we don't see life beyond the fire because all we see are ashes, God sees life and gives beauty for ashes. (Isaiah 61:3)
(MMmMmMMMMMMmmmm...lime)
Daniel 6- The Lions' Den:
Daniel was highly favored and influential with the king. This made some of the king's administrators jealous. As a way to get Daniel killed these men devised a scheme. They got the king to pass a law saying that for thirty days no one could pray to anyone or anything besides the king. They knew Daniel would continue to pray to his God and thus be found guilty of breaking the law.
Sure enough the men found Daniel praying as he always did and they arrested him. The king regretted signing the law since Daniel was his friend, but yet he had to keep his word. Daniel was sentenced to death and thrown into the hungry lions' den.
The next morning the king went to check on Daniel and SURPRISE...he was safe and alive!!! Vs.22-23,"My God sent His angel to shut the mouths of the lions so that they would not hurt me...not a scratch was found on him because he had TRUSTED in his God."
God protected him even as he faced one of the fiercest and strongest beast on the earth. God was stronger. God was sovereign. He had a plan for Daniel and SURPRISE...becoming friends with a lion was part of it for through that God was able to display His power to all the world for many generations till the end of time!!! That should make you look at the lions in your life a bit differently!!!
God is in control. He is Sovereign. He is El Elyon. Trust Him for He is good and His love endures forever!!!
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Yyyyeeessss...time for more pictures...click the photos link on the left side of the page to check them out...
Put on your glasses and check out all the new pictures- we've been having tons of fun going on lots of great adventures,
Monday, April 10, 2006
Momentary Interruption
Ok so I know I said my next blog was going to be all deep about the sovereignty of God based on the book of Daniel. Yes, I'll get to that. (I'm still working on the draft for it) But I simply had to share a few recent Eli stories with you so please let me interrupt the regularly scheduled programming..........
Today is brought to you by the letter 'B' and the color green.........
(Caution: It's not easy bein' green!!!)
I get so amazed as I watch Eli grow. Each age continues to get so much more rich. From the very beginning when His tiny face first lit up with a gummy grin, to when He began to belly laugh. Then came rolling, then crawling, then walking. Then finally, learning the archaic stages of communication- which consists of different influctuating grunts and sighs until eventually these babbles become more intricate and expressive so that consonants are able to be recognized. Then...da da da daaaahhhh- words can be heard and thoughts expressed! So fun and this is only the beginning.
Now that Eli has realized how much fun it is to perfect the mastery and potential of his tongue, lips and teeth, he has become such a big talker! He is my little mocking bird, imitating everything I say. This certainly makes me think twice before I speak! Not only are little ears hearing, now little tongues are mimicking.
Eli loves belly buttons. He is starting to call any round shape he sees on a moving breathing eating object (which we learned from Sesame Street yesterday is the way to tell whether something is alive or not) a belly button. Eli identifies these round objects with as much excitement as he can muster up, "elly utton!"
He hasn't quite figured out how to say the 'b' sound yet. But Eli certainly gets an 'E' for effort. He tries very hard to make a 'b' sound. He tucks his top lip under his bottom lip so his bottom lip is sticking way out, then he sort of hums and grunts at the same time blowing out tons of Co2. He does a great job of getting his point across.
Eli is particularly excited about his own belly button. It provides him with countless hours of entertainment. I love to hear him through the monitor while he is 'napping' exclaiming, "elly utton!" I can only imagine him standing in his crib with a smile on his face and his shirt pulled up under his chin inspecting this curious round phenomenon on his tummy.
Eli's favorite toy, which trumps all other toys by a longshot, is definitely a balloon. Publix, where shopping certainly is a pleasure, gives the little tikes balloons for free when they come to the store. We have just started taking advantage of this service.
About a month ago I thought Eli might enjoy getting a balloon from the store. We picked out the shiniest brightest blue balloon we could find. I think I was a bit more excited than Eli was. I put it in the car next to Eli in his car seat and he cried the whole way home.
Then, once we got home, I was trying to show him how much fun a balloon could be and he stared at me like I was saying the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard. You see, at this point balls were Eli's favorite objects. Balls trumped everything. Balloons were like balls but only crazy and frustrating balls.
Balloons have a mind of their own. You can't throw them because they just go straight up. You can't kick them- they just float. You can't let them rest in your lap and enjoy the camaraderie and companionship a ball can give because balloons would rather be resting above your head.
Balloons also have a crazy annoying string attatched. The string gets stuck between your toes and wrapped around your wrist and tied onto your toys! It's awful... just awful!!! I was beginning to be convinced by Eli that balloons really weren't such a great invention afterall.
Somewhere, at somepoint in the past month, in a subtle way, Eli began to develop an appreciation for balloons. This appreciation has blossomed into quite a strong love for these round containers of helium.
When Eli is awake he has to have a balloon close by. Even if he is playing with another toy he likes to keep the balloon in sight just in case he suddenly needs to squeeze it or pull its string or... you get it- the possibilities are endless.
Any books with balloons in them are his favorite books right now. His favorite page of the book? You guessed it: the pages with balloons on them. He'll stop the story and stare at the balloon page for minutes- which if you have ever spent time with a toddler you know that minutes to them are like hours to us!
Eli asks for his balloon first thing when I wake him up. He can't wait to be reunited with his long lost friend. The only very sad part is when his friend ends up in parts.
The first time Eli's balloon popped he was so confused. He looked at me, with pieces of green in each of his hands, unsure whether to cry or not. He said 'please' and asked me to fix it. When I said I wasn't able to do that for him he didn't get upset. He got determined. He began trying to put the pieces back together himself...to no avail. (We went to Publix that next morning. We needed milk and of course, a balloon.)
Leapin' Lizards and the Boy Who Conquered...
I often point things out to Eli that I think he will get all excited about. Most times either he doesn't notice them or he simply doesn't think it is as cool as I'm making it out to be. I have tried to get him to notice lizards before. They are quite silly and quirky creatures. But Eli has never been interested until...
Well, we were out on our back porch near the pool which is all screened in. Eli was throwing his ball near the corner of the screen where it meets the house. That's when we spotted him: a sweet innocent green lizard. He was trying to play it discrete but he couldn't hide from Eli and me. He quickly got our attention. Eli was quite intrigued.
Eli managed to trap the poor lizard in the corner of the screen. The lizard was getting old and was a little on the thin side, as far as lizards are concerned. My expert lizardology prognosis for his condition was: severe old age. He definitely seemed like a grandfather lizard. Because of his condition he was not as fast and jittery as most lizards are. This was just perfect for Eli. The battleground was a bit more even.
Most lizards run away from Eli causing him to lose interest very quickly- but this lizard was stuck. He had no where to run to. He tried with all of his might to get to the grass that was in sight but seemingly just out of reach for his 3 inch body to find refuge in. If he jumped off of the screen he would have had to get around Eli the Conqueror, which believe me, that was not likely!
Eli waited long enough for the lizard to decide what to do. Then he took matters into his own hands...literally! He reached for the lizard and the lizard bit him on the finger holding on for dear life. This made Eli giggle and giggle. He thought it was a riot to catch a lizard on his finger! When the little green critter finnaggled his way off Eli's pointer, Eli simply had to get him back again.
The game was only beginning! The leapin lizards adventures were only beginning. Eli was ready to conquer the world one green lizard at a time. Snap! The lizard was defeated by Eli the Conqueror again: laughter and delight...Eli had conquered the world on his fingertip.
Let's end our time with a short story about a sweet wake up moment.
The other morning I heard Eli playing in his bed before I actually went in to get him up. When I opened his door he said, 'Grover?!?' So I handed him Grover and he smiled. Then he said 'ball?!?' So I handed him the ball and he smiled again. So then I looked at him and said, 'Well... what about Momma?' Eli looked at me, squinched his nose and eyes in a ear to ear grin, reached up his arms and said "hi!" That melted my heart! Gosh I love this boy!!! He has totally got me!!!!
Thursday, April 06, 2006
El Elyon
El Elyon is one of the many Hebrew names for God. The English definition of this word means 'Most High'. It is a name that signifies God as sovereign over all the universe, which includes you and me and every detail of our own lives- all the mini earths that revolve around our own heads. We all would like to think that the earth revolves around us huh?!? Well even in the minuteness of that statement, the utter fallacy of it- God does have the whole world in His hands, the whole universe in His hands right down to every aspect of our lives in His brawny tender hands. There is nothing minute or false about that statement! God is sovereign. God is El Elyon.
I can be the first to say that I have been most skeptical and hesitant in believing in this quality of God's character. For me, the sovereignty of God is the most difficult part to grasp of His personality. In one sense, it simplifies everything more than any of His other traits. But on the other hand, to me, it also complicates everything more than any of His other characteristics.
It became the most difficult for me to comprehend the sovereignty of God after AJ was killed. I needed to cling to God and wanted to cling to God. It was much easier to do this if I separated God from that awful event. It was easier to have Him completely separate from it because then He could really be a refuge and an escape for me. But God should not be merely an escape for us from our reality and from life.
God is rightfully a strong tower but it goes beyond that- He wants to redeem us and be glorified in and through the challenges and pain we face. He can't do that if we compartmentalize Him. He longs to share our pain and to do that we need to bring that pain to Him. The fellowship of sharing in His sufferings goes both ways.
He is El Elyon, the God of all. Which means He was sovereign God of all on December 22, 2002 when AJ and I were married... and He was still over all, nothing changed, on October 31, 2004 when we were in the accident. This concept was the biggest obstacle in my way, hindering my complete trust: the concept of seeing that God is sovereign, that He is the God of all- good and bad; light and darkness; well-being and calamity.
Many people came up to me in the months shortly after the accident and told me, (as if they were trying to comfort me!), that: 'God is sovereign'. To me it soundly like pious religious jargon which only invoked greater anger in me. I had to use restraint to keep from slapping them silly across the face! The phrase, 'God is sovereign', which is supposed to evoke security and peace, did anything but that for me during my darkest hour. It was odd- God was my strength, my hope, my absolute source of peace and my refuge but I didn't want to view Him as sovereign. I wanted to limit Him to my own terms and conditions. Thankfully God couldn't be contained in my box. Thankfully He can't be contained in any box!!!
Why was the sovereignty of God so hard for me to conceive? It showed me that God was over all that night of the accident and yet allowed it to happen, knew it would happen but still did not intervene. This was a very hard reality for me to accept.
I use the word 'reality' here because it is a reality. God IS sovereign and He was in control on October 31, 2004. He didn't suddenly decide to take a break and eat a Kit Kat bar. He is El Elyon and that never changes.
Job and Joseph each provide us with good biblical examples of God being sovereign over suffering. They both suffered greatly. Their lives both were at points where they seemed to have completely failed, but we know the whole story. God never once relinquished His authority or control in either of their lives. Moment by moment He was working all things together for them according to His will. He was redeeming and shaping and crafting everything together for His good pleasure and glory, and beyond that even, in His goodness He was doing it in a way that in the end produced joy and blessing for Job and Joseph as well. What Satan intended for destruction God used for construction.
God never is out of control. Even Satan can do nothing apart from God or out of His authority. Rather, Satan had to ask permission (Job 1:6-12 and 2:1-10) to even touch Job or anything that belonged to him. God was in complete control of the situation, even in complete control of Satan. Any power Satan had was still restrained under the finger of God. God is the firm authority- no ifs, ands or hineys!
Job says in 2:10, "Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?" God is sovereign and chooses to build up and tear down, to bless and to curse, to commend and to reprimand. He is the God of all. He is the God of laughter and tears, rejoicing and mourning, dancing and weeping.
God is sovereign over the good and bad times. He is in them both. He is in the midst of the darkness although He himself is surrounded by light. God creates light and creates darkness. Even when it seems so dark that we can not see Him or feel the warmth of His light it does not mean for one second that He is not there. He has promised in His word (Deuteronomy 31:8) to never leave us, never fail us and never forsake us.
Even when it is dark- He is still there. He is always there, always faithful, whether we know it, see it, believe it, feel it or not. Isaiah 45:7, "I am the one who creates the light and makes the darkness. I am the one who sends the good times and bad times. I, the Lord, am the one who does these things."
For me, the darkness was so dark I could not see this hard reality of who God is. I was stuck on the Sunday school image of the gentle shepherd, meek and mild with a smile on His face going around and hugging everyone. But I am not ever content to sit back and not figure something out. When I know in my head what I should believe about God but can't get my heart to agree is when I know I need the Holy Spirit the most! I knew many people were comforted by the sovereignty of God and I was determined to figure out why they were comforted by this and whether it was even accurate or not.
I know the bible quite clearly sets out that God is sovereign, so I began searching and praying to see my God as sovereign. I desired to know El Elyon- Sovereign God. Comprehending this would require a change in my heart. Romans 2:29 says, "...a change of heart is produced by God's spirit." I knew the only way my heart could be softened and changed was by God's Spirit and only if I allowed Him to come in power and work in my heart. So again, I did as I have had to do often in this season- I surrendered.
Slowly the anxiety and frustration I felt at the thought of God being sovereign has been replaced with the rightful peace and security that knowing and trusting a sovereign God provides. I can proudly declare with authority now that God is sovereign. I can call Him by name, El Elyon. Trusting His goodness makes trusting His sovereignty possible. Relying on His absolute and unconditional love makes knowing Him as 'God of ALL' feasible.
Psalm 20:7, "Some boast in chariots, and some in horses; but we will boast in the name of the Lord, our God."
We are all going to boast in something. The choice is ours as to what that something will be. It is hard to boast in the name of a God you do not know, believe, see or trust. Apart from His Spirit empowering me, it was impossible for me to boast in El Elyon- the name of God as 'Sovereign'. But now, as I proudly declare that my God is El Elyon- I am no longer putting my trust in anything else but the God of all; the Most High; the God that has the whole universe in His hands and in His control. By His grace I can now boast in El Elyon- hear me roar!!!
It is not that we so much need to understand the sovereignty of God. If that is your aim you will always be left lacking for what you seek you will never find. We should simply seek to know El Elyon and to trust Him as sovereign. He is not a God who is heartlessly lording over us. Rather, He is a God who is lovingly working through us, despite us and our fallen nature and human limitations, redeeming to bring about His perfect and pleasing will.
Take to heart and be comforted by the bold truth of Romans 8:28, "We know that God causes EVERYTHING to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to HIS purposes for them." God has a purpose for each of us and He is in the process of bringing about His specific purpose in each of our lives right down to the very last detail.
God is a God of details. He is a God who loves us more than we will ever be able to comprehend. Rest in that truth and know He is sovereign. I have not found comfort in the sovereignty of God by any self effort or earthly wisdom. Only in surrender am I able to rest in the sovereignty of God. Only as I trust that He truly IS love and as I hold to the promise of Jeremiah 29:11 firmly- with the cross and sufferings of Christ boldly- can I see that God is sovereign and He is good.
To onlookers the cross of Christ must have seemed like a complete failure. To the person looking upon Christ in that moment they would have assumed that he and his ministry must have failed if it was forced to end in such a humiliating way. From our earthly perspective His death was disgraceful. He died a failure's death were it not for God's perfect redemptive plan. Christ couldn't have been more perfectly in the will of God. God was sovereign on Good Friday. He was in control and His will was done. As a result of Christ's selfless loving obedience and God's sovereign plan we are all able to live in the fullness of why that Friday was so good. The unjustified death and disgrace of One was able to redeem and liberate many. Proof that God's ways are higher than our ways. (Isaiah 55:8-9)
Because of that Friday we can know God and we are made right before Him. We have the assurance of spending all of eternity with Him and in His presence. We can boldly bear Christ's authority since His blood has been poured out all over us. We can do wonders in His name and live a life of victory in His strength- all because of the cross. All because of that terribly good Friday, an evil dark day...redeemed.
On Page 86 of C.S. Lewis' book: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Lucy is discovering for the first time that Aslan (the King of Beasts, symbolizing God) is a lion and not a man. Nervous about meeting him she says: "Then he isn't safe?" "Safe?" said Mr. Beaver; "don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."
God never promises to be safe. But He is always good. We might not see His goodness at the moment or even any potential future goodness but it is there! He is always good. He never changes from day to day or moment to moment. Even though our circumstances might change, God will never change- He will always be faithful, He will always be good, and He will always love us. He will never leave us, He will never forsake us, He will never fail us.
{It is only when we are attempting to use God as a convenience, a prop, or a comfort for our own plans that we feel let down by Him and disappointed. When He doesn't meet our expectations because they don't line up with His expectations is when we feel disappointed in Him. But this is not God's doing. This is NOT Him failing us but rather us failing ourselves and failing Him.
It is impossible to worship and serve the God of Disappointment, which is how we will inevitably view Him as we set up in our minds what we think God ought or ought not to do. But I assure you that God has never been known to disappoint anyone who is sincerely wanting to be in His will and co-operate with His purposes. We have to accept the Scheme of Things as it is, and if we must blame someone it is surely fairer to blame Man who has chosen wrongly and produced a crazy disappointing world.} (Paraphrased from: Your God is Too Small, by J.B. Phillips, page 48-49.)
There is much more to say about the sovereignty of God, much to say about His sovereign strength. In my next blog I want to focus on what we can learn of El Elyon from the book of Daniel. I want to encourage and build up faith in the Sovereign God for through that we can cease boasting in our wimpy little chariots and boldly boast in the powerful name of the Lord our God, El Elyon.
