missing the obvious
I find myself in a funk today that I find myself in every so often.. it often happens when my life hangs in a haze, when all I see is fog and the beautiful sun glazed path to a beautiful and bright tomorrow isn't so obvious.
My attitude shows it.
My speech declares it.
My life displays it.
And yet I miss the obvious.
Something ain't right... And it took me more than a second to realize that - that something is with me. I took a breath in a conversation with my cousin yesterday and realized my groans and complaints echoed through the empty car. These days, I have more complaints before the throne of God than praise for the infinite things that keep me walking instead of crawling. Rather than listing the things that I find wrong and totally unfair on this blog and further fuel my attitude of non-gratitude, I'll tell you what God kindly told me the other day...that I mildly ignored. (How amazing is the love of God that kindly nudges us and whispers to us wisdom to draw us nearer to Him!!).
Read I Corinthians 10:1-13, I'll summarize. Paul tells us that ALL of the Israelites that crossed the Red Sea with Moses in the Old Testament saw the WONDERS of GOD. They ate food delivered straight from the gates of heaven. Drank water that was miraculously provided to them. Daily walked under God's protection and provision. They literally J-walked through the deserts of the Middle East under the cloud of God, shielding them from the harsh rays of the sun. And every night, the fire of God would keep them warm from the cold of the dark night. But Paul says (vs. 5) "with most God was not well pleased". Why? Because these guys were such complainers!! Starting from the moment God brings them out of slavery, the Israelites did nothing BUT COMPLAIN!! Exodus 14:11-12 " Then they said to Moses ' Because there were no graves in Egypt, have to taken us away to die in the wilderness?.. For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we would die in the wilderness". And the complaints don't end there. Literally, in every subsequent chapter, these guys, who once was the bane of every living thing, now transformed to the people who are protected and receive every provision from God, have some kind of complaint against God. And because of their innumerable complaints, God became angry with His people and as a result of their groaning and sighing, they missed out on their blessings. (Numbers 14:11, 21, 23) " Then the Lord said to Moses ' How long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them?... because all these men who have see My glory and the signs I did in Egypt and in the wilderness and have put Me to the test.. and have not heeded My voice, they certainly shall not see the land" They missed out on their blessings because they couldn't see what God was daily providing for them and they refused to believe God for the miracles that God said that He would provide for them for tomorrow. I can't help wonder how stupid these guys are. To miss the obvious...
Then I come to I Corinthians 10: 6, 10 ... and I stand here in the midst of this chapter and can't believe how stupid I am to miss the obvious... " Now these things became our examples.. that we should not.. complain as some of them also complained". And now I reach the conclusion that I certainly do not want to miss out on today. I don't want to miss out on God's miracles. I want to see how is God is providing for me... I don't want to miss out in seeing real, Bible sized miracles! I want to see the resources that heaven will release for me when my bank account is at zero. I want to taste the refreshing of God's Word, provided just at the right time, when I'm so empty inside. I want to know the cool and the peace of His presence in a room when overworked, under-appreciated residents speak harsh, unkind words. I want to see the fire of God in the cold and dark days when I'm not sure where I am headed in life. I want God to lead me in and out every wilderness, every valley, every mountain that I walk through. I don't want to miss out on God... and His blessings and His Word and His presence today. And I certainly don't want to miss out on where God is miraculously taking me tomorrow, to places and things that I'm certainly not deserving of... Cause I see now that when I focus, capitalize and enlarge problems I run into, I missing out on seeing how LARGE and AWESOME God is. Like the Israelities foolishly did.
I'm making it my goal, my resolution for 2013 not to complain. I'll let you know how its going. My hope is that you friend can make it your aim as well.
My attitude shows it.
My speech declares it.
My life displays it.
And yet I miss the obvious.
Something ain't right... And it took me more than a second to realize that - that something is with me. I took a breath in a conversation with my cousin yesterday and realized my groans and complaints echoed through the empty car. These days, I have more complaints before the throne of God than praise for the infinite things that keep me walking instead of crawling. Rather than listing the things that I find wrong and totally unfair on this blog and further fuel my attitude of non-gratitude, I'll tell you what God kindly told me the other day...that I mildly ignored. (How amazing is the love of God that kindly nudges us and whispers to us wisdom to draw us nearer to Him!!).
Read I Corinthians 10:1-13, I'll summarize. Paul tells us that ALL of the Israelites that crossed the Red Sea with Moses in the Old Testament saw the WONDERS of GOD. They ate food delivered straight from the gates of heaven. Drank water that was miraculously provided to them. Daily walked under God's protection and provision. They literally J-walked through the deserts of the Middle East under the cloud of God, shielding them from the harsh rays of the sun. And every night, the fire of God would keep them warm from the cold of the dark night. But Paul says (vs. 5) "with most God was not well pleased". Why? Because these guys were such complainers!! Starting from the moment God brings them out of slavery, the Israelites did nothing BUT COMPLAIN!! Exodus 14:11-12 " Then they said to Moses ' Because there were no graves in Egypt, have to taken us away to die in the wilderness?.. For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we would die in the wilderness". And the complaints don't end there. Literally, in every subsequent chapter, these guys, who once was the bane of every living thing, now transformed to the people who are protected and receive every provision from God, have some kind of complaint against God. And because of their innumerable complaints, God became angry with His people and as a result of their groaning and sighing, they missed out on their blessings. (Numbers 14:11, 21, 23) " Then the Lord said to Moses ' How long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them?... because all these men who have see My glory and the signs I did in Egypt and in the wilderness and have put Me to the test.. and have not heeded My voice, they certainly shall not see the land" They missed out on their blessings because they couldn't see what God was daily providing for them and they refused to believe God for the miracles that God said that He would provide for them for tomorrow. I can't help wonder how stupid these guys are. To miss the obvious...
Then I come to I Corinthians 10: 6, 10 ... and I stand here in the midst of this chapter and can't believe how stupid I am to miss the obvious... " Now these things became our examples.. that we should not.. complain as some of them also complained". And now I reach the conclusion that I certainly do not want to miss out on today. I don't want to miss out on God's miracles. I want to see how is God is providing for me... I don't want to miss out in seeing real, Bible sized miracles! I want to see the resources that heaven will release for me when my bank account is at zero. I want to taste the refreshing of God's Word, provided just at the right time, when I'm so empty inside. I want to know the cool and the peace of His presence in a room when overworked, under-appreciated residents speak harsh, unkind words. I want to see the fire of God in the cold and dark days when I'm not sure where I am headed in life. I want God to lead me in and out every wilderness, every valley, every mountain that I walk through. I don't want to miss out on God... and His blessings and His Word and His presence today. And I certainly don't want to miss out on where God is miraculously taking me tomorrow, to places and things that I'm certainly not deserving of... Cause I see now that when I focus, capitalize and enlarge problems I run into, I missing out on seeing how LARGE and AWESOME God is. Like the Israelities foolishly did.
I'm making it my goal, my resolution for 2013 not to complain. I'll let you know how its going. My hope is that you friend can make it your aim as well.
I've read this post a few times now, and 1st of all, let me say that you are one talented writer, friend! You have a way with words and wisdom just oozes when you're speaking about Jesus. :)
ReplyDeleteWas really blessed by this b/c I find myself in the same funk so many days, but my funk has alot of doubt and questions of "why and what if" mixed with it. I read this passage earlier this week, and it's kept a smile on my face and in the right mindset...
"Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands." -Psalms 63:3-4
In the midst of everything, I think the best thing to do is just to praise Jesus through our funk... when we don't understand or doubt or when we have a gazillion ques about what will happen next, it's good to remember to just praise Him b/c that's what He deserves and all we can offer.
Blessings, friend! -Z
thats deep !
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