God's Will in God's Timing

God's Will in God's Timing

by David Brenneman 

‭‭"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;  and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?" Romans 8:28-31.

We read here of those predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son.  In another place we read of how we're His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works that we might walk in them.  In still another place, to the Thessalonians, it's written of what the will of God for you and I is: our sanctification.  Our becoming more like Christ Jesus.  

Our obedience to the will and word of God should never be limited. We shouldn't only think of speaking to Him before eating. Before something heavy on our hearts and minds.  Before a church service.  

What kind of quality relationship would you physically have if that's how you treated someone supposedly near and dear to you?  

Do you truly listen to them or let it go in one ear and out the other?  Do you cut them off whom took the time to talk to you?  Honestly if that would be how you treat people in your world then maybe you do have serious relationship issues.  If that's how short your devotional attention span is towards people you claim to care about...it would give me serious pause to believe you have a deep abiding relationship with Jesus Christ. 

Jesus cultivated relationships all around Him. Jesus cared deeply for those who came to Him. Jesus went to the cross for those who loved Him and every single person who hated, rejected, Him. 

Do you at all pray for those in your life?  Do you have the names of people come to mind at various times?  Ever considered that was the Spirit prompting you to pray for those people?  I do. 

Quite frankly my mind often seems like it's running its own software that's different from most other people.  I never learned how to study.  Never learned how to memorize Scripture.  Never have been able to remember names, places, or most of what I do in a day 24 hours later.  Yet here, every day for several years now, Jesus meets with me to write something for hopefully someone out there in His world.  

People who come to mind to me are triggers to pray.  My loyalty to friends often goes farther than what is reciprocated.  I will forgo sleep to complete something for a friend. I will go out at any hour of the day or night to help a friend in need.  It's not just because of how I was raised, it's because that's what Jesus would do. 

I have friends that I pray for that I dearly wish we could pick up where we left off.  I have co-workers whom I only worked with for barely 90 days whom the Spirit doesn't let me forget. I have people whom did me wrong whom I obviously don't forget. I have people whom the Bible says that I ought to be praying for.  

Listening to the Spirit is as important as praying.  You cannot approach the Throne of God in prayer doing all the talking!  

There probably isn't a single individual who has ever succeeded in over-talking a teacher in a classroom setting.  At some point every student is told to wait their turn to speak. 

The Spirit is not just there to help us grow in Christ, but is our Teacher. Jesus called Him the Helper who would come. 

All Believer's have a place, a part to fulfill, in the body of Christ. All are placed as He sees fit.  We do not place ourselves in the work of the Spirit of God as we desire, but as He desires.  Get it?  This isn't about our thinking we are smart enough to choose our own role in the body of Christ.  We aren't.  What He would have you do might not look like anything you ever considered or imagined.  

But you must be willing to obey. You don't have a resume to offer God that's got certifications, degrees, etc. that matter in your part of the body of Christ.  He wants you, your full obedience, regardless of what it appears to be. 

How IS your relationship with Jesus?  Are you at all checking up on the people He put in your life for His reasons?  Because they indeed are in your life for His reasons, not due to them coincidentally appearing in your life.  Do you care as much about these same said people that He does?  These too are hallmarks of a life becoming more like Christ. 

Yesterday was really hard for me. Yesterday I learned of someone whom I had respected actually not being who I thought he was.  As Jesus said you will know people by their fruits...his fruits are rotten. A wolf in sheep’s clothing.  What's worse is realizing there are still others at that same church who still are the same.  This man had taught on Spiritual Disciplines. Yet the reality is he certainly never lived them out.  Now there's years of victims in the mix. 

Yet I have to pray for him.  I have to because the Spirit says so.  I mentioned a close friend earlier whom I pray for.  We moved and I had hoped to renew that friendship. I pray for him practically every day.  I pray for whomever the Spirit brings to mind.  The former Pastor whom lead me to Jesus has his own ministry.  I pray for him and his Wife. I pray for family. For those of them who speak to me and those who don't. 

I pray for those whom I have no doubt are demon possessed.  The Spirit has said in the Bible that demon possession would rise in the last days. Well, my Dear Reader, we are in those days. 

What do you do to encourage and embrace your walk with your Savior and Lord Jesus Christ?  How do you show Him how much you love Him? 

Regardless of how I am treated by people whom I would like to know better, I pray for them.

Our country wants something better in our leaders.  What does the Bible say? Pray for your leaders and those in authority over you.

We all want to run before we know how to walk.  As my Saturday Group Leader often says, "Keep pace with Jesus. Don't get ahead of Him".

Take some time right now to re-evaluate your commitment to your life in Christ Jesus.  If at all you think it's off...come back to Jesus in the right way.  Walking with Him the way He wants...letting go of what you want. 

All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.