This morning I was skimming through some verses and a verse just grabbed my attention, the last one (Verse 34) in the following verses from Luke 18:31-34 NIV:
[31] "Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. [32] He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; [33] they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.”
[34] "The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about."
I always smile when I read this verse and other similar verses because, to me, Jesus just couldn't be any clearer. However, I know I am reading this with well informed hind-sight, and a couple thousand years of historical perspective. Luke was trying to capture the reality of the Apostles understanding as it was happening, and it is quite clear that they really didn't understand what Jesus was talking about.
The reason these verses caught my eye, is that I feel that this is the way most of us live our lives, not in a bad way, but without fully understanding what Jesus is about in our lives! When I look back at my life, things are much clearer, but when I look forward and try to see where I am going, or what is going to happen today, tomorrow or next week, I find that I am woefully uninformed, and generally very inaccurate in my expectations!
The Lord is about amazing things, and while He often speaks our futures, we don't usually have the right context and perspective to fully understand what He is saying. I will hear Him say things and think I know what He means, and then find out that I was way off, and usually considerably short in understanding the full blessing He is pouring out. He speaks of purpose and callings in my life and most of the time I have no real idea what He is actually talking about.
For example, over 30 years ago, I had someone speak prophetically over my life, and the life of my wife, saying how we were going to be a father and mother to many children (there was more but that was the basic theme). We were young and zealous for the Lord, and assumed that meant that we were going to be working with orphans and we immediately started pursuing that path, as we had friends who had friends that did that very work. I was a trained teacher, and my sweetheart had worked in an orphanage in Peru, so it made perfect sense, we thought! Except that wasn't what the Lord had planned, instead through our kids, as they were growing up, we become one of the houses where kids (friends of our kiddos) who were largely un-parented stayed and ate and slept and were loved on. Now almost 30 years later we are actively involved in a great ministry to foster children, and our hearts are full of love for them! I am sure this isn't the complete fulfillment, as it seems in every season of our lives, the fulfillment of the word takes on a different nuance!
So my encouragement this morning is to not worry about my lack of understanding what the Lord is doing, or how He is going to fulfill His promises! I find that resting in His arms and watching Him unfold it is better than worrying and fretting and trying to make something happen. I am reminded of Abraham, and his efforts to fulfill the promise of the Lord that He would have a son. He convinced himself that the fulfillment of that word would come through Sarah's servant Hagar, and ended up with a son named Ishmael. The true fulfillment was Isaac, yet Abraham couldn't see that happening in the natural, so he tried to figure out how to make it happen on his own, and it was not a good thing.
Today I am laying down my need to understand everything, and trusting myself to the one who does understand everything! He has all authority, all power and all knowledge, so why not let Him direct my life and follow as He leads?! He is faithful and true, His promises are Yes and Amen! He loves me and will always Love me! I hear Him offering me the following invitation - Matthew 11:28-30 NIV: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Amen!
No comments:
Post a Comment