September 4
His Choice
"But God is judge, He puts down one and exalts another."
Psalm 75:7
God’s plans are far greater than we could ever know. His will exceeds anything we would ever imagine or even think to ask. Just when we think we have God figured out, He takes us completely by surprise. I would love to have a preview of God’s plan ahead of time so I can prepare but it just doesn’t work that way does it? In the 30 plus years I’ve been walking with Him, I have come to conclude this one settling truth concerning this: God will not give to another what He has for me. There is no need for me to panic when I don’t understand what God is doing or even when I completely disagree with His timing or methods. It’s easy to send our emotions on a roller coaster ride when we see others moving ahead and we are sitting still. What’s worse even still is when that person, that "anyone but them Lord" kind of person, gets a promotion or position that we have always wanted. The wound cuts deep into our pride and hits us right in the heart of rejection.
But there is a comfort discovered in the words penned in Psalm 75:7. It declares without apology or needed permission, "GOD IS JUDGE". What does this mean to you and to me today? It means that He is on the throne. And upon that throne, He has the right to do as He wills. But, He is a righteous judge and He is just in all of His ways. We trust His leadership because not only does God have the right to rule, His rule is always right. Our emotions can take off its shoes, unpack its back, and settle in with this understanding. Allowing God to be God with our emotions will bring them under the sovereign comfort of Who God is. We tend to want to draw boundaries for God within our lives. We can let Him have most things except that one thing that is most sacred to us, that place we’ve allowed no one to enter, the thing that is so cherished that we dare not even speak it with our mouth; our dreams. We will give God anything but that.
Our dreams are ours and ours alone. No one can steal them from us as long as they are hidden within us. Our dreams are our companions when we are all alone and when we’ve lost hope, they bring us a sense of comfort raising us back up again as they remind us that all is not lost. We nurture our emotions with this resounding truth; as long as my dreams are safe then I’m good. But what happens when our dreams become another’s reality? How do we handle it then? What are we to do when everything we’ve planned for, hoped for, dreamed for all our lives is instantly stripped away without warning? The answer is found in the Psalmist words: God is Judge, He puts down one and exalts another.
Our crisis moments of faith narrow down to one answer, at the end of the day: Did I allow God to be God? Is God, God in every area of my life, every day of my life no matter what happens? These moments of crisis are meant to drive us to the throne of God to remind us that we are not reigning He is and even more importantly, He has the right to. Are you allowing God to be God…in all things? His plan is far better than ours…really it is. You may not believe it now, but God will give you something that exceeds beyond any dream you have designed. And in the end, you’ll find that God’s plan is a dream come true.
He alone reigns.
Pearls of Grace is a book of devotions for the entire year, including a read through the Bible in a year calendar, broken down for every day. Beautifully written with encouraging words of hope and empowering words of joy and strength for every woman. Pam draws from the truth and richness of God's Word and gives real life examples in her down to earth style. A must have in your library, click here for more information.
For more from Pam Jenkins and Jabbok Ministries, please visit www.jabbokministries.com!
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