My Utmost for His Highest
Leave Room for God
“But when it pleased God…”
Galatians 1:15
“As servants of God, we must learn to make room for Him - to give God "elbow room." We plan and figure and predict that this or that will happen, but we forget to make room for God to come in as He chooses. Would we be surprised if God came into our meeting or into our preaching in a way we had never expected Him to come? Do not look for God to come in a particular way, but do look for Him. The way to make room for Him is to expect Him to come, but not in a certain way. No matter how well we may know God, the great lesson to learn is that He may break in at any minute. We tend to overlook this element of surprise, yet God never works in any other way. Suddenly— God meets our life ". . . when it pleased God . . . ."Keep your life so constantly in touch with God that His surprising power can break through at any point. Live in a constant state of expectancy, and leave room for God to come in as He decides.”
Wow. Kate, Anya? Was this written for me or what?
For those of you who don’t know me well enough, this is what I do: I’m a planner. I think that I’ve got it all figured out. I’m careful to be wise about my decisions, obviously trying to live by the Bible, but I never leave room for God to work! The things that I plan and schedule meticulously are never inherently bad, but it’s just that I do it on my own without consulting God, or leaving him that “elbow room.”
This spoke to me this morning because that has always been my point of weakness. I’m so used to Anya rolling her eyes at me as I explain to her my game plan, or hearing Kate say, “CASSIE! You’re doing it again!” And then I may respond with, “No no no, it might seem like I’m doing it again, but this time it’s different!”
Shut up, Cassie. You don’t know anything. Allow God to do the unexpected, will ya? Loosen up the grip on that precious timetable of yours.
Ugh, okay. I’m learning. Thank you Oswald Chambers, for bringing this polite reminder of my finitude and humanness into my day.
Good old Os.
ReplyDeletehahahaha oh cas. read this entry this morning and
ReplyDelete(in the midst of being convicted about my own failings in this)
thought "oh cas would like this!" :)
it's funny...
YOU'RE freaking out cause you want to hold onto your timetable and I'M freaking out cause i've never had one...but now i want one!
...even half way around the world He teaches us the same stuff!
He really is amazing.
also ill tell you about this in my email but i was totally convicted in chapel today. STAN the man GAEDE always hits home (granted doesnt always turn me into a weeping mess...good thing too haha)
ok love you
talk soon.
xoxo
ps sorry bout that last email. it was a bit of a mess. *sigh* haha
Hey sweetheart. this is so true. im glad that you are becoming more in tune...or not in tune with what God has for you. ahah. im not sure if that sounds bad or not. But being surprised is not my idea of being "in une" with something.
ReplyDeleteI miss you and love you and im glad you are having an amazing time. i enjoy reading alllll your posts. I look everyday to see if there is another one up.
oh and...come home. haha love you! cant wait to hear about your realtionship class and your new job!
love love.