Pastor Clarence Dalrymple Do you sit around and worry about the complications in your life? Have you ever tried to figure out why “life” goes the way that it does? Today many believers are concerned about fulfilling their destiny. They do all they can to make it happen. The preoccupation of being fulfilled forces a person to constantly think or dream about tomorrow. Disillusionment and discontent set in because unfulfilled dreams and aspirations are deeply rooted in the selfish sin nature. Jesus commanded every Christian not to worry about tomorrow. He wants us to live for today. Jesus taught His disciples, “Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:34 Destiny is not a “future issue” but rather a “faith issue.” Wondering about the future, or seeking after a prophetic word, is no different than worrying about tomorrow. There is never a tomorrow because when tomorrow comes, it becomes today!
Trusting-faith is not about worrying when something will happen. Or trying to figure out what could have happened if you did something different. Or if it didn’t happen, wondering what should have been. It is about living in the moment - breath by breath - depending completely on Jesus to take care of everything. Peter, the Apostle, gave these words of encouragement to the church. 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brethren in the world. 10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 1 Peter 5:6-10 The word perfect in 1 Peter 5:10 means "to fit snugly like a piece of a puzzle." The phrase "make you perfect" is not the translation of the Greek word teleioo, which means to perfect, in the sense of "to make spiritually mature and complete", but from a word meaning "to fit or join together." The predominate idea of the verb is: "adjustment, the putting of parts into right relationship and connection with one another." 1. A puzzle can have up to 1,000 or more pieces. 2. There is always a picture on the box showing you what the puzzle will look like. 3. There are times we can try to put the wrong piece in the wrong spot because it looks like it will fit, but it is slightly different, so it doesn’t fit. 4. We don’t struggle with the good pieces that fit well. We sometimes struggle understanding how the bad pieces fit in our lives. 5. When you’re struggling with the HURTS of life, and trying to find where they fit, it really helps to step back and look at the big picture. What is God's Big Picture? We have heard it said that God loves us and has a wonderful plan for our lives. It’s easy to agree when the plan is going smoothly and we are comfortable with the plan. But how do you react when the plan hits a rough patch that isn’t what you expected? What do you do when God doesn’t seem to come through for you? How do you keep hope alive when life itself seems to take a wrong turn down a dead-end street? What if all that we hold dear is suddenly snatched away, if all the familiar landmarks are removed, if our friends desert us, if our job is gone, if our health disappears, if death comes unbidden to our door. These things do happen all the time. What then? We are led to face a difficult but undeniable reality. Sometimes God’s plan is different from what we expected. What then? ALLOW GOD'S PERFECT PLAN TO BE ESTABLISHED! Our job is to yield to God’s plan by putting a stop to worry and wondering. Reading the book of Proverbs will help guide you in God’s ways. The preparations[a] of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. 2 All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the spirits. 3 Commit[b] your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established. Proverbs 16:1-3 When we truly commit our ways to the Lord and cease from our own way, God will establish our thoughts so that we begin to see a different direction then what we thought on our own. A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9 God directs our steps when our thoughts and our heart are established. We can then begin to see the bad pieces of the puzzle in a different light. 20He who heeds the word wisely will find good, and whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he. 21 The wise in heart will be called prudent, and sweetness of the lips increases learning. 22 Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it. But the correction of fools is folly. Proverbs 16:20-22 God will direct us and establish our life if we allow Him to do it. We must first yield to His guidance and trust Him fully!
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AuthorsPastors Clarence and Pat Dalrymple desire to see every person strengthen their faith by gaining revelation knowledge of the Word of God. |