Sunday, December 29, 2013

GOD'S SOVEREIGNTY = PEACE = JOY

By this time of year, the end of December, some of us are feeling a little tired. We have been so busy. Our days have been filled with all the activities that surround the Christmas season. Now, we need some quiet time to reflect on what is important, and what is not.

During the past several years many have sent me U Tube e-mails of flash mob performances. I'm always fascinated, especially with the Christian based performances. I love the looks on faces as they pause in the midst of whatever they are doing and stop to watch and listen. The very words of these familiar hymns seem to bring about calm. I wanted to be involved. The Lord knew that, so He took us to a church shortly before Christmas that was organizing a flash mob at a local mall. My husband and I went to the rehearsal and showed up at the mall to be a part of the fun.

Jesus is hard to ignore. Buried deep within His children, God has planted a desire to know Him. No matter where we are or what we are doing, when we hear these words. . .

"O come all ye faithful. . .come let us adore Him"
"Go tell it on the mountain. . .that Jesus Christ is Lord"
"O holy night. . .it is the night of our dear Savior's birth. . .fall on your knees". . .

we are touched, we feel that "thrill of hope" we look for in this weary world. We're reminded that this life, this world, isn't everything - there is so much more for those who've given their heart to the One God sent to earth so we could have peace and experience joy.

One reason I started writing this blog is that I felt that God's sovereignty is not completely understood by many Christians. I'm aware of what a difference it makes in the way we perceive our life and the contentment we have, no matter what our circumstances. 

Those of us who are Christians know we aren't perfect and need God's love and forgiveness. We come to Jesus, because we know He has the power to make us acceptable to a Holy God. We give up the struggle and accept forgiveness. We then live, not by our power, but by the power of the Holy Spirit in us. We need to understand that even though we may be lacking control over our life, God is always in control.

"The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all." Psalm 103:19

        When we understand that God had a plan from creation and we are not able to disrupt His plan, we will have peace. God is God, we are not. God never reacts to His creation; He's in charge of it.

"O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139: 1-2, 16.

As we come to God and believe by faith that He knows us, loves us, and has planned our life, both the "good" and the "bad", the peace we experience will lead to joy. Joy is different than being 'happy'. We're happy based on what is happening in our life. Joy is based on knowing that God loves us and has created us for His purpose. For the most part, we are very self-focused people. Watch any adorable two-year old and you will see that he/she thinks they are the center of the universe.

As we mature in age, many of us still believe this to be true, but we're good at concealing it from others. The world tells us it's important to have good 'self-esteem'. Therefore, it can be difficult to come to terms with a God who is sovereign over our life. We want to be in charge. We need to trust that God is molding us into the person He created us to be. Those of you who read my blogs on a regular basis know this is one of my favorite verses - Ephesians 1:11. It helps me get connected to what is important, not just what is happening. 

"In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, . . .might be for the praise of his glory."

Yes Lord, help us to remember we were created to be for the praise of Your glory. Thank you for making the celebration of your birth so visible throughout the world. There are those who want to ignore and demean You and Your message. We praise Your Holy Name that this will never happen, and those of us who believe will prevail and live eternally. . .not because we are good, but because God came to earth to pay for all of our sins. Thank you Jesus!