Let's Make a Deal!
Do you ever feel like you are on Let’s Make A Deal with host Monty Hall when attempting to discern what God is doing?
Let’s see what the lovely Carol Merrill has behind Door #1?
Or do you want Door #2?
Or is it Door #3?
Or perhaps you feel like you are dressed in a clown suit jumping up and down attempting to get God’s attention so that God, like Monty Hall, will pick you as a lucky contestant? Sometimes, if I am not careful, I can get to a point where I am trying to guess which door God is behind. It feels like-- choose the right door and I find God’s will or choose the wrong door and I get "zonked" by winning the donkey.
Do you want what’s in the box or what’s behind the Curtain? My wife and I are in several transitions: we are moving and I have a new ministry to begin. She was concerned about where we were going to live. I told her tonight that God doesn’t play Let’s Make A Deal. God is not going to zonk us. We don’t have to attempt to guess correctly what door God is hiding behind. God will lead us to the door God wants to open. God is present and with us on the journey. We are called to be faithful to the process and to be faithful to God.
For the past few days I have bee meditating on the following passage from the book of Hebrews: "So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. But my righteous one will live by faith." Could God speak to me through this passage? Would God speak to me through this passage? Does God care enough about me to actually make a difference or is faith and hope just a mental game to keep me guessing which door is the "right" door? I believe God cares and is active.
Teresa of Avila said, "Let nothing disturb thee; let nothing dismay thee; all thing pass; God never changes. Patience attains all that it strives for. He who has God finds he lacks nothing: God alone suffices."
God alone suffices... and we have God. God is here, now--and not hiding behind the curtain waiting for us to choose correctly. God is faithful. This is my hope. I don’t have to wonder if I should take the cash or choose the curtain. I don’t have to guess the right door where I’ll discover God’s will for my life. God will take us there.
6 Comments:
amen to that.. so often i have to remind myself that God isn't going to drop me now, not after He's begun a good work -- and He's obviously up to a big and good and wonderful work in your life. Sure, He'll hone and shape and craft us into His ongoing will, but He'll never leave us.
we don't even need to worry, we can actually celebrate it. frosty margaritas all around!
And rejoice! Celebrate all the good things that God, your God, has given you and your family;
Deut 26:11 a
great post Rick!
you may have a difficult believing that i was actually reciting this poem by teresa avila on the way home - it's been an hellacious day to put it mildly.
the wording i know is more formal: Let nothing disturb thee, nothing affright thee; all things are passing, God never changeth. Patience endurance attaineth to all things; whom God possesseth is nothing in wanting: Alone, God sufficeth.
for whatever reason, i couldn't remember the second part of the first verse and kept saying "let nothing affront thee," which may have been a subliminal message, i am not sure.
sorry for a long-winded response. all i really wanted to say was: thank you for your timely post.
Right now, the questions in my life far outweigh the clear answers. There are days when I would be more than willing to put on a clown suit (albeit a very large one) and jump up and down, if I could just get some tablets of stone with some specific guidance...
I'm with Chris Rice when he wrote,
I would take 'No' for an answer, just to know I heard You speak.
I know God hasn't carried me this far to drop me - but boy, the drop-off on either side of the road is a scary one. Guess that's why they call it "walking by faith, not by sight."
Good stuff to hear, first thing in the AM! Thanks, Rick.
How true. Most times we forget that there's no why or how in obedience. Just a yes or no. Go or don't go. Follow or don't follow. Many times we forget we follow a God thats big enough to take care of us and big enough to prepare the ground we must walk on.
I like the game show metaphor, so I'll one up you. I tend to think like a contestant on the 70's game show with the little red devils called "Whammies." Hence, with every move that I make in life, I find myself crying out to God, "PLEASE! NO MORE WHAMMIES!" Like anything that I attempt is going to be struck down by God and everything will go back down to $0.00 and I'll have to start winning all over again.
But what if I actually lived for Christ like I didn't have to win anymore. What if I didn't have to spin any wheel or make any guesses on something's (someone's??) value? What if I lived like God had won and I just have to let him keep playing for me? What if I realized the life wasn't a game and I didn't have to earn the favor of the game show host? What if I actually thought that God loved me for who I am and not for what I can do/earn/think/be/win? What if God wasn't interested in deals or whammies? What if I lived life actually like God was interested in me? I'm not sure what that life would look like, but I think I'd love it....
Rick, your post is very timely. I am in transition with a cap T. And can relate to your concepts here.
When you start to journey this way, buckle up, cos it will be the ride of your life.
Hoping you find a home that can be your haven amidst the transitions.
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