The other day I was reading a fictional novel, and it was quite long, and I decided rather than finish it, I was just going to go to the last chapter and read it to see how it turned out. I did not feel bad about doing that. I did not feel like I was cheating. And I was pretty content with not having had to read the whole book but knowing how it ended. I ended up going to
There is a point to that illustration, and to this whole blog. As you read further you might wonder how that opening illustration connects to what I am talking about, but I will tie it all together. I promise.
God does speak. And He does show us the plans and purposes for our life. The question is do we hear? Or more specifically do we listen? Sometimes God shows us the ending to chapter 15 before we are even in chapter 5. The question is when are in chapter 5 and it does not make sense to our own eyes how chapter 15 is going to come to pass, how do we respond? {hopefully that analogy made sense}
I remember one day last summer, it was not really a good day for me, and I went to bed kind of upset with God. Things in my life did not make sense, and I was like ‘God what are you doing?’ I had a dream that night that someone was driving and I was the passenger. We were going to a certain destination, and I kept telling the driver to go down certain roads, but the driver would not listen to me. I knew the final destination, I knew where we were headed, and I felt that I knew better than the driver the roads we needed to take.
I woke up understanding that I am so like that with God sometimes. I tell God He can have control of my life, and I tell Him He is the driver, but I tend to be a backseat driver. He has given me glimpses of what He has in store for me, he has shown me chapter 15, but I am stuck in chapter 5 and it does not make sense to my eyes, how chapter 15 can come to pass. If things are not going the way I think they should, I give suggestions to God on what I think He should do. That summer night, God had to speak to me in a dream to show me this.
Just five minutes ago I was on the phone with a not so nice person at the university I attend. I was trying to explain a situation to her, because I had a question, but she kept on interrupting me. I finally had to ask her if she could not interrupt me so that I could explain the situation. After I hung with her, I realized that often we are like that with God. He speaks, but we interrupt. We don’t allow Him to speak. He is writing our story, He is trying to get us to chapter 15 and rather than go along obediently, every time something happens, that is contrary to what we think should be, we interrupt and give our suggestions on how we think things should turn out.
I believe that when God speaks, He shows us our future. He shows us the end result. He shows us our purpose. It is like He is showing us the last chapter of the book. He is saying this is how it is going to end; this is what I am going to do.
But in order to get to the last chapter, we have to go through the middle. Sometimes the middle chapters make absolutely no sense. We question if God really did show us the promise. Sometimes the last chapter has us doing something, or has something happening, but the chapter we are in, it appears as though that will never happen. But God still speaks. We have the tendency to want to give up, to want to quit, to want to take the pen out of God’s hand, and to begin writing ourselves. He does not need a co-author, he is quite capable of writing on His own. I know for myself, it is like I am trying to be God’s editor at times. I know the final destination, I believe God has shown me what He is going to do, but often when it seems like God is doing something that seems contrary to what the final destination, the final chapter says, I give God suggestions, or I make corrections. God does not need nor does He want me to do that.
We have to believe that what God has shown us will come to pass. We have to claim the promises He has for our life. We have to declare to Satan that He has no authority placing doubt in our mind. If God showed you your future, believe that it will come to pass.
To end, in movies there is something called foreshadowing. Basically, the director will put clues throughout the movie on what is to come. If you don’t pay attention you will miss these clues. I believe God gives us ‘clues’ as well. You might be in chapter 5 and it might not seem like things are happening, but He will give you subtle clues letting you know that what He has promised will come to pass. If you don’t pay attention, if you are talking too loudly, if you are busy interrupting God, if you are playing the part of the editor, you will miss these clues. And frustration will set in. but if you are being obedient, then you will grasp these clues, and when it does not appear like your promise is going to happen, you will hold on, because you know God has already shown you what He is going to do.