Pleasing God, Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

Where Is God Taking Us?

2 CORINTHIANS 1:8-10 – For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.

THEME OF THE DAY. WHERE IS GOD TAKING US? Spiritually sensitive and growing Christian encounter those seasons of trial when we ask, maybe even beg, God with cries from our weary hearts, “Father, what is happening? Lord, help me. I am confused. I hurt. I don’t see Your hand in this. Oh, Father, what is going on?” And I would argue every child of God will enter those seasons. Read the Psalms and particularly the experiences of David; the man after God’s own heart. One example is Psalm 13 – How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken (Psalm 13:1-4). Feel his pain. Observe his face twisted in anguish. Listen to the groans of his heart. But it isn’t just David. Enter the cries of the Apostle Paul in today’s scripture. He isn’t a little discouraged or even mildly depressed. He is in despair, not hopeless despair, but a despair that is exhausting him of strength and self-sufficiency. If I were asked what is the number one thing God is doing in my life, the answer would not be “Making me like the Lord Jesus.” Yes, that is the end goal for all God’s children in their salvation, but the work toward the goal is something else. So, if I were asked, “What is the number one thing God is doing in my life?”, I would respond, “To trust His promises in every area of my life.” And here, my friends, is where God is taking all of His children – simple, moment-by-moment trust in His promises. It is a life of total dependency on His always sufficient promises that makes us like the Lord Jesus.

When it comes to all the Christian life, are we not people of promises? We are elected before the foundation of the world by God’s promise to give a people to His Son as gifts of His grace (Ephesians 1:3-4; John 17:9). And the Apostle Peter tells us in his second letter, we are to share in the divine nature of God and grow in Him by His divine promises – His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire (2 Peter 1:3-4).

So, if this is where God is taking us, how are we doing? Are we learning to feed and rely upon His promises; promises to be with us in trying times, promises to provide for us in lean times; promises to protect us in dangerous times; and many other situations in this difficult world? Friends, we are people of promises. Every day we should be able to say more and more these words of the Psalmist, “Your promise is well tried, and your servant loves it” (Psalm 119:140). And we will . . . when we recognize this is the place God is taking us in our walks with Him.

PRAYER: “Father, protect me from the danger of hearing and listening to Your Word, but not obeying Your Word.”

QUOTE: “God’s promises are sure because the One promising is incapable of lying or denying Himself.”