Control Freak

I did it! I did it!

It is still Wednesday as I write this, and I fully intend to get this to you by Wednesday. So technically, even though you’ll likely receive and read this on Thursday, I can still say that I got it out on Wednesday! Now that right there is how you thumb your nose at the system! 10 points for Mikey and loopholes! =)

(Did anyone notice the inordinate amount of exclamation points?!)

Anyway, I figure I have an excuse to be a little cockamamie. I actually sat through a 3.5 hour lecture on the apocrypha and pseudepigrapha, the rise of Rabbinic Theology and other “precious gems” of post-second Temple Judaism (Ba-Ba-Ba-Boring!). Actually, it is quite interesting, but not at 9:30 PM following 3 hours of incessant droning. 10 more points for me!

Ok really though… Tuesday for me was a day of testing. Not academic, standardized testing – but testing of my faith and trust in God. Remember how James says that faith is nothing if not validated and manifested through how I conduct my life. Well, the Lord put several obstacles in my way that challenged my faith/worldview and ensured the Lord’s sovereignty. The actual hurdles are immaterial; in the grand scheme of things, they mean nothing.

The best part is that the Lord prepared me for what I was to go through. Throughout all my QTs this week, I have read about the Lord’s control over everything. And I mean everything. I tend to be a bit of a “control freak,” as the kids these days say (I prefer administrative extraordinaire, but that’s just me).

In any case, I decided to read the book of Genesis. So, those evening’s I recounted the story of creation through the flood narrative. I kept realizing God’s control:

1. How He spoke everything into existence.

2. How managed every detail.

3. How He would not allow deviations from His “plan” to sway Him from pursuing the ultimate purpose of a relationship with mankind. (The fall, Cain, etc.)

God, in His infinite mercy, still makes provision for us to reestablish our fellowship with Him, despite our constant betrayal. He had everything in such an order, that He even made it a point to bless the birds! (Gen. 1:22, Matt. 6)

Everything I read pointed straight to God’s complete and absolute control in every facet of life. I didn’t realize it then, but it was like the Lord knew on Monday what I was going to go through on Tuesday! Who woulda thunk it, huh?!

Not only did He know, but in all His grace and mercy, He prepared me for all of it. Despite everything going on around me, and despite all the reasons why I could doubt God and want to take things into my own hands, the Lord spared me some anguish. The phrase constantly reverberating in my mind was that the Lord was in control… there was absolutely no doubt about that. Now matter how I sliced it, I could not deny that the Lord was in control of the events in my life. It was my job to sit back and let Him drive (I think Carrie Underwood might know a little something about this: Jesus take the wheel; take it from my hands…). Now isn’t that something?!

So yea, I pray you are encouraged by that. Hopefully it can serve as a gentle prodding to read the Word and spend time with the Lord. There is a promise in the OT that His Word will not return void. If you legitimately put in the time and effort, God’s Word will not be fruitless in your life.

MTI