Let God Have Control

I would like to write to you on the subject of allowing God to do the work. While this may seems like a common aspect of the Christian faith, it is an area that I see as one that many Christians struggle with. Let's start by looking at a verse of scripture that is frequently quoted found in Isaiah 55:8-9:

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

I realize that so far I haven't said anything new, but I would really like for you to think about the way that God did things in the Bible. Let's first consider some stories where the Lord provided food for people.

There is the story of the Israelites who were told that when they woke up in the morning there would be food laying on the ground, there was the Prophet Elijah who was told to go live by a brook and birds would bring him food, and there was Jesus who ask for something that He could break into pieces, multiply, and feed over 5,000 people. I would venture to say that we have never used any of these techniques when we desire to feed someone.

Let's talk about getting across a body of water. We would typically look for a boat or a bridge, but in the Bible God separates water and dries out the ground so that His people could just walk across. Jesus needing to get across the water just walks on the water and Jonah who was going the wrong direction got a taxi ride in a whales stomach. Again, I think it would be safe to say that we have never used any of these techniques while navigating water.

These stories I've just related are very consistent with the verse of scripture at the top of this article - God does things differently than we do. Now, let's make this topic applicable to our lives. Since God's way of doing things is different than our way of doing things and God's methods are different then our methods then it seems to appear that when we are looking for an answer to a situation that it will come in a way that is different than what we expect.

We had an awesome testimony in our church last Sunday. A man who works for the State of California had been notified that his paycheck was going to be cut by $300.00 per month. At first this was a distressing thought, but then He just thanked the Lord for His faithfulness and acknowledged his trust in the Lord. Before the week was over an individual who worked at the same facility approached him with an offer. They needed some things fixed around their home that this individual has the capabilities of doing, so they offered to drive the individual to work in exchange for the repairs on their home. Because of the type of vehicle and the distance to his job the result will be that he will save $300 a month in gas. Praise the Lord!

Many people miss what God is trying to do in their lives because they expect their miracles to come to them the way they are looking for it to come. When we have blinders on, thinking that things will only happen the way we can conceive them in our minds, then we are going to limit what God is able to do.

I spoke to an individual recently who was frustrated in their Christian walk because the things that they knew the Lord had put on their heart was not happening. After I spoke at great length to them we discovered that there was actually an opportunity that the Lord had opened, but they did not recognize it because it was outside the way that they thought the promise would manifest.

I remember once listening to a Pastor tell a story of a man who attended his church. He was believing God for a financial miracle in his life. A short time after he started praying his employer asked him to head a special project that would require a lot of overtime. He declined the position not wanting to work so many hours. In the end he never received the breakthrough he was looking for. He assumed that the Lord would provide the miracle with a check in the mail or some other method that would be easy. What he didn't expect was that the opportunity of more work would be presented to him.

What do you need in your life? Are you open to the Lord answering your prayer? If you are then you are not limited to how God wants to answer your petition. Allow God to be God and to do things the way He wants. In order for God to do things His way requires us to get out of His way. God is faithful to His Word, but you must be willing to allow Him to do things the way He wants to do them.