I know I can't.
Just this morning these words from Psalm 19:11-14 delighted me as I read them from The Message paraphrase:
There's more: God's Word warns us of danger
and directs us to hidden treasure.
Otherwise how will we find our way?
Or know when we play the fool?
Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh!
Keep me from stupid sins,
from thinking I can take over your work;
Then I can start this day sun-washed,
scrubbed clean of the grime of sin.
These are the words in my mouth;
these are what I chew on and pray.
Accept them when I place them
on the morning altar,
O God, my Altar-Rock,
God, Priest-of-My-Altar.
I adore that phrase "keep me from stupid sins, from thinking I can take over your work". I can relate to it.
Just recently I was praying very specifically over some situations with my middle and youngest teen aged sons. I wanted God to do things the way I saw best. But then I thought about something that Victor from Time for Reflections had reminded me about, that I needed to be able to trust God with my sons.
The fact of the matter is that there are things that seem right to me, ways I want things to go - and then there's God's way. He's got the big picture, the overview that I can't see, and His ways ultimately always turn out best. Though sometimes the path to where He has for me to go isn't an easy one, His destination is always better than I could have imagined.
What about you, do you ever try to take over God's work?
10 comments:
Sometimes our prayers to God are "Thy will be done ... as long as it is what I want, or the way I want it."
We don't mean to be disrespectful really, or in any way usurp His will. It's just because we're human, we're too afraid of letting go our will and really trust Him that His way is best for us.
I'm sure He understands our human nature, and, like any loving parent, He forgives us our little stupid indiscretions.
God bless you and your family.
I do...but it never works out well. then I need to retrack and do what I should have in the beginning..wait for Him. thanks for this. Sarah
Yes I do and he slams ( diciplines) me for it.
Yes. Yes. and yes again! I want my children to be well-behaved...YESTERDAY! I think my post on I need 32000 soldiers was similiar to this very thing. We want what we think is best and forget that God has His own way of getting us (or them) there to keep us (or them) humble and aware of our need for Him!
As Abraham did, you must give your children back to God. Be willing to let Him mold them. In turn, God lends them to you to teach and correct. Praying for you!
When I drift that way Tracy, I think about my mom and how patient she was waiting for me to realize God's plan for my life. I said things I really regret to her, but she continued to show God's love for me through her love.
I try to do the same with my teenager and hope to with my younger ones too. They are truly His...I just have to raise them according to His will.
I know. Easier said than done.
..the problem is trusting him to lead ... and so we interfere in our own human way..
That's a lovely sea of sunflowers.
BM
OK, my friend......you nailed it with this post. I can so relate...
My mother in law just gave me great advice as I have been having my own share of issues with my oldest son. She told me .....the more you persist, the more they resist.
I am such a control freak that I struggle with letting God do what He does best. I love how you talk about how God has the overview that we cannot see. It all boils down to trust, doesn't it? Trusting God with it all.
and this made me smile as well....
"Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh!"
I need a scrubbing.
This also reminds me of a lesson I learned many years ago about submitting to God's will. I learned that I need to sometimes I need to get out of God's way and wait for His will to be done in my life and other's lives as well.
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