12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.Be Holy 13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”[a] 17 Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors,19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
As I sat listening to Pastor Delton's sermon this past Sunday, he made a very bold and assertive statement. He said, "We so badly expect God to make a radical change, because he "CAN". I thought more and more about his statement, and I realize, how much ministry do I miss out on because I am waiting for God to change something. For me personally, I often pray about something in way that says God I expect this to happen because I know you can do it, or Lord change this because I think it is wrong. I leave out so much depth and closeness with God, because I am longing for change, rather than trying to aid in the change or growing closer to Jesus. I then find myself mad or upset when something is not radically changed, and it weakens my relationship with Christ. I leave out the realness of God, and the unexpected ways in which he works. I look to the last sentence of verse 12, even angels long to look into these things. We will never fully understand things that happen in our lives, why this person passed away, why we did not get the promotion we thought we deserved, why our kids do the things we do, or for me personally why things of my past happened the way they did. However, I urge us to look at it from an angle of maybe we are not supposed to understand. Maybe, we are in the place we are because God is truly better, and His will while sometimes is confusing, is far greater than anything we can ever imagine. Maybe, we did not get the promotion because God's plan for us is better, maybe things have happened in my past because God wanted me to learn and grow and be a beacon to those who have gone through similar life circumstances. Maybe, in the end God does what he does to draw us closer, not push us further away. Today I pray that as we struggle through the things we fail to understand, that instead of getting angry with God or pushing Him away, we draw closer to Him. We trust in the fact that he is our God, and His will is always far better than our own. That His will for us includes others, and our will often includes only us. I pray that we give up the fight of trying to understand Him, and instead we seek to have a better relationship with Him. And maybe, when we are ready he will reveal the WHY but if not it is only to protect us, and show us the LOVE he has for us.
Regards,
Jordan Norton