God called Jesus Christ to what seemed absolute disaster. And Jesus Christ called His disciples to see Him put to death, leading every one of them to the place where their hearts were broken. His life was an absolute failure from every standpoint except God’s. But what seemed to be failure from man’s standpoint was a triumph from God’s standpoint, because God’s purpose is never the same as man’s purpose.This bewildering call of God comes into our lives as well. The call of God can never be understood absolutely or explained externally; it is a call that can only be perceived and understood internally by our true inner-nature. The call of God is like the call of the sea— no one hears it except the person who has the nature of the sea in him. What God calls us to cannot be definitely stated, because His call is simply to be His friend to accomplish His own purposes. Our real test is in truly believing that God knows what He desires. The things that happen do not happen by chance— they happen entirely by the decree of God. God is sovereignly working out His own purposes.If we are in fellowship and oneness with God and recognize that He is taking us into His purposes, then we will no longer strive to find out what His purposes are. As we grow in the Christian life, it becomes simpler to us, because we are less inclined to say, “I wonder why God allowed this or that?” And we begin to see that the compelling purpose of God lies behind everything in life, and that God is divinely shaping us into oneness with that purpose. A Christian is someone who trusts in the knowledge and the wisdom of God, not in his own abilities. If we have a purpose of our own, it destroys the simplicity and the calm, relaxed pace which should be characteristic of the children of God.

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August 5 2015

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, it seems as if this devotional is focused on letting go of the outcomes, and letting You be God. That we neither need to know how the short or long term stories end, because You are God and You are good all the time. But how do we do that Lord, when the bank account is really low, or the job so demanding and unfulfilling, or our families in turmoil? How can we take our eyes off our issues? I know you say to worry about nothing and pray about everything, but Lord, when we see impending disaster coming our way, how can we just let go of our desired outcomes and or circumstances and simply trust?

And God says…” There will always be trials and tribulations in the world; they are byproducts of a fallen world. And you will be tried and tested regularly, because it is the way your faith is made stronger. You will question how and why I allow certain circumstances to come into your life.”

“But what occurs, when you see Me instead of your circumstances? What occurs when you surrender and allow Me to be the one that controls the storms, circumstances and outcomes of your life? When you surrender your circumstances and or ideas of what the outcomes need to be, you in effect are saying, Lord, I have the faith to trust You. When you let go of your ideas of control and outcomes, I can and will act on your behalf.”

“However I cannot act as long as you have or seek control. I cannot act when you seek understanding, which is very often simply another word for control. Trust in Me with all your heart, do not rely on your own understanding and I can make your paths straight. Seek first the kingdom of God, and I will provide everything else you require….everything including the right outcomes. Do not try to figure Me out, or put Me into your box of thought out solutions. Immerse yourself in Me by surrendering your right to be in control or to even know what I have in store for you. I promise I will provide outcomes that delight you. Delight yourself in Me and I will give you the desires of your heart.”