Rudders and other things we think we need --

There's a wonderful musical named Two By Two concerning Noah and the Ark.  Danny Kay played Noah and didi a brilliant job,

At one point Noah and his sons get into an arguement about putting a rudder on the ark.  It's a fantastic song.  However at one point Noah has had enough and declares, "God has chosen us to survive, he promised, so why do we need a rudder?"  To which one son replies, "I don't know Papa. why do we need a boat?"

Two questions.
Why do we need a rudder?
Why do we need a boat?

Such a powerful picture of our walk along His Way.  He calls us to build a boat and we decide we need to improve upon it.  Not only do we want to improve what He has ordained but we want to add something that will give us some control.  There-in lies the rub.

Let go and let God?  Hardly!  Oh, we'll let God but most of us will not let go.  We won;t let go of our desire for - well - a rudder.  We hang on to "control" even though we have to know it's a mere illusion.  That is, if God is really sovereign.

We need a boat - that is the Redeemer.  But we want a rudder so we can -- wait for it -- so we can control the boat.  To abuse an old hymn:

Take my life and let it be

powered by you and run by me.

or

All to Jesus I surrender

all to Him I freely give

as long as I can control

the way in which I live.

Living "RADICALLY" for Jesus is all the rage.  Surrender everything, go to the booneys, give it all away - that's authentic Christianity.  Well pal, tell that to Lazarus and Nicodemus and the wealthy women who supported Jesus and the apostles.

Even this "living radically" is a rudder.  We're going to "do" for Him whether He has called us to "do" it or not.  We are in control, we man the helm.  We move the rudder.

God's call to service is similar yet singular.  Many do what I do in ministry but no one does it like "me."  Oh, we do some basic things that are similar - some even identical but God calls us individually and uses us individually.

BUT

This is not some call to individualism - it is a call to fight the fight to submit to Him and His will individually.  In His wondrous wisdom however He called us into a body - there are many of us.  He called us individually to become one with Him and one with each other.  NOT to become Him or each other. 

We are all in the same boat, a rudderless boat.  This boat is driven by the Spirit.  Rudderless we are at the mercy of the Holy Spirit which blows us here an there at the Father's will.  He steers the boat.  Unfortunately we want control so badly we fight Him and of course we lose.

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Getting a Grip When it all hurts Part 1 040114

Getting a Grip  When it all hurts Part 1  040114

1 Peter 5:6-11 ESV
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, [7] casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. [8] Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. [9] Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. [10] And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. [11] To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Wonderful words of encouragement and admonition.  But what do you do with it when it all hurts, when there is no sense of hope although you know there is a reason to?  What do you do when you read this and walk away empty and hollow?

First you realize that Satan will do all he can to create that hollowness and deepen it.  Whether through the world or the flesh he will use every means he can to deepen your despair.  We're not cut out to fight him ourselves but we must call upon - cry out for God to save us from this sense of hopeless sinking.  We must let God fight that battle for us and that is not easy.

Satan will do everything in his power to cast you down and to crush you.  One of his ploys is to isolate you from the Body.  We all know that in times of trouble people seem to withdraw, run, move away not wanting to be too close to the one in distress.  Now we can't blame them and we also know that we withdraw as well.  We, for whatever reason (shame, embarrassment even fear) want to hide away and curl up in a ball and disappear.

Satan wants us to be isolated - he doesn't hunt the herd but rather the solitary and wounded.  So when you are wounded and in despair it is making the situation worse if you curl in a ball in a corner.

Satan also wants to chase us into greater distress.  That's why he is roaring.  He wants us to run from him to where the rest of the pride is.  The pride is in the deep grass waiting for us to run into the middle of them so they may take us down.  We must not run.  We must slowly move in a safe direction and the only one who can show us that safe direction is God.

Satan also wants to get us to murmur - to complain about God as the Israelites did in the wilderness.  He wants us to complain about God and His treatment of us.  He wants us to deny God's goodness, His lovingkindness, His whole character.  He wants us to accuse God of wrong doing, of meanness, of hard heartedness or the typical - He's not fair.

All this and more Satan desires to do.  It is very very hard to stand in the face of a roaring lion but by the grace and power of God, we must.  Like Daniel we must stand among the hungry beasts and trust in God.  We must by the grace and mercy of God resist running - resist isolation - resist shame - resist murmuring.

None of us are the only believers who suffer.  Some suffer more and some less but suffering is suffering and when we are suffering ours is the only one we feel.  But Peter seems to indicate that knowing that we are not the only ones who suffer will be of benefit to us.  That's a hard thing but a true thing.  God is at work in the lives of countless believers and we should praise Him for that fact.  The starving, the oppressed, the persecuted are all trusting Him for so much more than the rest of us and they are holding fast - they've got a grip - faith.

Faith - faith that He can relieve us of our suffering.  Faith that it is meant for His glory.  Faith that it is meant for our good.  Faith that even if it kills us, as it does many, we will then be with Him, at peace and forever without suffering.

Heaven is not a consolation prize for those whose suffering kills them.  Heaven is the glorious reward that awaits those who are His and barring His coming prior to, death is the ony way to heaven.

I'll write more on this passage as I am able - but have faith my friends God is with you and for you - He wants to display His glory through, in and by your circumstances.  It is hard - at times is seems hopeless but I have to ask myself:  For what am I really hoping, treasuer here or treasure there?  The comfort of the world or the comfort of His grace.  It is a real battle - get a grip on His truth and providence and do not let go.