What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. (1 Corinthians 2:12 NIV)

God has and does give us everything freely…

I think there is a serious myth in our thinking that we have to attain some sort of perfection before God will give us certain things…

If God has promised us something then He will give it as a free gift of His Grace – no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly…

We could wrongly interpret this scripture to mean that we need to ‘try really hard’ to do ‘all the right things’ so that God won’t withhold any good thing from us…

We could ‘work ourselves up into a frenzy’ trying to achieve a level of perfection to attain to God not withholding any good thing from us…

But this is not our God…

It is to those who cease from their own work that God gives His gifts – and God actually starts giving His gifts to those ones (who will cease from their own work) before they are even able to cease from their own work…

So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. (Hebrews 4:9-10 NASB)

I am so rebuked by this scripture…

I was lying in bed this morning chatting to my wife and it suddenly dawned on me that in one particular area – a very important area – that I’d been striving to ‘get myself into a position’ where God would ‘give me what I want’…

It was a good conversation – I learnt a lot…

Giving is free…

It must be created in the heart by the Lord…

It can’t be forced…

I know all these things but it’s amazing when something is really important how you can overlook this…

It is beautiful when things are given freely…

Everything which God wants us to have is given freely…

God sustains all that He gives…

He gives through human instruments…

But it is still He who gives…

When He doesn’t give it is not the human instruments ‘fault’ – yes, if we were still living in a perfect world then everyone would treat us perfectly but this is not the case and to ‘hold this over someone’s head’ is to live in denial that we are not living in a perfect world – I am preaching to myself…

It is the Lord’s ‘fault’ – so to speak – not that He ever makes any mistakes…

When we are frustrated in our wants or our desires and we experience pain – as I have been in a certain area – we start to see that there is still something there that needs to be healed…

It is not the human instruments ‘fault’ if the Lord hasn’t released to that human instrument the desire to freely give us something – even if that ‘something’ is something which we feel we really need – even if that ‘something’ is something which God seems to indicate that that human instrument should give us…

There is – as my friend told me previously – no ‘right’…

I’m remembering that now…

I will get to a point where I won’t even demand my ‘rights’…

All who we mix with – whether they know the Lord or whether they do not – are only able to give us what God has established in their hearts…

God touches human hearts…

Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, accompanied by valiant men whose hearts God had touched. (1 Samuel 10:26 NIV)

Whether all those valiant men knew the Lord or whether they didn’t God touched their hearts…

We read of Saul that one day God “changed his heart” but He doesn’t say that He gave Saul a new heart…

As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day. (1 Samuel 10:9 NIV)

So what I’m saying there is – whether or not your ‘human instrument’ (whatever the situation might be) – knows the Lord – the Lord is able to change their heart…

That might not mean that they come to know Him…

The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes. (Proverbs 21:1 NASB)

So what am I saying?

We – or well I do anyway – beg and beg and beg the Lord for the things we want – the things which are most meaningful to us and we – or well I do anyway – try to ‘connive’ to ‘make these things happen’ but when they involve people who are outside our control (which obviously they are 🙂 ) we start to see just exactly what it is that we are actually doing – we are trying to manufacture our own happiness – and we are actually blocking the Lord from being able to supply our needs…

He isn’t completely blocked though as He brings us to these ‘understandings’ – these ‘ah-ha’ moments – where we understand what we’ve been doing and relax and rest in the knowledge that He actually does care after all (I am rolling my eyes at myself here – how thick can I be – but that’s the reality of my experience)…

So that person who really annoys you or who you have real difficulty in loving or accepting or just cringe inside when you’re around them – or keep feeling a sense of deep expectation toward – it is that issue – the issue behind that person – not the person themselves – which God is using to get your attention – as you yourself – I’m speaking to myself here also – are actually blocking God’s blessing on your own life – my own life – by our control…

Everything is freely given and God can’t be hurried…

If we ‘beat on God’s door’ over and over and over – as I do often – then eventually ‘the penny will drop’ that we’re not trusting His timetable in everything – and instead of ‘blaming’ His timetable we’ll actually begin to see that it is this attitude towards God which He’s trying to expose before being able to progress in our lives…

So it’s not a striving to do or be ‘better’ before God can bless us but instead it’s a ‘hanging limp’ and just ‘relaxing’ – “ceasing from our works” – to enjoy what God wants to give us…

This leaves us ‘high and dry’ in terms of control…

It literally is ‘the end of our life’…

Sure the mess still needs to be ‘mopped up’ – which will be on-going for the rest of our lives – but the fight is over – we’re in God’s Hands and we’re going to go for the ride…

I’m enjoying this – sharing this – I’m stuck at the airport at present trying to get away on a business trip and the plane has been delayed…

I’m starting to feel the peace…

I’m really grateful to my wife for speaking to me this morning – she shared some real wisdom from the Lord – thank you Darling…

Yes, I think I’ll stop there – stop focusing on the person and see that God is using this situation to focus you on your heart…

Once that surrender is made all of heaven will open and the peace will return (as it is for me right now)… 🙂

Love,

Andrew