October 3, 2013 … God’s Timing

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 276

Devotional Song: Go to this link -  For the second day running, please take the time to meditate on this poignant song, sung by Kathy Trocolli, entitled I Will Choose Christ, again reminding Christians of God’s desire that we be “ALL IN” for Him, seeking His ways – AND SURRENDER TO GOD’S TIMING - rather than trying to control things as we see fit as we walk through this life on the way to our eternal home.

Highlight meditation passage – 1st Samuel 13: 13-14 : [Trying to get ahead of God’s timing will never be productive to getting us where GOD wants us go. ] …  
13 “How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you. Had you kept it, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom must end, for the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart. The LORD has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.” 
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Highlight reading study of 1st Samuel, Chapter 13: Go to this link … 
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Reference Passage #1: Deuteronomy 31: 7-8 [Moses told Joshua and God’s chosen to trust in God – COMPLETELY – as the Lord would lead them into the Promised Land.] … [NLT] …  
7 Then Moses called for Joshua, and as all Israel watched, he said to him, “Be strong and courageous! For you will lead these people into the land that the LORD swore to their ancestors he would give them. You are the one who will divide it among them as their grants of land. 8 Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

Reference Passage #2: Luke 9: 23 [Jesus leads; we follow!!] … [NKJV] …  
23 Then He said to them all, … “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. …”.

My Journal for Today: In the last verse I have copied above, Luke 9: 23, which is the verse I probably quote more often than any other in my journaling here each morning, Jesus doesn’t instruct His disciples to plunge through life doing things our own way – in our own timing, does He? No, the Lord tells His followers to FOLLOW Him; and of course, this means to let God do what God wants to do in God’s own timing. That’s what Moses, instructed Joshua and God’s people to do just before Moses died; and that (see Deut. 31: 7-8 quoted above) was to let God go ahead – IN GOD’S TIMING – to pave the way for His chosen ones to follow Joshua into God’s Promised Land.

Oh, how often it is our natural inclination to try to take control and to do things in life OUR WAY and in OUR OWN TIMING? Common on, admit it; you’ve very likely been there, done that, and have worn the T-shirt of desiring – if not acting – to be in control, … often trying to micro-manage given situations – especially problems – so that they were under your own control. And as Os Hillman writes, in his workman’s devotional today, that scenario can lead managers to try to get ahead of God with their own self-controlism.

That’s what happened with King Saul in the highlight passage today from 1st Samuel 13: 13-13, copied above, … along with the entire chapter description of what happened to Saul for being disobedient. I hope you’ve taken in this historical biblical account; because it was God’s anticipation of this distrust on the part of Saul which led the Lord to seek out and anoint young David as the next King of the Israelites. Saul just couldn’t let things go and be completely “ALL IN” for His God, as he had been instructed to be.

So, as we once again listen to the same song I left for any readers to hear yesterday, Kathy Trocolli in song tells us that when we choose to follow Christ, we must FOLLOW and not try to lead or get ahead of God’s timing and His way of doing things. And as I’m so often warned in my devotionals day-by-day, I have to guard my heart (again see Jeremiah 17: 9), which is so self-deceiving and avoid trying to be in control, surrendering my will to God’s will and following Him in HIS timing, rather than trying to make life happen on my own schedule.

My Prayer for Today … Lord, oh how I desire to FOLLOW You. Please keep shining your light, through Your word, each morning to lead me in the way I should go. … Amen

Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online blog entitled Today God Is First [TGIF], authored by Os Hillman. If you GO TO THIS LINK  on the date of my blog, you’ll find a link to read Hillman’s TGIF blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.