I remember as a kid asking the ‘why’ questions that would end up being unanswerable because no answer satisfied me. “Why do I have to go to bed?”  “Why does a turtle have a shell?”  “Why is this lake in the middle of a mountain?”  Usually the answers in these conversations ended with “Because I said so,” or “Because that’s how God does or did it.” When I grew up, I often ended up giving similar responses to my kids.

Nowadays when I question God, I sometimes get the same answers.   However, with God, the answers usually bring His peace. Hallelujah! 

Phil.4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. NASB

From the journal . . . . March 2001 

Lord, You are so good.  You’re always here.  You’ve kept the world going for another day.  Lord, life is way beyond figuring out.  As I think about what makes sense or what is logical, I come back to Who started it?  Who created the Creator?  Nothing comes from nothing so where and how did it start?  There is no answer except that it is something miraculous.  And the miracle ‘power’ that happened at God’s birth is still alive. 

God is Sovereign!  Omnipotent!   Omniscient!  Omnipresent!  He can do anything!  He has all power!  He knows everything about everything!  He is everywhere at any time!  He is incomprehensible!  Thank You Lord. 

Please use me as my students’ teacher.  Help me to die to myself and live for You and Your purposes.  I am realizing that You aren’t just going to zap ‘me’ out and put ‘You’ in.  Somehow, we have to cohabitate: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, and me!

And I Believe God Said to Me:

That is true.  There is good in you.  I won’t destroy that to purify you from evil.  I created you for good works and for My pleasure. 

Eph 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

I want to see you make the right choices, but I want you to do so freely.

Gal 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Will you trust Me every day, every hour, every minute?  Will you believe that every law I give is for your highest good?  That every command is to bless you? 

Psalm 19:7-11 ⁷ The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
⁸ The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
⁹ The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
¹⁰ They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
¹¹ Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.

Bring Me into every circumstance and Trust Me to lead you!

Proverbs 3:6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.

For many years I have routinely prayed, “Lord, let me die to myself and live for you.” There are too many times that I do the very thing I hate.

Romans 6:5-7 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, ⁶ knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; ⁷ for he who has died is freed from sin.

Romans 7:14-16  For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. ¹⁵ For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.

I truly want to be less of me and more of the Lord.  I remember conversations with people where we just wished God would make us like robots to automatically do what He wants.  Obviously, that is not what He wants!  He wants us to choose Him!

Joshua 24:15 If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” NASB

The verse that I have been praying for myself the last couple months is from Romans 10:10. It says,

“For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God. It is by openly declaring our faith that we are saved. As scripture tells us anyone who trusts in him will never be disappointed.”

I’m reminded time and time again that I need to believe Him and always believe what He says.