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It was a small thing. Just walking out of church and seeing
the friend I was with be stopped by a married couple he knew at the church. I'm still relatively new there so I didn't know
who they were but I heard them talking about his job in some capacity.
But I remember the husband saying "It'll happen.
God's timing."
My mind started working. I wanted to turn to him and say "Excuse me Sir. How do you know it will happen?"
I didn't but I was thinking it. It also made me think to how many times in a public place or a chat room I've bemoaned my
single status and someone will say "God will send you someone in his time. I'm sure he has someone for you."
Now I
certainly hope I get married someday but again how do we know? I'm sure in all cases these people don't really think much
about what they're saying and mean well but couldn't that be the problem?
Could it be that we have lost track of what
an awesome God we serve? We talk so flippantly about him and assume because we want something and that something is good then
obviously God wants it to and it'll happen. Friends. I know God wants the best for us but maybe it won't happen.
We
turn to the OT and we see how serious the Bible is. The prophets said "Thus sayeth the Lord" and they were willing to die
for that claim. And Amos says "Does God do anything without revealing it to his prophets"? Yet we hear somebody talk about
their hopes and dreams and aspirations and we say "God has it in store for you. Just wait." We are just as much making a "Thus
sayeth the Lord."
I am concerned that we have taken all too lightly what an awesome being God is. We can talk so flippantly
about what his plans for the future are as if we have some privy info for the other person that God hasn't given to them.
How can we say "Thus sayeth the Lord" for your future when we couldn't even tell them what they're gonna be doing next week.
James
wrote about this. He said we should say "If it is the Lord's will we will do such and such." Now James wasn't against planning
but I think against taking the future flippantly. God's plans for the future are big. God says he knows the plans we have
for us. We don't know the plans he has for us. If Scripture has been silent on some point, so should we.
We can say
"Well I'll pray things will go well at that job" or "I'll pray that God will send you someone." We can even do things for
these people to help them reach their dreams and aspirations but maybe it's time we stopped speaking when God hasn't spoken.
Unless,
of course, we're so sure we're ready to die for that belief. Remember the NT in large part was written by a man we believe
was guided by the Spirit to write but even he said when giving advice that it was "I, not the Lord." God used his advice indeed
but I doubt Paul would have written detailed information for everyone on the church on rather they would marry or not.
Are
you and I both taking God too lightly today?
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