This past week was the 2 year anniversary of my father-in-law’s death, and it just so happened that on that very day my brother-in-law put this song on my FB page:
Jesus, Lover of my soul. All consuming fire is in Your gaze. Jesus, I want You to know that I will follow You all my days. For no one else in history is like You. History itself belongs to You. Alpha and Omega, You have loved me. And I will share eternity with You. It’s all about You, Jesus. And all this is for You. For Your glory and Your fame. It’s not about me. As if You should do things my way. You alone are God and I surrender to Your ways.
It is so easy to sing those words when life is good and everything makes sense. Sure God, it’s not about me when life is going exactly the way I want. But what about when God lets the hard things happen? The things you don’t like, that don’t make sense, that just hurt and shake your faith.
Is He still God? Is it still ok that He does it His way. Is it still all about Him?
It’s ok to struggle with God. It’s ok to wrestle, to ask the hard questions, to want to know why. That’s a part of life, of growing, and trying to understand this God we are in Covenant with. It’s ok to be honest and admit I don’t like this!!! It hurts and I want it to end! Even Jesus asked in the garden if there was another way besides the cross.
We’re human beings. We are weak and easily weary. We will struggle and it’s ok. We won’t always understand and that’s ok. We won’t always like it and it’s ok. We won’t always feel the faith and the confidence in God and it’s ok.
But at the end of the day, at the end of the struggling, the wrestling and praying can you simply acknowledge He is God, you are not, and you will choose to to worship Him? Sometimes I think that’s all God is asking for – just acknowledge who He is and worship Him.
In the midst of the struggle and the not understanding can you raise your hands to the heavens and say “All this is for You. For Your glory and Your fame. It’s not about me. As if You should do things my way. You alone are God and I surrender to Your ways.”
As Jesus said “Your will be done.”
Can I tell you there is a peace in coming to that moment. A peace that passes understanding, that brings hope, comfort, and even joy. Bc at the end of the day not only is it all about God, but He happens to be a good God who loves His children and aches and hurts with us.
Believer, may we learn this truth well – He alone is God and we need to surrender to His ways. But may we also learn the truth that He is a good God who gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. And those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint.
So be comforted, believer, be at peace, be patient. Your struggle will end bc your God is a good and faithful God. Trust Him.