Humility is Sometimes a Tough Row to Hoe

Speaking in planting-a-garden terms, cultivating the soil, which can be rocky, dry and, if by hand is a wearisome task. Then planting the seeds, keeping a watch out for critters that like to eat the new sprouts before they even mature, pulling the weeds that choke out the plant and harvest those taters, carrots, onions, beans, cucumbers and tomatoes. That list is what we planted in our Oklahoma garden.

I'm thinking that God is cultivating our soil, rather, cultivating our spirits to become all He's destined us to be. He has us in a sort of holy test tube to see whether we will become bitter or better during this planting and harvesting season of our lives. I believe that His goal is to humble us from our self-sufficient ways to depend and trust in Him and His ways.

During these strange, ominous and strained times, we may think that no one understands all we're doing to survive. How we’re coping. How we’re juggling what to do next for the young ones in our homes to keep them occupied. Maybe thinking that 24/7 together isn’t what we bargained for when we married. And then the frontliners who have given their all may think that not too many even recognize their efforts. But, here is the message that I sense God has for all of us today. He sees. He has a plan.

Remember the children of Israel murmuring and complaining in the desert? We thought we had it bad. They were toting their little ones, rustling their livestock, trying to come up with a new meal plan instead of another day of manna. They didn’t have a decent bed to sleep on. But God had an ulterior motive. To remove pride from them, He had to let them go through stuff to humble them. It was crucial that God prepare them to trust Him as they stepped from the desert into their destined Promised Land. “Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.” (Deuteronomy 8:2) YIKES! Is that what God is doing to us -- testing us so that we trust Him?

We are all struggling with pride which is the opposite of trust in God. Pride begs us to believe it all depends on us. Trusting God requires us to place our dependence on Him. And the row to hoe or the road to travel that leads us away from pride and into a place of truly trusting God is paved with humility.

What if God is using these humbling times to get us to a place of deep and unshakable trust in Him? If God sees big things ahead for us, and I believe He does, then He must get the “Round-Up” weed-killer out to get rid of all the weeds of pride. I believe God is giving us "insider” information. First of all, for us to remember He is our provider. Number two -- God’s provision for us doesn’t always look like we want it to look. Ugh! Who wants manna day after day? But God knew that was the nourishment they needed. And He knows what we need, too! Number three -- man-made bread AND man-made success will never fulfill us. Only God and His Word can seep into the places of our souls to make us fully alive and deeply satisfied.

So, maybe we need to look at what we’ve been planting. How’s our crop looking? How’s our pride level and how’s our trusting-God-level? I pray that our eyes open to how God isn’t trying to break us but rather He is making us ready for the harvest time up ahead. Dear Lord, help us to surrender our wills, our pride, our weaknesses to You and your perfect plans for our lives. We submit to being a humble vessel of honor that gives all praise and glory to You! Amen.

“The meek shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5)
“A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.” (Proverbs 29:23)

Deferring to God’s Will Be Done -- Not Mine

All nestled in at my home won't stop several of my beloved friends to come over to meet together tonight. We will come together as sisters in Christ and I'm quite assured of the fact -- "Where two or three are gathered together in His name -- He is in the midst of us!" (Matthew 18:20). So, no fear here!

Prior to the CVID19 "change of life", I was experiencing my own life change. I was thinking that God had me in His sovereign test tube. Usually in a sweet flow of His mercy and grace, my "apple-cart" got upset. I found yielding to His will -- not mine be done -- is the best choice. I had two opportunities to BE Jesus. One, with a restaurant manager which didn't fare too well and an "encounter" with a store manager that was much better.

I was picking up my new cell phone that had been on order (the unlocked version took several days to come in). The sales rep assured me that if I would go ahead and pay for it, I could trade in my old phone for $125 when it arrives. But, oh contraire! This day, he said the offer ended and couldn’t give it to me. I asked for a manager who confirmed it. I could feel the rant starting to surface when I recalled that restaurant experience and decided $125 wasn’t worth my "little light" dimming. Actually, it became a holy moment as I started thinking: “I’ll bless someone with this perfectly good, old phone!” Take that, Satan!

Back to the title of this blog today: “Deferring to God’s will be done – not my will be done!” Another scenario. Another eyes-opening experience. I recognized how our emotions can be snafued by the enemy of our souls. As a Christ-follower, it's His will, not my feelings. It's about not having to be right because God will make it right.

I’ve come up with some solutions to conquering my emotions. When I'm upset or frustrated — I need to quickly get a grip and ask myself "Do I really need it to be my way? Or, do I defer to God having His way? After all, He is the rectifier. Looking and acting like Him in every situation is a win for Him AND me.

Are these negative feelings helping or hurting me? Are these feelings making my light grow brighter or dimmer? A lot of our feelings seem natural, but they’re actually self-defeating. Oh, I get it – from my restaurant and Best Buy experience. I was feeling like I was being taken advantage of in both situations. But were my emotions helping or hurting my representation as a follower of Christ? Does nagging work? Has it ever worked? When somebody mistreats or offends us, does it make us want to change? No! All it does is make us defensive.

Managing my emotions is a "big-girl" discipline and an "atta-girl" stamp of approval from my Heavenly Father. I think the Apostle Peter called it just right: "From now on, then, you must live the rest of your earthly lives controlled by God’s will and not by human desires.” (1 Peter 4:2). And if the perfect One, Jesus, deferred to God's will, so must I. "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." Luke 22:42