Everything

God is God and we are not. This is very true. We cannot see into the future, we certainly do not know everything there is to know; but yet we find ourselves believing we know what is best. As I have talked to many people of late I have encountered a common theme in some of their ideas. That theme is that they try to literally define God to benefit their choices. Commonly used is the phrase, "if He loves us so much..why...". As is in why doesn't He let me do this or that. Why do I feel this way. Why are there trials that I face.

But what we fail to see is that the Lord is sovereign. Everything that God does or allows must happen. This stretches from the rules He has put in place to the events that take place in our lives. When one comes to realize the vastness of this concept, life changes. By that I mean, when we even start to comprehend that God is literally in complete control, who are we to worry about anything?

Now, we as humans sometimes escape the will of God and He uses situations to bring us back into it - to get our attention back on Him. Money is a huge issue in this case. Are we tithing? Are we giving generously? God tells us to test Him with our tithe. In Malachi, God says He will open the flood gates of heaven and pour out so much blessing we will not be able to contain it. This is His promise, but that doesn't mean we all live according to it. God says this is what could be if you do as He asks. Give money, even when you don't have it. And if you do have it, give all the more.

That was just one example. But another aspect of the sovereignty of God is that He requires, and quite frankly deserves, complete obedience; even when contrary to our own longings. Everything we have is literally a gift from God. This includes our passions, desires, longing, pleasures, and dreams. Understanding this also helps when God asks us for things. We must put God's will before our own desires. Love his pleasures over our own. In God's timing all the desires of your heart will be given to you; but that's exactly it, in HIS timing. When He asks us to do something, even when it will hurt, we must do it for we are to trust Him completely. He knows us better then we know ourselves. We are to be living sacrifices. So sacrifice; everything. Relationships, desires, aspirations, pleasures, gifts, dreams, even every breath we take.