DARK DAYS ARE FOR HIS GLORY!
(by E. H. Maze)
Chapter 12
What! Me Worry?!
Do you worry too much? I’m sure that you at least “think” that you
worry too much. Maybe, someone has told
you that you “think” too much, (which is the same as worrying too much, except
that when you worry out loud everyone gets to hear you think - most worriers
worry out loud). Nevertheless, most of us believe that we
don’t really worry too much because most of what we worry about we believe
needs to be worried about. And, it is
hard to convince even ourselves that we shouldn’t worry so much.
Good grief! I am writing at this moment, worried to death
whether or not that paragraph was needed.
I love to worry! It has been my greatest downfall. I try not to worry. I can stay awake into the midnight hours praying
to be free from the “spirit” of worry. I
have probably spent more time praying for the ability not to worry than I would
have spent if I would have gone ahead and worried. Worrying takes a lot of my time.
The way I see it (to justify
my worrying spirit), people who don’t worry also don’t
care. I don’t think anyone who is
worry-free ever gets anything done. You
have to worry to get anything done, right?
Well, of course, that’s not right.
What I have found out is that my needful worrying keeps me from
finishing what I started. I can start
something and never lay it to rest because I am continually fiddling with it –
worried to death that it is not finished “right.”
[Wow! Being right!
There’s another subject we might discuss later, maybe there's enough
information in the 'worry' part of my brain to fill another book].
When it comes to our Christian lifestyle, we are all pretty good starters. We come to this new lifestyle (knowing there remains no need to worry) and we jump in with both feet. Somewhere along the way, we get worried about things (again). What is it about our lives (past lives) that makes us worry so much about tomorrow?
We are not to be like a physician who, having left the sponge in the stomach of his patient, can easily re-open, retrieve and re-stitch. We are to be like carpenters who pre-measure so that it becomes impossible to go back and re-cut a piece of wood 6” longer. A six-foot board cannot be cut to a seven-foot board. In that case, worrying will do no good.
The reason we do not have to
worry is because it is the Great Carpenter who is doing the building - not you.
You can’t change a thing. Just
let Him go on to the next phase in His building program called “You.”
Here is your miracle: Worrying stems from a Savior complex - I know I could make everything perfect, if I just tried a little harder. What we forget is that we are the nail, and He is the hammer. We don't build, we are built. Simply put, if the nail complains, it will get all bent out of shape (pun intended. Then, it will be no good to the Builder and will be tossed aside with the rest of the scrap lumber.
Chapter 13
Foot of the table
Have you ever wanted to be pointed out in a crowd and asked to give a speech? Or, have you ever been selected as "Person of the Week" at some social event? For most people, those would be stressful situations and, given the opportunity, most people would prefer to bow out gracefully - or, hide behind the closest wall paper.
Some of us, however, can't get over the self-condescending attitude that we are "never" recognized for our accomplishments. Me, for instance; I'm one of the smartest people I know. But, does anybody else think so? No! I have worked hard all my life, haven't been unemployed (on purpose) for more than a week or two, although I have had to look for a new job a couple of times, I pay all my bills on time, care for my wife and son and dog, etc. etc. Have I ever been nominated as "Great Guy of the Year?" No! I sit at great events, listening to acceptance speeches and wishing I were up there on the stage. I could certainly give a better speech, yes, indeed! In fact, I wonder, as I look around my table (the table near the back where the paid guests have to sit), why I wasn't even considered for a nomination. I guess you have to have a degree of some sort for this particular award. I suppose it could be the company I keep, I conclude, looking at the people sitting at my table - friends they are, but obvious losers just like me.
When is my turn? Oh, stop looking at me like that, I'm tired of your "you should be humble" speeches. I want my reward. I want my Award.
You may not say it out loud (you are much too humble a saint to admit it), but you, also, want to be recognized.
I am reminded (when I begin thinking like that) of the story that Jesus told about the person who sits at the head of the table and, ultimately, is embarrassed when asked to take a less honored seat at the foot of the table. Jesus suggests that it is better to humble yourself and sit near the back, then your honor will be even greater when you are asked to come to the head of the table.
"Okay, Lord, I guess I can wait."
I have learned to enjoy sitting near the back. The pressure is totally off - unless you sit with a bunch of clowns who like to draw attention to themselves (and give proof to their lowly status) by making obscene noises, heckling the Master of Ceremonies, or getting lost in their own little world. There is something important going on up there, folks. Other than that, you get to be the first ones out of the building when it's over (or sneak out early if it is boring). Sometimes (actually, most of the time) I find that the clowns at my table are more entertaining than the guest of honor), so I'm thankful that we are seated so far away from the action.
Church, of course, is a different thing altogether. I like to sit near the front. First of all, because one day the Lord said to me, "Up here, friend, I have saved a seat for you." Secondly, I found out in Bible College that the anointing only goes as far as the first three rows - unless the speaker is really on fire that day, then it may get to the middle of the sanctuary. If you want to hear from God, you need to sit closer to the front and not let the clowns, hecklers and hiders in the back disturb you.
Still, the question remains - When will it be my turn to be honored? When will it be your turn? Hey! When it gets to be your turn, will you save me a seat up front, because you deserve to be recognized and I want to be close to you (not for the honor, but just so I heckle you - smile).
Here is your next miracle: When it comes to spiritual things, it is not about you, it's about the table.
Do you want to hear
Jesus say, "Come, sit up here near Me." Let’s not focus on whether or
not you are asked to be at the foot or the head of the table. For a moment, let’s concentrate on something
more important: The table.
Whose table is it? And, why do you want to sit there? Why are you even at the party?
You see, our problem can sometimes be focused on being invited to the party. What do we have to do to get an invitation? Never mind where we are going to be seated. We just want to be invited to the party. Well, this parable is not about whose party you are invited to, it is about what you think of yourself. Are you so full of yourself that you wouldn’t want to sit anywhere but near the head of the table? On the other hand, are you so insecure that you shutter at knocking on the door, not sure why you were invited in the first place. You’re just there for people to make fun, or feel sorry for, or to appease some king’s need to show his pity to the masses. Or, are you the one who could care less about the insecurity or egotism of others - you are at the table and that’s all you should care about.
Then, there are those who get the invitation, but in their arrogance would rather be
anywhere else than at this table - this table that has so many unusual invited guest –
people all-so-different from you that you might choose to avoid the party altogether? I know that this is a lot to
partake of (no pun intended), but I am trying to deal with all the stuff that
people deal with from so many ill-conceived notions. The point is not about you; this story is
about the table. Don’t miss that. The table represents first, how you feel
about your deserved place at the table and, secondly, about the Host’s feelings
about you.
How do you get called to the front of the table? Well, try this: Call Him to the front of your table. The whole issue will be finally dealt with when you invite Him to your table, make Him the Guest of Honor at your banquet! He will return the favor.
Prepare to be called to the front of the table, but enjoy the seat you are assigned. After all, you are at the table. You could be a dog begging for scraps that fall from the table.
Chapter 14
The King and I (from I
Kings 1-3)
David Reigned 40 years as King of Israel. He was either on the run or on a mock throne
for seven years. For the other thirty-three
years, he had a throne and a kingdom in
Like David's first years, our first years are the roughest (or so it seems when we are going through them). Not until we can look back over the years do we realize how much we should not have worried about the first years.
The years aren’t the problem – it’s the days, and moments. The days and moments are where the trials are toughest.
We survive the days, not the years. The years go flying by. But, the days are most difficult. Somehow, the Lord manages to roll the days into years and then into decades. Suddenly, years have passed and the days are lost in memory. Still, everyone of those lost days were important on that day.
So,
here’s the thing (as trite as it may sound): Today’s trials and
struggles will be next year’s memories.
Let’s make the most of them.
Today could be a turning point for your future memories. You control that (even if you can’t control
situations or events). Would you like
today to be plagued by your memory of years-gone-by?
Or, would you like to reflect back on this day ten years from now and
say, “I remember the day I had my most difficult times and, my, how the Lord brought
me through!” If we would simply look
ahead to what we want our future to look like we would realize how important it
is to make today a worthwhile memory.
I remember one such day – it
was during the rough days I have mentioned earlier. My wife and I were having the roughest year
of our marriage. My family was
struggling with the most difficult times I can remember. My wife had had it with me. She kicked me out of the house. Yes, I deserved it. I was tore up inside. It was over.
I knew it. I was going to be a
divorced man. I would, perhaps, never
see my son again. It was more than I
could take. I had anxiety attacks every
five minutes for about three weeks. In
one of those (what I call) “moments with Majesty,” I broke down and began to
weep openly and loudly. God had gotten a
hold on me and finished me off. The
guilt piled up and overflowed. The
judgment I had passed upon those who hurt me rolled off to make room for more
guilt. It was (up to that point) the
worst day of my life.
But, I had a choice. Would I take the pain and guilt and anger and
hurt – and run away from my family and God?
Or, would I let God take the worst day of my life and see what He could
do with it? The feelings of repentance
and forgiveness can’t be expressed in this short testimony. Suffice it to say: God is a good God. Years later, I count that day as one of the
most important days of my life. I was
changed. I made major and minor
decisions that re-shaped my life and my relationship with my family. It didn’t take long for my family to see the
difference. They tried hard to help me
and, together, we have become closer than we would have had I not had that
awful day.
Jump ahead beyond David's death. We find his son Solomon on the throne. One of the first things that one of the wisest kings who ever lived did was to kill his enemies – even members of his immediate family. Have you ever wanted to do that? I think that if our own wisdom would prevail we should not go quickly to follow in those footsteps. Those days were different. And, those family members were different from yours – no matter how much you might dislike or disapprove of them. Furthermore, the king was acting as judge and jury (the right of a king). We don’t have that right.
Another interesting part of this story is that the king chose to forgive, but not forget. He made it perfectly clear that the throne’s enemies, who were not immediately destroyed, would be under the watchful eye of the kingdom. Once an enemy showed any attempt at self-preservation – whack!
Our lesson is not in claiming Solomon’s wisdom and, therefore, justifying our deep desire to destroy our enemies.
Here is the lesson (and your next miracle): You can be assured that Your King is watchfully wandering over His Kingdom.
He has
already defeated His enemies and set at bay those who would rise to reestablish
evil reign within His boundaries. Let me
say it again: Rest assured, if they hate
you, they also hate Him who loves you.
He will protect and defend you.
You need not battle or seek revenge or even bother with worry over the
matters of life. Notwithstanding His
ability to turn even enemies into friends (what a greater miracle), you should
place your confidence in the wisdom of God.
And, let Him run the kingdom.
"Then the king said, "Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king. And the king said, "Divide the living
child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other." Then the woman whose son was living spoke to the king, for she yearned
with compassion for her son; and she said, "O my lord, give her the living
child, and by no means kill him!” But
the other said, "Let him be neither mine nor yours, but divide him.” So the king answered and said, "Give
the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him; she is his
mother." And all
We would like to use Solomon’s wisdom when making a decision. Unfortunately, we want to do the first part of wisdom without carrying out the second part.
The first part of wisdom, when needing to make a tough decision, is to look for a solution to the problem.
The second part is, after finding the right solution, making the right decision in executing that solution.
Our first solution usually runs along with Solomon’s: Bring me a sword. Let’s just kill this problem. Put it out of our misery. Resolve it by trying to make both sides happy. Solomon thought otherwise, of course. He had to put aside his compassion for the woman who lost her son. The decision had to be made based on something other than conventional wisdom. God’s wisdom can be shocking sometimes. This case is not much different from all the miraculous ways He took care of things throughout the Bible.
Sadly, we use a different method when we approach the second part of wisdom. Instead of finding the right solution and making the right decision, we take the easy way out. How often have you flipped a coin to make a decision? We forget that there is accountability in decision-making. Our “flip-a-coin” and “shoot from the hip” mentality falls a bit short of Solomon’s example.
It
remains the same throughout all of time: Using God’s wisdom is more likely to bring about the right decision.
Also, notice that by “shocking” the two women with such a unique solution it brought out the truth. We are bound to react to our deepest and most honest feelings when we are put in a situation where we don’t have time to think about what to do next. We simply react. “No!” said the first woman! “Yes, kill the child,” said the second. She had killed one child and was now ready to steal and destroy someone else's child.
The world is still full of people and things that have snuffed the life out of others and now desires to take away from someone else their prized possessions.
So, allow God’s wisdom to guide you next time you think it best to just
flip a coin.
end of Chapters 12-14 (click here to go to Chapter 15)- if link is not active, the chapter is not yet ready. Check back later, please.
Please let me know if you have read (and enjoyed) this chapter by sending me a quick email to: ehylandmaze@aol.com
bless you.....................................Eugene H. Maze
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