A couple of weeks ago I wrote about My Back to School Lesson and thought that one post was it. The lesson was that He knows. God knows—well—everything. And most importantly for me at that time was that He knows what I don’t know. It was a great lesson on its own. But then My Back to School Lesson{Part 2} followed. The second lesson was that He cares. Not only does God know but He cares in a way that only He can care and in a way that meets our greatest need. It was really good, too. I thought that was it for sure. But noooo. He had a third lesson for me.Here it is:
He acts. God acts on my behalf in a profoundly personal way.
The moment this third lesson came to me it made so much sense. Why didn’t I see it from the beginning? I don’t know. But He knows. He cares. He acts.
After I published the Lesson{Part 2} I began to think about how to write {Part 3}.
Wait for it…..
That’s pretty much what He said. Wait for it.
That’s exactly what He made me do and I am so not good at waiting.
For anything.
Ever.
But what choice did I have. I mean I could have certainly cranked out some words on the page. I even tried. But I got nothing. So I decided to wait.
The waiting was so important. The waiting—His timing in His acting—was part of the lesson.
Early last week I was reading a book in which Stephen Arterburn had written the Foreword. He told the story of a little boy who was discussing with his mom about why Jesus came to die on a cross for us. The little boy recalled the verse, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) and very confidently told his mom that Jesus came because, “We don’t what we are doing down here.” Arterburn said, “I don’t think it has ever been said better. We don’t know what we are doing down here.”
The moment I read that I knew “the waiting’ had been worth it. He was acting to show me that He knows, He cares, and He acts.
God knows. God cares. And He has acted in a big way to let us know just how much by sending His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for us—to do for us what we could not do for ourselves.
He knows.
He knows that we don’t know.
But when we know that we don’t know but that He does know—–well that’s the moment everything can change.
I sensed there was more to the lesson so I continued to wait.
Then last Friday I was preparing to have a few family members stay at my house over the Labor Day weekend. I was basically trying to decide whose “bed” to put on the floor and where. I also kept thinking how nice it would be to have a room prepared especially for guests—a real guest room—decorated just like one of my Pinterest Boards. I immediately felt a little guilty for wanting more than I had. It seemed too extravagant and unnecessary. Why couldn’t I just make-do and be happy about it?
I couldn’t quite get it figured out so I sat down for a minute to check email. Here was the 365 Daily Promise in my email last Friday morning.
Can you believe that? I shouldn’t be surprised. Isn’t that just like God? Let me tell you though—I had to let that sink in. The message. The timing of it all. Only God knew what I was feeling and thinking in those moments and only He could respond in that way to satisfy the deepest desires of my heart.
He is acting—preparing a room—a special place just for me. The guilt I had felt was immediately alleviated. My desire wasn’t extravagant and unnecessary. My desire to prepare a special room for the ones I love came from Him. And while I may not be able to follow through with it for my family, He’s already working on a special place for me.
He cares. Oh! How much He cares about us and our cares.
In that moment He brought it all together. He made all the waiting make sense.
He knows. He knows that I don’t know what I’m doing down here.
He cares. He cares about me and my cares.
He acts. He acts in ways that let me know that He knows and He cares and He acts in ways that are profoundly personal.
He knows, He cares, He acts.
It’s just Who He Is. It is His nature. He can’t not know, not care, not act.
I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living!
Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord! Psalm 27:13-14 ESV
Class dismissed.