Why...

Have you ever encountered a circumstance in your life that made you ask the question "Why..."? Or maybe the question was "Why not...". You can fill in the blanks. I'm sure there has been something in everyone's life at some point in time that made them ask a similar question. I don't particularly think there is anything wrong with asking this question as long as we ask it with the right motives, keeping in mind that our infinite God has formed the big picture we can't see with the narrowness of our finite human eyes...

The other day, I asked myself the questions ~ "Why me?" "Why now?"... and God whispered several answers to my heart. Maybe you'll find that one of them may speak to your circumstances as well.

HE said ~

There are things I want to teach you about yourself...
There are things I want to teach you about ME...
There are things I want to teach you to help others...
If you'll let ME, I can use your circumstances and the things I teach you for MY glory...
If you'll let ME, I can use your circumstances to minister to others...

If you'll surrender control of your circumstances and your life to ME, I'll show you what it truly means to know ME... to know the power of MY resurrection... to understand MY sufferings... to be conformed to MY death ~

LORD, I choose to rejoice in You, even in difficult times.

I worship You in the Spirit and I rejoice in Your Son, Christ Jesus.

I have no confidence in anything I could do of my own strength.

The things that have been so valuable to me are insignificant

when compared to the opportunity to know You more.

Help me to put aside all things that distract me from identifying with You

and from seeking righteousness through faith in Your work on the cross.

Help me to fully know You and to comprehend the power

You displayed through the resurrection.

Help me not to take Your gift for granted,

but to appreciate how You suffered for me.

LORD, I have not arrived and I am certainly not perfect.

Help me to keep going, that I may fulfill

the purpose You have designed for me.

Help me not to focus on the past but to put

all my energy into each day of the future.

Help me not to give up reaching for the most valuable prize ~

the privilege of knowing and serving You.

Help me not to get caught up in all the difficulties of this earth,

for this is not where life ends.

Help me to remember that my eternal home is in heaven with You.

LORD, I wait with anticipation for the day

You will transform this ordinary person

that I may be conformed to Your extraordinary image

according to Your awesome power!

A Personal Paraphrase of Philippians 3 ~ 2007

"May God not find complaints in us anymore, but spiritual vitality—a readiness to face anything He brings our way. The only proper goal of life is that we manifest the Son of God; and when this occurs, all of our dictating of our demands to God disappears. Our Lord never dictated demands to His Father, and neither are we to make demands on God. We are here to submit to His will so that He may work through us what He wants. Once we realize this, He will make us broken bread and poured-out wine with which to feed and nourish others." ~ Oswald Chambers (taken from My Utmost For His Highest )