Speaker: Ben Sigman
Theme: Taking Control
Weekend Music links on iTunes: Lift Us Up to Fall by Tenth Avenue North; Let God Arise by Chris Tomlin; Your Love Never Fails by Chris Quilala; Til I See You by Hillsong United.
Read: Isaiah 46:8-11
Think: Have you had enough of this ‘Great Recession’ thing? I know I have. There has been plenty of pain to go around over the last couple of years – job losses, falling real estate values, diminishing retirement accounts. In trying to deal with these setbacks, one of most difficult issues is the feeling that it’s all beyond our control. Even good employees have lost their jobs; the most beautiful houses haven’t lured buyers; stock prices rise and fall for no apparent reason. This beyond-my-control feeling was impressed on me a couple of years ago when my mega-bank employer announced the sale our business unit to a competitor. I had six months to wait, with no way of knowing what would happen when the sale closed.
In his weekend sermon, Pastor Ben pointed out that these times of waiting in uncontrollable circumstances can be opportunities that God gives us to trust Him. Perhaps that’s not surprising. As long as we feel some sense of influence over events, it’s easier to convince ourselves that we can run our lives without God’s help. But when we lose any feeling that we have some control over circumstances, we turn toward God, sensing that He alone can guide events.
God greets us with a timeless message from Isaiah: “I am God…..My purpose will stand.” Our worry over our own purposes is revealed for the distraction that it is when we focus on God and His purpose. We can choose to trust God more fully, knowing that He is in control.
Do: Remember a time when you felt yourself losing control of a major facet of you life. How did you react? If you had to face similar circumstances today, what would you want to do differently?
Pray: Lord, I like the illusion that I have control over all the important stuff in my life. But I know that some things – many things – are beyond my ability to influence. Help me not only to accept my powerlessness as I encounter these circumstances, but to embrace a deeper trust in you. Amen.
The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.
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