... I never promised you a rose garden,
along with the sunshine,
there's gotta be a little rain sometime..."
there's gotta be a little rain sometime..."
So goes the song from Lynn Anderson (I love how tall her hair is - they can write both her name AND the song title on it). :-) The slightly younger generation would perhaps associate these lyrics with the song from Kon Kan).
As I read Genesis 25-31 (Days 20-22 in my http://www.bibleinayear.org/ daily reading plan), it strikes me that God's plan for us is often like the words in the song - He never promised us a rose garden either. Remember how God has promised Abraham to give the entire land of Canaan to his desecndants and that they will be as numerous as sand? Well, it was another 25 years of waiting/hoping/praying before Abraham and Sarah finally had Isaac. And what happens when it was Isaac and Rebekah's turn to continue the family line that is supposed to outnumber the sand on the beach? Rebekah was barren and was only able to conceive after Isaac "pleaded with the LORD for his wife" (Genesis 25:21).
Sometimes, we seem to think that because God has given us a vision/conviction or called us to a ministry, that everything should be smooth flowing. Afterall, we are doing His will, right? I mean, when God promised Abraham that he will be the father of nations and his descendants will outnumber the sand on the beach, the last thing I expected was for him and his only son (Isaac) to have difficulties having children of their own. I gotta remember that sometimes, God values the process more than the outcome.
This is perhaps a large part of the miracle of God's process of salvation - the outcome is already decided and known, what's in it for us is the opportunity to learn and to grow into Christian maturity as much as we can, while we are still here on earth. That window of opportunity closes when we die or when Christ returns (whichever is sooner). Sobering thought, isn't it?
This is perhaps a large part of the miracle of God's process of salvation - the outcome is already decided and known, what's in it for us is the opportunity to learn and to grow into Christian maturity as much as we can, while we are still here on earth. That window of opportunity closes when we die or when Christ returns (whichever is sooner). Sobering thought, isn't it?
4 comments:
I wonder if I could wear my hair like that, lol!
Great post, really enjoying hearing your thoughts as you progress!
I totally agree that we were never promised a rose garden. Going through the fires or "refining fires" of life are what help to define us and strip away the parts about us that are not Christ~like.
But I don't think of Salvation itself as a process. It could just be semantics but I think of Salvation as final and the process part becoming more Christ~like once we are saved.
What do you think?
Hmmm... Good point. Maybe I should blog about it one day... :-)
I think you are right that salvation is final in that once we believe in Christ we are saved. On the other hand, I do not believe in "once saved, always saved" in that the trials of life and the snares of the devil may make some of us rescind our faith. I also subscribe to the belief that salvation is more than just entrace to heaven and eternal life. I believe that salvation also means entry to His kingdom which starts now and is a process of growing until the climax when we reach heaven. I also believe that not all will be equal in heaven - the bible mentions that some will escape by the skin of their teeth and others will have treasures (honoured) in heaven.
Hmmm... I think I ought to blog about this.... ;-)
I liked your comment about process being more valued than outcome. A good thing for me to remember.
And, I love the album cover with the retro 'do. :) Funny how things change.
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