Pressing Into Him

I went for a walk this morning. As I headed toward my destination, I thought it would be a good time to mediate and set my mind. I was slightly overwhelmed. I think I was and still am struggling with "first day back from vacation, last week before school starts, get all your ducks in a row syndrome" that plagues me this time of year.

As I kept taking my thoughts captive (over and over it seemed), what continued to come to the forefront of my mind was "My strength is made perfect in your weakness". God's strength is made perfect in my weakness. What about being competent? capable? What about my abilities and talents?

To be sure, as my abilities and talents are surrendered to the control of His spirit in me, He can use them for his purposes and be glorified through them. BUT is that what causes me to press into Him? Honestly, NO! What causes me to depend on God as my very life is my inability to see a way outside of Him. It's often when I have exhausted my own resources that I cry out to Him.

In his book: Problems, God's Presence and Prayer, Michael Wells talks about how believers need problems.

"Problems are God's main too for bringing us to the end of our own resources and into the deep experience of all His riches."

In I Corinthians 2:9 the book of Isaiah is quoted: "Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him."

Verse 12 goes on to say "Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God that we might know the things freely given to us by God."

Through His Spirit, I can know the things freely given to me by God! Can I look at my problems then a primary vehicle that God wants to use so that I can experience "all of His riches"? I'll be the first to say that I'm not standing in a line that says,"more problems please!" BUT am I willing to allow God to shape my perspective in such a way that when a problem comes or never seems to go away, I look to Him as my source of strength. I choose to trust even when I can't see or feel Him. I trust His character, His good heart toward me as I press into Him. Am I willing to be weak (totally dependant) so that His strength is what shows up strong in me? Good question. I think I'll keep pondering.