Life consists of one step at a time. We like to think in terms of leaps and bounds or quantum leaps. We want to see progress now and we want all problems to be resolved and cease. But life does not work out that way.
I find this true throughout the Bible, true in the psalms I read daily, at least on weekdays; I need to incorporate this reading of them into my weekends. And true in my own life. I find that instead of God taking certain problems and issues away, I have to learn to walk with him through them. This reminds me of Halfmom, AKA, Susan's recent post. Instead of being whiny, fussy babies, we need to grow up and get with God's program of our lives in following Jesus in this world. It's learning to draw near and be close to God and be dependent on him in the Jesus way, rather than in our own self-oriented way.
At any rate, I want to keep on trudging forward, and doing that with others in this Jesus way. We're ever dependent on God and interdependent on each other in Jesus to keep on this path and walk in this life.
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Forgot to read the comment before I posted it - now trying again.
This is long but I'm pasting in this morning's Tozer devotional as it adds additional insight for those of us who recognize that we struggle as we move forward in our live as believers.
"Faith is the least self-regarding of the virtues. It is by its very nature scarcely conscious of its own existence. Like the eye which sees everything in front of it and never sees itself, faith is occupied with the Object upon which it rests and pays no attention to itself at all. While we are looking at God we do not see ourselves-- blessed riddance. The man who has struggled to purify himself and has had nothing but repeated failures will experience real relief when he stops tinkering with his soul and looks away to the perfect One. While he looks at Christ, the very things he has so long been trying to do will be getting done within him. It will be God working in him to will and to do. . . .
When we lift our inward eyes to gaze upon God we are sure to meet friendly eyes gazing back at us, for it is written that the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout all the earth. The sweet language of experience is "Thou God seest me." When the eyes of the soul looking out meet the eyes of God looking in, heaven has begun right here on this earth." The Pursuit of God, 84-86.
Susan,
Good thoughts.
I will say that I see this as an important part of the mix, taking our eyes off self onto Christ, seeing his work then in our lives.
But I don't this excludes what else there is in Scripture, how we're to ongoingly ask God for discernment into our own lives, as well as receive that from others, etc.
Maybe I'm shortchanging what Tozer is saying, but I prefer a faith grounded in the entirety of Scripture, and when I read the psalms I see more of real life and real people like myself, faced with new challenges, true even of Jesus.
People like Tozer make good points and that is all part of the revelation of God to us in Scriture.
I would say to them that that is one part of the whole. Let's take the whole and keep going from there. Which is a big reason why I am reading the psalms at least five days a week.
I love your post on Psalm 131. Very helpful.
And I hope I'm not shortchanging, Susan, what you're saying. There is a danger that I am by what I say here; I don't intend to be doing that, and will reflect on what you are saying.
i pray that you continue to move forward on the path, and that there will be times that it can be a dance and a skip.
Indeed. Thanks, Nancy.
I don't think he's ignoring the scriptures such as "work out your salvation with fear and trembling" at all - just saying that you have to recognize that it is only the work of the HOly Spirit as we focus on the person of Christ that actually has any power to change us at all. Overall, I find him to be very balanced and challenging - so just the snippet probably isn't representative of all his writings -
Okay, Susan. Well taken. It has been years since I read Tozer, though my wife has read him more recently.
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