I really enjoy the research essential to write each chapter’s lesson. Nonetheless, it is when I sit down before the LORD and open HIS word to actually do the lesson the morning of class that the text really opens up and lives for me. Maybe that is because before I begin I pray, “LORD let YOUR word live for me.” For without the illumination of the HOLY SPIRIT the words are just words (1 Corinthians 2:10-12).
Since there comes an emphasis to some of the concepts as I read the bible verses. It prompts me to ask what I call wild card questions. Questions not in the written lesson but ones that have flooded into my mind as I did the lesson. This morning was no different.
This morning one thing that struck me so that I wanted the gals to consider was how they have experienced the truth that GOD has preset (Acts 17:26-27) their times and places for specific reasons. Now that can be literally a change of town or state or merely what time you go to or who you meet at the grocery store.
My mind flew back to when I had just turned 15 and stopped on the way home from high school for a few moments to meet my new girlfriend’s invalid mother. I arrived home maybe 15 minutes late and my grandmother was in a tizzy. She called on Dad to make me see the seriousness of my actions. I thought it was totally unfair when Dad put me on restriction and reacted badly by saying (actually just to hurt him) “I want to go live with my mother.”
At the time I didn’t know where that spontaneous response came from or where it would take me. I was very happy living with my grandmother even though Dad had moved down from Sacramento and lived close by.
Those angry words totally changed my life, and I didn’t remember until years later that just a month before at the Christian summer camp I had promised GOD to witness to my mother who lived 600 miles away. I can see now HE helped me keep my promise by allowing my misconduct and Dad’s reaction (although Dad had sworn I would never live with my mom).
Well, within days I was taken 600 miles up to the beautiful, mountain small town of Quincy, California and deposited with my mother. It was there when having a coke in the Pinecone Café with a new acquaintance that I was introduced to my future husband who was from Missouri.
Most of his family lived in Colorado and a couple years later we moved to Colorado also. Mac worked in construction, so it was just one of over 60 moves in our many years of marriage.
There was a difficult period when I wanted to take off and change my life. But the LORD said, “If you do you, will be a cast away.” I knew enough Greek and customs of Bible times to know that meant that although I still belonged to the LORD, I would be put on a shelf and could no longer be part of the LORD’s work.
Nothing, absolutely nothing is worth that, so I stayed.
I knew that like every believer in JESUS CHRIST, I was GOD’s workmanship designed to walk with HIM through certain specific good works that HE had prepared in ahead for me (Ephesians 2:10). If I walked away from HIS purpose and place for me, I would be the loser.
Now 40 plus years and several moves later, I am retired yet busier than ever in the LORD’s work. I obeyed GOD’s instructions and GOD was faithful to lead me on the path HE had prepared in advance for me.
GOD is so good! I love the truth that GOD has preset the exact times and places for me. It keeps me from fretting and gives me a sense of security while allowing me the privilege and responsibility to choose how to act at those times and in those places.
How about you? Does this truth keep you from fretting when you get delayed at a red light?
Hugs
Sharon
wakemyear 