I read an article a few weeks back where the author described what she called the “dailyness” of her life. She said life wouldn’t be so hard if it weren’t so daily. She figured anyone could handle one temper tantrum of a two year old. Anyone can handle one day without work. Anyone can handle one argument with your spouse. It’s when the child is crying every day, when you can’t find a job for months, and when relationship problems linger that you begin to lose your strength.
After a Bible study class or after reading a good article or hearing a good sermon or even just after having a good talk with a friend, I can be motivated and energized about God’s will for me and my family. But then the dailyness of it creeps back in and it’s then that the race set before us seems to be unwinnable. Maybe a job falls through or the water heater breaks. Maybe your friend hurts your feelings. Maybe there’s a death or illness.
It may be at times like that we feel we are not growing in God, not moving forward, and maybe actually going backwards. Why? Why would it be part of God’s plan to move us backward?
There is a quote that says, “I tell you, if you are serious about wanting to be like Christ, He is going to put you in circumstances where your only true choice is to become like Him.”
"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt; I will make you live in tents again, as in the days of your appointed feasts." Hosea 12:9 (NIV)
From another article: the Israelites were constantly being sent back by God. They were delivered out of Egypt, yet complained along the way. They were brought out of slavery, yet didn’t trust God to lead them through the wilderness. God knew that the best thing for them was to return to the days when Israelites had to lean on God the most, when they were focused on God and His goodness.
We can read in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 about Paul’s weakness. He was sent a thorn in the flesh which he called a messenger of Satan. He begged God to remove the thorn, but God refused stating, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Paul accepted this decision and said, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
So it may be that at times we are sent to the tents so that we can recognize that our strength does not come from our own ability, but rather from God. Michael Powell described it this way in a class once: who is stronger, me on my own or me with God? The obvious answer is me with God. When is God most present in my life? When things are going good and I’m riding high or when I am in the tents and feeling despair? God is most present in adversity. So our obligation is to recognize that and be more like Paul by delighting in our weakness.
C.S. Lewis said, "The thing is to rely on God... Meanwhile, the trouble is that relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing has yet been done."
In the article on our dailyness, the author said that your dailyness isn’t like hers which isn’t like mine, but is still God ordained. It is exactly what we need to live dependant on God rather than ourselves or humans in our life.
Sometimes we are tired, overwhelmed, or just plain mad. It’s then that we need to stop, take a breath, say a prayer, and lean on God. His power is made perfect in our weakness. The flat tire that I had on the way to work is holy. The harsh word my husband said to me today is holy. The sadness in my heart when my child is in the tent is holy. His power is made perfect in my weakness.
"Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway." Proverbs 8:34 (NIV)
"Give us today our daily bread." Matthew 6:11 (NIV)
"Then He said to them all: 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.'" Luke 9:23 (NIV)
"Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessitates and not live unproductive lives." Titus 3:14 (NIV)
Every one of those verses says that we should expect nothing more than DAILY provisions. It’s just like the manna provided to the Israelites which would spoil after a day’s time. Be aware that this isn’t just limited to food, shelter, etc. God gives you just enough strength to make it through the first day after the death of a loved one. Then he will give you just enough strength to make it through the second day after the death of a loved one. Not providing us the depth of understanding required to immediately handle the problems we face keeps us dependent on Him and perfects His power.
"The whole company that had returned from exile built booths and lived in them. From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated like this. And their joy was very great." Nehemiah 8:17 (NIV)
We are closer to God when we are in adversity. He is present and we are joyful – in adversity.
How would our life be different if we started each day thanking God for this day and the struggles it contains?
How can trusting God with our daily struggles point others to Him?
Think of a time when God took you backwards. What did you learn from that time? Did you draw closer to God?
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