Trusting God Amid Life's Interruptions and Uncertainties

I thought this would be a good chance to practice letting go of my need to control everything so I just sat calmly and read a book and uh other people were scaring around making arrangements and and then my flight got cancelled and on my particular Airline all the flights got canceled for several days. [00:01:29]

It was just kind of an interesting journey and an opportunity to be reminded that I am not in control of anything and that we all have to navigate this business of um what's passivity that's not God's will for my life and um then what's accepting things that I cannot control because sometimes I have to do that because I'm not God. [00:02:16]

For every one of us as you might remember in each story there is hero protagonist whatever you want to call this character and then there is an object of Desire this is the thing that I want that's the spine of the story and then the protagonist always runs into barriers conflicts within herself himself with other people with powers Beyond themselves. [00:02:39]

And of course sometimes I discover that I'm much too attached to a particular desire that's not really worthy of it I have to get out right now do I, why and then of course sometimes I'm not sufficiently attached to a a desire that is noble and good and worthy of devoting a life to and always I'm tempted by this illusion that um I can be in control. [00:03:15]

The problem is not making plans it's not a bad thing to make plans it's Folly when I forget that I'm finite and I'm not running the world and when I'm able to release that to God and embrace and appropriately surrender to his will in a way the retains agency that's a really good thing. [00:04:08]

Many many times his ministry seems to consist of being interrupted so a leper comes up to him or a Roman Centurion that uh needs a healing in his household or a sinful woman or a Rich Young Ruler or at the beginning of his ministry the spirit thrust him out Into the Wilderness for 40 days and all of these interruptions Jesus is perfectly willing to embrace. [00:05:09]

George McDonald great Scottish uh preacher and writer poses the question like this why did Jesus Come into the world and often people will answer with something like well he came to save the world and McDonald says no that's part of why he came but there was another great overarching reason that governed every moment of his life. [00:05:56]

To do that will is better than to do anything else because uh the heart of it is just simply love to bring love to The God Who made me and to this earth that he made and to the people around me now today there are going to be things that will interrupt your life there will be things that disrupt things that you're not planning on. [00:07:13]

The Care that is filling your mind at this moment or about waiting till you lay the book aside to consume you now just take a moment what is that care relationship problem financial difficulty concern about somebody in your family uh failure at work the care that's filling your mind at this moment that need which is no real need is a demon sucking at the spring of your life. [00:09:25]

The greatest thing that can ever be required of any man or woman and what is that to trust in the Living God when I'm meeting with a team when I'm preaching someplace when I'm having this meal when I'm having this conversation when I'm talking with you right now when I'm at the airport when my flight is cancelled when there's somebody sitting next to me who has a need. [00:10:24]

If he does not want you to have something you value it is to give you instead something he values and if I do not want what he has to give me if you are not willing that God should have his way with you then in the name of God be miserable until your misery drive you into the arms of the father. [00:11:19]

You have just this one day you have just this one story you have just this one grand invitation to do the will of your heavenly father to trust him in this moment look for him look for him in the interruptions there's a little tractor that just got started right next to me so I'm going to end now um but there'll be interruptions all through this day look for God in them. [00:11:48]