Alpine Dream

 

Photo by Dana Hutchinson 2017

I once dreamed that my mother, husband and I were at an Alpine resort in springtime. Stretching out behind the cozy Swiss chalet was a beautiful vista of snow-capped, bluish-gray mountain peaks encircling a lovely green meadow, dotted with wildflowers in bold shades of yellow, red and violet-blue.

The guide at the resort suggested that we follow a parcourse that was challenging yet would lead to an even more inviting view. The first part of this was a platform resembling a flattened-out metal jungle gym suspended several feet off the ground, made of metal bars about 1 inch thick and outlining rectangular structures of differing sizes and uneven placement, without apparent pattern.  It was partially covered over with an opaque tarp that blocked vision of where the bars were. The tarp would crumple if stepped on between the bars, so that the person walking there would lose their footing and fall through to the ground.

The others decided against it, but I ventured forth, figuring that I could use my free foot to discern where the bars were and trace a safe path. But it proved to be much more difficult than it appeared, and I was in great danger of falling. Thankfully, the guide took pity on me, walking alongside the structure and holding my hand. Despite my numerous missteps, he steadied me sufficiently so that I made it across to the other side.

The next challenge was a long, steep, metal ladder, leading downward to an unknown destination. The guide advised me to descend it backing the ladder, despite the awkwardness and unfamiliarity of that position, so that I could see where I was going rather than where I had been. As I started down the rungs, a chilling wind blew across me, and I wished I had worn a coat. Instead, I was wearing a very long, woolen scarf, which was now more of a nuisance as it whipped against my body and face, often blinding me momentarily.

Finally I had reached the final rung and was surprised and delighted at the peace and solitude within that valley. I sat down on the lush grass and enjoyed the birds singing and darting among the shrubs and bushes. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted what appeared to be a tiny ballerina whirling through the air. I caught it and discovered that it was a delicate white flower, fashioned from what looked like Queen Anne’s lace or cauliflower fronds cut in paper-thin sections. The intricate detail in the dancer’s face, arms, hands, legs, pointed toes and tutu were an amazing testimony to God’s handiwork.

I gently tossed the ballerina into the air, and she began pirouetting on a gentle breeze and then softly spiraled to earth, spreading out like an ostrich plume on a velvety patch of dusky green moss near my feet. A little boy approached me in wide-eyed wonder as he eagerly showed me the treasure he was carrying. It looked like a miniature drone but was actually a bee-like insect, its wings constantly whirring and its multifaceted eyes turning in every direction.  

As the sun slowly began to set, I realized this glorious day was slipping away, and it was already growing colder. The ladder was no longer visible, and I didn’t know how to get back to the lodge. I wandered off and was surprised to see a large group of children, dressed only in shorts and swimsuits, laughing and playing in a pond.

“Aren’t they cold?” I asked a stranger standing near me.

“No, it’s a hot spring,” she explained.

As I awoke and began to consider the symbolism of the dream, I wondered if it could be a metaphor describing our journey through life once we are saved (Acts 2:21; 4:12) by trusting in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way (John 14:6) to Heaven. At the moment of salvation we are elevated to heavenly places in Him (Ephesians 1:3; 2:6), visualized in the dream as a beautiful, serene meadow enclosed by the mountain peaks and inspiration of His greatness.

But we are not meant to linger there, but to embark on a spiritual journey that will progressively shape us into His image (Philippians 3:10). It is not an easy upward stroll, for the path often takes twists, turns, and even sharp descents. Yet these challenges (2 Corinthians 11:23-33), symbolized by the parcourse in the dream, strengthen us and improve our spiritual fitness.

We are constantly in danger of falling, for we cannot see where the path leads or the obstacles threatening us, like the tarp obscuring the view of where I could safely step on the metal bars. Our own feet are unreliable to direct our path, but we will progress when we are holding onto the hand of our Guide (Proverbs 3:5-6). May we remember that He is holding and protecting us in the hollow of His hand, which is held tightly in the hand of the Father (John 10:27-29), and sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30). Nothing can separate us from His love!

Often we feel unprepared for the journey, having neglected to equip ourselves with needed gear, like a coat when climbing on chilly slopes. Choices we made, perhaps favoring fashion over practicality, as in the case of my overly long scarf, or worldly rather than spiritual priorities (James 4:4), may return to haunt us. In our Christian walk, we are far more effective when we put on the whole armor of God, preferably before rising each morning! We cannot reach Heaven on our merit, but only when robed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

Climbing down the ladder while facing outward reminded me that we are not to look back, dwelling on the evil or guilt over where we have been (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Philippians 3:13). Instead, we are to ask forgiveness (1 John 1:9) and focus on where He is taking us, even if that seems to be downward. Like the apostle Paul, we can learn to be content in whatever state we are in, whether humbled and brought low, or abounding in spiritual victory and material blessings (Philippians 4:12).

Especially as we age, our life journey may sometimes seem to be headed downward into depths of infirmity (2 Corinthians 12:7); trouble; and loss of loved ones, abilities, material provision, and dreams (Job 1:21). But Jesus Christ is the God of the valleys as well as the God of the mountains, and He will not desert us there. He is the Lily of the valleys (Song of Solomon 2:1), which are filled with reminders of His beauty, power, majesty, and compassion.

When we hit bottom, we are more receptive to His mercy, grace and love. We need not fear, for He will even guide us through the valley of the shadow of death, comforting us, providing for us, giving us peace, restoring our soul, and leading us in the paths of righteousness (Psalm 23). He is truly our Great Shepherd Who provides the green pastures and still waters.

God speaks to His children primarily through His Word (Psalm 119), but also through others (Proverbs 27:17), through life circumstances, and through the beauty of His creation (Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:20). Often His love letters written in nature are unique for each of us, speaking to our heart in a particularly meaningful way, like an image of Christ in the clouds, treasures on the beach bearing special reminders, and even the crucifixion and ascension intricately carved into the skull of a catfish!

I had this dream a few nights before a performance for our dance ministry, when I had become discouraged over rehearsals not going as well as we had hoped. It is fitting that in the dream God sent me a reminder in the shape of a tiny ballerina, as if to say, “I can shape even a flower into a beautiful dancer expressing My glory, so why would I not do the same for you, My child?”

Lack of energy and spiritual vision had recently also become a concern, and the endless energy and multisided vision of the insect in the dream reassured me that God would supply these needs as well, and all our needs according to His riches in glory (Ephesians 1:7; 3:16; Philippians 4:19).

The playful children in the dream had no need to fear the cold, for they were basking in a hot spring. When we are growing old and cold, Christ’s inner spring within us can restore us to youth and fresh fire (Exodus 24:17; 40:38; 2 Chronicles 7:1). May even our later years be filled with childlike faith (Matthew 18:3-4), fountains of Living Water (Song of Solomon 4:15; Jeremiah 2:13; 7:13), and the passion of being on fire for the Lord! 

May we abound in service and good works as His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20) and fellow workers (1 Corinthians 3:9), not growing weary (Galatians 6:9; 1 Corinthians 15:57-58), for in due time He will show us the fruit of our labor!

© 2019 Laurie Collett

Edited and reposted from the archives

Take the Plunge!

 

Photo by Hubert Stoffels 2009

Many years ago I went to a swimming hole in a pristine wooded area with a waterfall plunging into a refreshing stream. Some young people had a Labrador retriever puppy with them, and they took great delight in carrying him to the top of the falls, releasing him into the current, and letting him plunge to the bottom of the falls into the stream, where one of them waited with open arms to catch him.

Labradors love water, and he seemed to enjoy the experience. But even though he could see his master waiting below with open arms, he paddled all four limbs frantically the whole way down and even after he was safely in his master’s embrace.

I was by far the worst swimmer at school and at summer camp, and I know I tried the patience of many instructors who attempted, to no avail, to teach me to dive head first. Even though I could see where I was going and had my body aligned properly as I stood on the diving board, my head inevitably lifted the moment before I entered the water, resulting in a painful “belly flop.” 

One day the swimming instructor had me repeat this so many times that my chest turned beet red, and as a last resort, he picked me up and hurled me into the water head first. But in my stubborn refusal to submerge my head under the water, I belly-flopped yet again.

A popular beverage commercial urged us to “Take the Nestea plunge!” It showed a parched cowboy in the arid desert reaching for a can of tea and experiencing refreshment so profound that it was like falling backward into a cool blue swimming pool.

It was fear that kept me from diving head first even though I could see where I was going, and a survival instinct in the puppy that kept him paddling even though he didn’t need to. I can only imagine what it would be like to abandon all fear and plunge backward into a refreshing spring, not seeing where I would land and surrendering all control.

Yet that is exactly what we should do in our Christian walk. Trusting Christ means total surrender, with His perfect love casting out all fear (1 John 4:18), and His Living Water refreshing us so deeply that we will never thirst (John 4:10-14). Once we are born again by trusting in His death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6), we are a new creature in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Once we are saved, baptism is a picture of “taking the plunge,” falling back into the water as a symbol of dying to our sin nature, then rising again to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4). Christians should no longer be governed by the desires of our flesh and sin nature, but instead we should yield control of our life to His Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16-25) Who enters us at the moment of salvation (2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5.

But so often I am like the puppy, paddling frantically against the current of my Lord’s will instead of trusting His everlasting arms (Deuteronomy 33:27) to shelter, protect and lead me. In my own flesh, I can do nothing (John 15:5), but with Him, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26; Philippians 4:13). Peter even walked on water when Jesus willed that he do so, but the instant he looked at the turbulent storm instead of his Lord’s steady gaze, he began to flounder and sink (Matthew 14:28-31).

We walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7), so ideally our journey in Christ should be more like the Nestea plunge rather than my painful experience of diving only when I can see where I’m headed. Only if we trust His infinite love (1 John 4:8-10), absolute power (Genesis 17:1, etc.), and complete wisdom (Psalm 139:1-18) can we fully experience the fountain of His blessings (Song of Solomon 4:15; Jeremiah 2:13; 17:13), being in His perfect will.

But if we try to do it ourselves, whether “it” is being saved, serving God, or loving others as He loves us, we are doomed to failure. How many people want to put off trusting Christ until they “clean up their act” or “get it all together”? How many new Christians put off witnessing to others until they learn “enough” about the Bible? Yet all that reasoning is futile because none of us is capable of doing anything in our own strength (2 Corinthians 12:9).

As Bible-believing Christians, we know that we are saved by God’s freely given gift of grace through our faith, not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). There is nothing we can do to earn our way to Heaven, and any attempt to do that is an insult to God, Who gave His only Son as the perfect Sacrifice to pay for all our sins (John 3:16; Romans 3:23-25; 1 John 2:2). On the cross, He said “it is finished,” (John 19:30) because he paid our debt in full, once and for all, to reconcile sinful man to Holy God (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).

The tremendous relief many feel at the moment of salvation, far more refreshing than any earthly equivalent of the Nestea plunge, comes from leaving our burdens of sin and guilt behind and releasing them to Him, freeing us to receive His great blessings. In our gratitude, relief, and worship, it is natural to want to serve God by good works (James 2:17-26; Philippians 2:12). But there lurks the trap of feeling we need to work to please God or to figure out on our own how to serve Him.

Praise God that His love is infinite, so He can’t love us any less even when we fail Him, and He can’t love us any more when we work hard to please Him. As a loving Father, He places no pressure on us, yet sometimes we collapse under the self-imposed pressure to try in the flesh to work “for” Him. But paradoxically, the harder we work, the less we trust in Him. Only complete surrender to His will (James 4:7) and faith in His power to accomplish His good work through us (1 Corinthians 15:58; Philippians 1:6) allows His perfect plan to flow through our life (Ephesians 2:10; Jeremiah 29:11).

Saul of Tarsus learned that the hard way. As a religious zealot, he thought he was pleasing God by persecuting and killing Christians, for he did not accept Jesus as the Son of God. Finally, when Christ appeared to him on the road to Damascus, he recognized that He was God and surrendered completely to Jesus Christ as Lord of his life. The glorious light of Christ blinded him, perhaps in part so that he would have to rely on faith and not on his own vision (Acts 9:1-18).

Jesus gave Saul the new name of Paul, and more importantly, He gave Him new life, just as He does to everyone who asks Him (Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13). Except for Jesus Himself, Paul is the best Biblical example of what God can do through a fully surrendered life. Yet even Paul had the daily battle with his own desires and his own flesh (Romans 7:12-25) and had to put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) to die daily to self (1 Corinthians 15:31).

May He empty us of self, leaving us as a conduit through which His Living Water can flow to others. May we remember that it’s not about what we can do, but about Who He is and what He does through us! May we not be afraid to take the plunge headlong into the rushing current of His will, for the reward of a surrendered life is blissfully exhilarating!

© 2015 Laurie Collett

Who's Driving?

 

I had a dream in which I was a front seat passenger in a luxurious, comfortable car, traveling on a quiet, winding road at dusk. Although the car made hairpin turns as it navigated up through the mountains, along sheer cliffs with nothing but churning ocean below, I felt strangely serene and content, admiring the breathtaking scenery as I settled back into the plush upholstery. Gazing out from my open window I could feel a gentle sea breeze and see the constellation of Orion, and many other stars twinkling brighter as the night sky darkened.

I glanced over at the driver’s seat, then panicked because I could see no one there! Suddenly the joy of this journey disappeared, replaced by confusion and fear over having placed my trust in a driver I could not see.

Next I found myself desperately pedaling a rickety bicycle up the same road, but now I was terrified by the blackening night, and by the sheer drops into sure death if I misjudged the turns. I was wearing a new pair of sneakers, but the canvas had already started to unravel and loose cords were flapping against the bicycle spokes. If they got caught I was sure the bike would crash and send me hurtling off the precipice to a watery grave against the rocks below.

Mercifully, I awakened, and rather than writing off the dream to an overly spicy midnight snack, I wondered if it could hold a lesson for me. Once we are We walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7), and faith enables us to trust in what we cannot see (Hebrews 11:1). To find peace in the Christian life we must be willing to yield control to God, focusing on Him alone, and to let Him be in the driver’s seat (Isaiah 26:3). Our actions and even our words and thoughts should be yielded to the Holy Spirit Who indwells every believer at the moment of salvation (2 Corinthians 1:21-22), rather than letting sin control us (Romans 6:11-23).

We don’t always see or understand His plan, but we must trust that He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6), and that He is safely conveying us through our perilous journey even when we can’t sense His presence. Only then can we experience the peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7), as we trust that He is working all things together for our good (Romans 8:28).

Jesus’ disciples lost heart in the stormy seas even though their Master was on board their frail boat, because He was sleeping and seemed to be indifferent to their plight. Little did they know that a mere rebuke from His lips would quiet the waves (Matthew 8: 23-26; Luke 8:22-25). When we lose sight of Who God is, and of His limitless power (Revelation 19:6) and love (1 John 4:8-10), our joy and peace at knowing Him may be threatened by our doubt and unbelief (Mark 9:23-24).

At times like these we may resort to our old ways, pridefully trusting in our own flesh to get us out of trouble rather than relying on Him (Romans 7:18), even though without Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5).

In the dream, my own ability to pedal up that dangerous road in the dark was pitifully inadequate, whereas the car with no visible Driver offered safety, security, comfort, and peace. Although our own flesh is unable to withstand many physical struggles, it is even more worthless in the spiritual realm, which is where the greatest battles are fought, with eternal consequences (Ephesians 6:12).

Those bumper stickers saying “Jesus is my copilot” are eye-catching, but in my opinion, they miss the point. As I journey through life, I want Jesus to be the driver, not the copilot! Thankfully, He always will be, as long as we hand the keys over to Him.

© 2012 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives

What Are You Looking At?

Photo by Colin Smith 2011

Everywhere we look in today’s world we see monuments to man’s ingenuity, creativity, and lusts: skyscrapers; cars and planes; billboards and screens flashing seductive images; logos symbolizing corporate power and wealth. In some cities these all but crowd out the evidence of God’s wondrous creation – majestic landscapes, beautiful flowers and trees, and amazing animals (John 1:3). Many deny or tend to forget that we too are God’s creation, fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14).

Whatever idols we have fashioned to indulge our eyes, these are only possible through the gifts of intelligence, artistry, and resources God has entrusted to us (James 1:17). How sad that many pervert these gifts to mock Him rather than to glorify Him, and that many feast their eyes on images of the world’s darkness rather than His light. Yet what we look at affects who and what we are.

Luke 11:34 The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.

God’s Word gives us clear warnings about what not to look at -- we should “set no wicked thing before [our] eyes” (Psalm 101:3). We should not look back at the attractions and preoccupations of our lives before we were saved (Luke 9:62; Genesis 19:26).

The Bible is full of examples where the “lust of the eyes” (1 John 2:16) has led to sin, including Eve beholding the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:6) and David spying on Bathsheba washing herself (2 Samuel 11:2).

Jesus warned so sternly of this danger that He said:

Mark 9:47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. (see also Matthew 5:29; 18:9).

As always, God exchanges His good gifts for our sinful desires, so He indicates what we should be looking at instead, and the blessings that will result.

In Exodus, the laver (washbasin) of brass, an important piece of furniture of the tabernacle, was made of looking glasses (mirrors) donated by the women coming to worship (Exodus 38:8). Although their custom had been to bring their personal mirror with them to the temple to check on their appearance, they surrendered them so that God’s house would be glorified. What a great reminder to spend less time primping in the mirror and more time worshipping God!

As we turn away from sinful and evil images, here is what God says we should look at instead: 

--The cross, where Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, died to pay our sin debt in full, that all who trust Him would have eternal life (John 3:16).

--The beauty of God’s creation, which reflects His glory (Psalm 19:1).

--The Godly example set by our spiritual mentors, teachers and pastors (Psalm 101:6).

--The fields of unsaved souls ripe for harvest (John 4:35), considering how we can “open their eyes, and… turn them from darkness to light” (Acts 26:18).

--Jesus Christ, Lamb of God (John 1:36), the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), Who gives us life and light (2 Corinthians 4: 3-6; Numbers 21:8).

--His Word, which is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path (Psalm 119:105).

--The heavens, which remind us that He is waiting to receive us (Acts 7:55) and that He is coming back to meet us in the air (Luke 21:28; Philippians 3:20; Titus 2:13).

As we shift our focus from the world to heavenly things, we will be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2), which will be kept in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). Look up and live!

Copyright 2012 Laurie Collett

Edited and reposted from the archives

Titanic’s True Hero

 

Rev.John Harper

The name Titanic evokes a myriad of images and ideas -- overstated opulence and seemingly invincible technology; icebergs lurking as hidden dangers; senseless destruction and death; families separated by the ocean’s cruelty; and fragments of dreams floating away on splintered wood or buried in the ocean depths.

Some villains emerge in the stories and history surrounding this horrific tragedy, such as the shipping magnates who put a higher priority on breaking world records for transatlantic crossing than on passenger safety. Clearly, pride went before destruction (Proverbs 16:18), and those in charge failed to be prudent and foresee the danger (Proverbs 22:3)

No doubt there were cowardly men who leapt into the lifeboats intended for women and children, or even dressed in women’s clothing to steal their passage to safety from those they should have been protecting with their own lives (Ephesians 5:25).

Yet some images offer more hope and a more shining example. The musicians remained faithful to their post and to their calling (Colossians 3:23), continuing at first with the usual lighthearted melodies the passengers found entertaining and pleasing until their world literally turned upside down. But with God there are no coincidences, and it is no accident that their last song as they slid off the deck was “Nearer, My God, to Thee.”

Hollywood has given us its version of the Titanic hero: Jack Dawson. Fortune seemed to smile on this drifter and artist as he won a ticket on the “unsinkable” luxury liner and got to hobnob with the upper class. He even wooed and won the heart of Rose, who was engaged to a cruel and selfish aristocrat. First Jack saves Rose from killing herself; then he shows her that love and joy trump riches and power.

But what may have started out as a romantic attraction deepens as Jack proves his love for Rose with his ultimate sacrifice – protecting, warming and encouraging her as she barely hangs on to life on a piece of floating wreckage, then succumbing to the frigid waters himself moments before she is rescued.

Yet there is even a more profound example of a true hero, not the figment of a screenwriter’s imagination, but one who graced history with his presence and who now is eternally in the presence of Grace Himself.

John Harper was a Baptist pastor from Great Britain who trusted Jesus Christ as His Lord and Savior at age 14 and began preaching at only 18 years of age. When he boarded the Titanic for a several weeks’ preaching engagement at the Moody Church in Chicago, he was age 39 and already a widower.

After the Titanic struck the fateful iceberg, he safely placed his 6-year old daughter and niece in a lifeboat and then began preaching the Gospel to anyone who would listen. Those few who survived to tell the story said he especially quoted Acts 16:31: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

The cry of the desperate crew was “Women and children to the lifeboats,” but Harper added “and the unsaved” to their instructions. As the ship began its fatal descent, Harper leaped into the water with no concern for his own safety. He swam from person to person struggling to stay afloat, preaching the Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) and begging them to accept Christ.

Four years after the tragedy, a survivor came forth with his own testimony. He at first shut out Harper’s pleas, angry that God would allow him and all the others to fall into this desperate plight. But as Harper continued to preach, he became convicted that he was a sinner in need of a Savior. He repented of his sins and called on Jesus Christ to forgive him and to enter his heart as his personal Savior.

The peace that engulfed this young man must have been unimaginable (Philippians 4:7) – his physical death appeared to be imminent, and yet he was now assured of eternal life (John 3:16) with his Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer.

Harper clearly sensed the urgency of the situation and laid down his life that others might live eternally. Yet isn’t our situation just as urgent? We are not promised tomorrow (James 4:14), so shouldn’t we spend every waking moment leading souls to Him? Not all of us are called to preach or to teach, but all believers can be missionaries in our unique sphere of influence, by telling others of how Christ has changed our life (John 4:39) and by letting His love and light shine through us (Matthew 5:16) as a testimony to His saving grace.

As the Titanic so clearly proved, earthly riches, status and power are fleeting. We can spend our lives foolishly acquiring these for our own satisfaction, but we can’t take them with us when we die (Luke 12:16-21). Instead, we should store our treasures in Heaven (Matthew 6:19-20) where we can enjoy their eternal rewards, for where our treasure is, our heart will be also (Luke 12:34)..If we try to save our life, we will lose it, but if we pour out our lives to Him, we will gain everlasting life (Matthew 16:25).

May we all have a heart for the lost and perishing, and make it our utmost priority to share the Gospel with them. As Harper summoned every last breath and bit of strength to witness, he could not have known the hearts of those who listened or the work of the Holy Spirit in that shallow, hardened, or even fertile soil (Matthew 13:3-8).

But I am sure that when Harper met Jesus face to face on April 15, 1912, that Jesus greeted him with: Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord (Matthew 25:21)

I imagine Jesus then added: Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)

© 2012 Laurie Collett

Reposted from the archives

Yield

 

Photo by Piotrus 2008

I have always been the type of person who likes to plan ahead, anticipating every contingency, trying to do things in the best order and timing for the optimal result, no matter what the storms of life may bring. Organizing the smallest details, even if it's just cleaning out the junk drawer, helps to give me an illusion of control.

But metaphorically speaking, there are some storms that take us by surprise like a sucker punch in broad daylight, when we’re off guard because the street is well-lit, the weather is sunny and calm, and we’re in a familiar neighborhood in our hometown. How could we know that an assailant would be waiting behind a building to knock the very wind out of us, to change our world in an instant?

As we struggle to our feet and try to shake ourselves off, that old instinct to take control resurfaces. All will be well if we utilize our intellect, resources and strength to make sense of this attack and to plan the best strategy to recover from it,

But as born-again Christians (John 3:3-8), who have been saved by trusting in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6), we must resist this urge to take control. We must let go and let God. We must be still and know that He is God, and we are not (Psalm 46:10). We must yield to His perfect will, timing, power, and infinite love.

Under Holy Spirit inspiration, the apostle Paul wrote that we should not yield our body to be an instrument of sin, but instead we should yield ourselves to God, for He has raised us from spiritual death. We should yield our body as an instrument of righteousness to accomplish God’s purpose and mission for us (Romans 6:13-19). We should use our tongue to sing His praise (James 3:8-11), our hands to do His work (Ephesians 4:28), and our feet to carry us to where we can spread His Word (Romans 10:15).

The battles we fight are not against physical enemies and forces, but against spiritual foes. We can withstand these only by putting on the whole armor of God, with which He protects us in this warfare (Ephesians 6:11-18). Just as good soldiers yield to the orders of their commander, we must yield to the will of our perfect Captain and great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16). Nothing catches Him by surprise, for He alone knows the ending from the beginning, and He is both (Revelation 1:8).

He loves us infinitely (1 John 4:8), desires only what is best for His children (James 1:17; Philippians 4:19), and He has complete wisdom and power to do what He deems best for us (Romans 11:33; 2 Samuel 22:33; Psalm 62:11).

If we stubbornly refuse to yield, we are attempting to fight the battle in our own flesh (Romans 7:18), which is no match for Satan and his minions and forces of darkness. God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). His grace is sufficient, and His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Every thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7), every storm cloud looming on the horizon or even shaking us with wind, lightning and thunder, is there only because He allows it into our life. No weapon formed against us can prosper (Isaiah 54:17), for He works all things together for good for those who love Him, who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

He may allow us to endure hardships to become closer to Him, to strengthen our faith (Romans 5:3-5), to conform us into His image (Philippians 3:10), and to give us wisdom and compassion to help those going through similar trials (2 Corinthians 1:3-5). When we act like rebellious children, He chastens us to yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness as we are restored to fellowship with Him (Hebrews 12:11).

Though He slays us, we should trust Him (Job 13:15), for His ways and thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). Once we have trusted Jesus Christ, our eternal destiny is secure with Him in Heaven (John 10:27-29), so why should we fear anything (Psalm 118:6) that we perceive as a threat to our earthly, temporal existence? As many evangelists have said when confronted with danger, "Can you threaten me with Heaven?"

Indeed, God's perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18), if we only yield in submission to His great plan. We don’t need to understand, only to trust, obey and yield (Isaiah 50:10).

If we are malleable to His shaping, like clay on the Potter’s wheel (Isaiah 64:8), He can mold us into a vessel fit for His use (Romans 9:21; 2 Timothy 2:21). Without yielding to His expert touch, we are not His workmanship, but rebellious and brittle fragments that shatter against the wheel.

Yielding to His will also means we yield to others, placing their needs ahead of our own (Ephesians 5:21). When we see a “Yield” sign on the road, it means to allow others to pass rather than stubbornly claiming our own right of way.

And if we yield to God’s plan for our life, no matter how dismal the circumstances may seem, He has promised that our yield will increase (Mark 4:8). Allowing the Master Gardener to prune us increases our yield of souls led to Him and fellow believers we have encouraged. 

Without Him, we can do nothing, but in Him, we will bear much fruit (John 15:5). May we trust and hope in the Lord, to be like a tree planted by rivers of living water, never ceasing to yield fruit (Jeremiah 17:7-8) even in times of drought, sorrow and trouble!  

© Copyright 2019 Laurie Barclay

Edited and reposted from the archives