On the Anvil - Max Lucado [19]
How in the world do we know what God wants? Do we set out a fleece? seek advice? pray? read the Bible? All these are right, yet there is one decision that must be made first. (Hang on, it’s a tough one.)
To know God’s will, we must totally surrender to God’s will. Our tendency is to make God’s decision for him. I used to do that with my mom. As a child, I hated to get the flu for two reasons: (1) it hurt, and (2) my mom was a nurse. Since she was an RN, she knew the fastest way to tackle the flu bug was with a needle . . . in my bottom. Ouch! (I grew up thinking penicillin was a dirty word.)
When she would tell me to “go get the medicine,” I would get everything but the dreaded needle. I’d come back with an armful: aspirin, Pepto-Bismol, ear drops, nose drops, ankle wraps—anything but penicillin. But, as good moms do, she always got her point across. “Now, you know better,” she’d say with a smile, and I would go to get the (gulp) needle.
Here’s the point. Don’t go to God with options and expect him to choose one of your preferences. Go to him with empty hands—no hidden agendas, no crossed fingers, nothing behind your back. Go to him with a willingness to do whatever he says. If you surrender your will, then he will “equip you with everything good for doing his will” (Hebrews 13:21).
It’s a promise.
What decisions do you face today: big ones, small ones?
Have you ever seen God guide you toward a particular choice? How do you usually ask for his help?
How full of options are your hands? Could you empty them before the Lord and accept his will—before you sense his direction?
Part Three: An Instrument for Noble Purposes
34: An Instrument for Noble Purposes
. . . made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
2 Timothy 2:21
Ah, to be your instrument, O God,
like Paul to the Gentiles,
like Philip to the eunuch,
like Jesus to the world,
. . . to be your instrument.
To be like a scalpel in the gentle hands of a surgeon,
healing and mending.
To be like a plow in the weathered hands of a farmer,
sowing and tending.
To be like a scythe in the sweeping hands of a reaper,
gathering and using.
To be . . . an instrument for noble purposes.
To be honed and tuned,
in sync with your will,
sensitive to your touch.
This, my God, is my prayer.
Draw me from your fire,
form me on your anvil,
shape me with your hands,
and let me be your tool.
Where is your heart today? Do you desire to be used of God?
What might it take for you to be shaped by God’s hands, in sync with his will?
Think of those images of God: as surgeon, farmer, reaper. Is the Lord showing you a way to use your gifts to help others?
35: Today I Will Make a Difference
Today I will make a difference. I will begin by controlling my thoughts. A person is the product of his thoughts. I want to be happy and hopeful. Therefore, I will have thoughts that are happy and hopeful. I refuse to be victimized by my circumstances. I will not let petty inconveniences such as stoplights, long lines, and traffic jams be my masters. I will avoid negativism and gossip. Optimism will be my companion, and victory will be my hallmark. Today I will make a difference.
I will be grateful for the twenty-four hours that are before me. Time is a precious commodity. I refuse to allow what little time I have to be contaminated by self-pity, anxiety, or boredom. I will face this day with the joy of a child and the courage of a giant. I will drink each minute as though it is my last. When tomorrow comes, today will be gone forever. While it is here, I will use it for loving and giving. Today I will make a difference.
I will not let past failures haunt me. Even though my life is scarred with mistakes, I refuse to rummage through my trash heap of failures. I will admit them.
I will correct them. I will press on. Victoriously. No failure is fatal. It’s okay to stumble.