Perfect Results!

James 1:2-4 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 

Six days ago I thought I knew that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) 

Six days ago I also thought I had all my little duckies in a row (everything working together),

Six days ago I realized I might have forgotten to teach my duckies to swim according to God’s purpose.

Six days ago I found out I needed a little more endurance!

And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock (Matthew 7:24) Well, maybe not floods. Nonetheless, water came (cracked toilet) and slammed against my carefully constructed happy, peaceful, life. Who knew that a little water on the front porch would be the first indication that one of my little ducky named “All Is Well” became “A River Runs Through It”. 

We all know water will find the least resistant path to go where it wants to go. Apparently it wanted to flow downstairs and out the door, so it used gravity to move down – on the inside of walls and ceilings to give time before being discovered and stopped.

Six days later, with the shock wearing off, the noise and chaos of drying machines and their operators finishing the first stage of mitigating the little ducky’s swim lesson, I am finally able to hear my thoughts and begin to see my everyday faith in action.

It is surprising, (and somewhat embarrassing) that first thing, even after all these years of dining with Him, my old nature still cries out in shock, “Why ME, Lord? If You loved me…”

Even after all these years, I am STILL SHOCKED, when I come face to face with the fact that this ain’t heaven and God isn’t causing all things to be good, before using them for good!

Even after all the lessons God has faithfully carried me through, I find out I still need DAILY DISCIPLINE in KNOWING THE TRUTH and BEING SET FREE from the sin (the belief that I keep my duckies in line!) that so easily besets me.

I don’t believe it’s sinful to be shocked. I don’t believe my old nature crying out means I have sinned. I don’t believe our mini flood was caused by God to punish me/us and therefore teach me/us to act right!

Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 

Our struggle IS NOT against flesh and blood (including our own)… the enemy would like to have us believe his version of truth (God really hates us – He’s just waiting for THE BIG FAiLURE), all while he is prowling around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8) 

Our struggle IS NOT against God!

1 Corinthians 2:9 but just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.” 

God has prepared these things FOR us…

Romans 8:29-30 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. 

Our struggle is against God preparing US for all these things… Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 

Our struggle is … our need for discipline.  (Strong’s Definition: education or training which does indeed include disciplinary correction… Thayers Definition: the whole training and education of children…) Discipline, that for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who will be trained by it, afterwards it will yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness. (Hebrews 12:11)

Do I really need MORE discipline? Maybe a LITTLE LESS fruitiness?

What is righteousness?  Observing and remembering and being convinced that God IS and that He loves us. Righteousness is DECLARING if God is for us, who is against us?(Romans 8:31)

No matter what the chaos… no matter how loud the noise… no matter the length of the less than joyful event… we need to know God is not only for us but He is in us both to will and to work for His good and perfect pleasure!

After the shock… after the chaos and noise… I will know God causes all things to work together for good!

One more lesson CONVINCING ME, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

PERFECT!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.