I have been thinking a ton about how we as humans tend to enjoy life more when we make it complicated. We all know the person who seems always needing to have the attention of everyone, right. Have we ever considered if we somewhat resemble that person? Do you need complications to survive?
It is never enough to accept an answer as answer, we must probe into the nitty-gritty details until we are satisfied the decision made is either completely wrong or completely justified.
Instead of accepting a promise as a promise, we torment ourselves with the question of ’how can it really be true?’ and lose track of the gift given.
At work, we make a process out of even the simplest of tasks. We focus so much on the process we forget the intention of the action.
Maybe, you are the one who needs to ensure everyone around you understands exactly where you are coming from and your precise point of view.
Is this you?
If it is, please read on.
Everyone should still be reading. At some point, with something, we are all guilty of complicating our lives for personal gain. One of the most famous passages in the Bible is Isaiah 40:31 where it is written, "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." I am not sure how we can expect God to fulfill this promise if we choose to carry a bunch of baggage with us.
We have all had to walk through a valley, at least once in our lives. For most of us, many valleys have been watered by our tears, and the echoes of our cries have resounded all over the map it seems. The journey through the valley is a tedious, slow journey in which we are burdened by the complications of life. It isn’t that life is so bad, it is what we add to life that makes it burdensome. We are not content to wait on the strength of the Lord to renew us and the burden we struggle to move through a valley is more than we could possibly drag, let alone carry.
The Hebrew word for renew is Chalaph. Chalaph means to change, substitute, alter, change for better; the same way a tree shows newness. In order for a tree to show the potential for growth in the spring it must shed the weight of the past years growth. It must be willing to release the leaves of the past for a hope of a future growth. Does a tree hope? No, of course not! However, the picture works, doesn’t it?
Do you see where I am going with this? You cannot expect God to change a circumstance in your life (renew your strength) if you are unwilling to give up the complications of life.
Another thing a tree must go through is a dormant season. Winter is a hard time on a tree. There is seemingly little that happens in the life of a tree during the winter months. The tree is leafless, wrapped in ice and snow, and does not grow in stature during these harsh months. In reality, while the changes are slow and almost unperceivable, change is occurring nonetheless. Trees continue to slowly grow roots, respire, and take in water and nutrients. The root system is the life of a tree, and without roots, a tree will not survive. The tree, while dormant, does not die. Winter, while a hard season for the tree, actually serves to strengthen the tree!
What about your winter? Does it strengthen you? Have you allowed God to grow you during your winter season? Did you assume that growth only happened in the spring and summer when everything looks right for growth?
Many people know Isaiah 40:31, but may not have ever read Isaiah 40:4, "Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:" Maybe this verse is your outlook on life. You seem to be in the valley, surrounded by the mountains of life, lost in the maze of complications, and jostled by the despair of no hope for your future. The bad news is there is no way you are going to alter your landscape on your own. The good news is that God is more than able and willing to modify things surrounding the path you walk on. Your path may not change, your problems may still be there, but the mountains will be made low. You may not see what God has in store, but your path will be made straight. You may feel as if the boulders and worries of life have done nothing to hinder you, but God promises to make it smooth.
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