Loving His Surprises

 

READ Luke 17-20

The past few weeks I’ve been asking God to surprise me. I told someone and she said, “I’d be scared to do that. It might be a surprise that I didn’t like.”

Is our loving Father into those kinds of surprises? He says:

“Count is Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2–4)

It seems to me that a God who uses trials for my good isn’t into giving nasty surprises.

Yesterday was filled with good ones! Remarks about answered prayer from one who does not know Christ. Words of love and compassion not expected. Two lovely books about prayer that had me speechless for several minutes because of the giver and how they had been selected. Much more. God poured out His goodness.

This reading shows more. He shows the wonder of repentance and forgiveness and says that faith is not measured by little or more but by on or off. “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” (Luke 17:6) He points out that obeying Him is not a big deal but merely doing our duty. Simple stuff.

Faith means trusting Him to heal and if I’m not sure, I can ask what He is trying to show me through allowing the trial of being sick. The kingdom of God is about His rule in my heart, not about Him sitting on a throne and waving a scepter, at least not yet. When that kind of kingdom comes, everyone will know it and the world will be turned upside-down.

Prayer is about learning persistence, not losing heart. it is about a faith that will not let go. It is also about realizing I’ve no reason to consider myself worthy — only by God’s mercy is this sinner justified! He wants me to trust Him like a child. Children don’t need long explanations for why they trust; they just do.

I also need to recognize things in my life that keep me from trusting God. Am I so proud that I trust myself? Am I so rich that I trust my money? Am I so ‘good’ that I think I don’t need Him? Does the notion of giving up all I have make me cling to it rather than be willing? Am I afraid His rewards will not be enough? And do I deeply understand why Jesus had to die?

 When Jesus touches the lives of others, I need to rejoice, not be critical or full of envy. Jesus “came to seek and to save the lost” and that includes me, but also the entire world. Heaven rejoices when one person repents; so ought I rejoice!

At times I’ve wanted to start a Bible school or do some other ‘great’ thing, but God did not call me to that. I’m to be faithful with whatever He has given me. Sinful ambitions do not please Him. Before Jesus died, He entered Jerusalem riding a colt. It could have been a magnificent stallion. Even though the people welcomed Him with praise and were rebuked by the Pharisees, soon all would shout, “Crucify Him.” I need to beware of my own fickle heart and not let it refuse to praise Him if I don’t like His surprises.

Jesus wept over the city that rejected and killed Him. He cleansed the temple and taught there daily, but they did not realize that each one who believed later would become His temple and receive His daily teaching. Instead, they challenged His authority and mocked Him, angered by His reminders them that “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” (20:17-18)

They tried to trick Him so they could justify their hatred, but He was onto them. “And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent.” (20:26) The Sadducees tried other trick questions, but He answered well, and “they no longer dared to ask Him any question.” Instead, He asked them a few and they were stymied — as He told the people of their hypocrisy and pride.

Jesus surprises people at every turn. He does the unexpected but never the inappropriate, even toward those who wanted to destroy Him. How can those who love Him worry that He will be nasty or surprise us with something that is not a blessing? His goal is to transform us into His image.

When I was in seminary, old enough to be a grandmother to many of the students, one of them asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I said, “A sweet little old lady” with the goal of being like Jesus in my mind. I cannot think of anything better and must trust Him for any surprises He uses to make it happen.