Oceans has always been one of my favorite worship songs. I have a playlist that has like 5 different versions of it on it, and it was playing this morning as I was reading my Bible.
I came to Matthew 4 where Jesus was being tempted by the Devil. It's a chapter I've read hundreds of times throughout my life, but something stuck out to me this time.
THE SPIRIT THEN LED JESUS into the desert to be tempted by the Devil. (verse 1)
It all flows perfectly with an ongoing conversation Allen and I have been having with students, family members, and ourselves for about 3 weeks now.
"Bad things only happen when we take God out of the equation."
"Jesus doesn't tempt us."
"Why did God let this happen to me if I love Him?"
These are all things I've heard recently. Our students are hungry and are asking and sharing.
1. False. Bad things happen even to people who love God fully. Look at Job, what did he do wrong for tragedy to strike? NOTHING.
Look at Jesus. He obviously didn't take God out of the equation, and He still faced the cross.
2. True. Jesus doesn't tempt us, but sometimes He will allow the Devil to tempt us to test our faithfulness and to bring us closer to Him.
3. Do we even realize what we sing when we are singing in worship?
You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep My faith will stand
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Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders Let me walk upon the waters Wherever You would call me Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander And my faith will be made stronger In the presence of my Savior
The Spirit will lead us into the wilderness. Just as the Spirit led Jesus into the desert. But it is not out of cruelty! He does not forsake us in the desert. HE IS ALWAYS WITH US! We can't get to "For I am Yours, and You are mine" intimate moments without it.
Your grace abounds in deepest waters Your sovereign hand Will be my guide Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me You've never failed and You won't start now
It's when you are in a place where you cannot save yourself that we fully depend on God. And when we see His hand guiding us, faith builds up. We trust Him fully, He leads us, and we fall more in love with Him.
The Spirit will never lead you into comfort. "Spirit lead me" is a dangerous prayer. Yet it will be the most fulfilling. Why do people with great callings face great hardship? The Devil knows that once you are willing to be led by the Spirit that you are going to wreck havoc on his plans. He is going to try to hit hard. Temptation. Trials. Loss. Hardship.
And I will call upon Your name And keep my eyes above the waves When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace For I am Yours and You are mine
We keep our eyes above the hardships and on the Father. We rest in His loving arms. Because we know "Greater is HE who is in me, than he that is in the world!"
So when you are after the heart of God, and you come face to face with a disaster, don't ask what you did wrong to have to endure the storm! Look to the Father and allow His hand to do His work in your life. We serve a God who is known for calming storms. Let faith arise.
Spirit lead me
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