God, Our Great Circumstance

“The secret of knowing God’s complete sufficiency is in coming to the end of everything in ourselves and our circumstances.”  (Mrs. Charles Cowman)
“Wherever He places me, He does so to strengthen my faith and power and to draw me into closer communion with Himself.”  (Mrs. Charles Cowman)
“My goal is God Himself…at any cost, dear Lord, by any road.  ‘At any cost, by any road’, means nothing self-chosen in the way God brings us to the goal.” Oswald Chambers. 

The question is, can we trust Him, no matter what path or way He chooses to bring us to Himself?  Can we trust despite the loss, the pain, the disillusionment?  

I was recently so overwhelmed and burdened by unknowns and stresses. I was questioning decisions my spouse and I made since moving back to the States (even though the circumstances were not in our control).  I was overwhelmed by financial burdens and not seeing a way through this temporary wilderness.  I couldn’t see all of our hard work paying off and was frustrated that we weren’t in a different place.  On top of everything, I was experiencing intense physical pain, confined to bed in excruciating pain.  

I am so strong willed.  By nature, I take great pride in my self-sufficiency and my ability to find a solution to any problem.  I plan and decide I will accomplish this or that.  I am tenacious to complete goals and fulfill missions.  But when my current circumstances disrupt, frustrate or full-on block my agendas and plans, how do I respond?  
More discouraging than blocked goals are not understanding the why of my circumstances.  Another cicurmstance that never fails to cause me to doubt or become frustrated and discouraged or disappointed is pain.  Pain comes in many forms; physical, emotional, mental or the pain of our surroundings, be it broken relationships, financial hardships or just overwhelmed by all the duties and responsibilities in our lives.  Once pain or stress cause me to feel overwhelmed, I start questioning.  I question God’s plans and purposes and His methods.  Is this really the way God intends to take me?  When I ask "Why?", insisting on an answer,  I become angry or feel hurt.  

Whenever my will and desires contradict God’s, conflict results.  For those of you who have trained horses, I am much like the horse who wants to choose the path of least resistance.  I want the easy way out.  I am the same in my spiritual life. When God begins His refining process, I agree to it in principle, but beg to be released when I am in the fiery furnace.  Self-sufficiency does not die easily.  

I think He wants us to be completely emptied of ourselves; that includes our plans, agendas and goals.  He wants us to simply desire Him.  He wants us to rely solely on Him and to be solely His.

The title, “God, Our Great Circumstance” is borrowed from Hudson Taylor.  How would my life change, if I saw Him as my Great Circumstance?  It would mean, no matter what trial, what hardship, what stress or unknown I face, He is sufficient as being the great and sovereign Lord; He is the reigning circumstance.

Lord, help me to have no aim, no end no expectation but to be wholly, completely and entirely Yours.  I know when the way becomes arduous and tiresome, I will want to sit by the wayside and either complain or give up.  Remind me Who you are. Remind me that Your promises never fail.  It is impossible for you to forget me.  Answer my prayer to be completely dependent on You, completely trusting You, anchored in Your Truth, not discouraged or dismayed by my circumstances, trusting You for every step. I seek to let go of the striving and worrying, and to accept just being Yours.  

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