Christian Foundations
DEVOTIONAL ARCHIVE
by Dennis and Barbara Rainey
Cinderella-everyone knows her story. On the night of the grand ball, Cinderella was cruelly prevented from attending by two selfish stepsisters. Her heart was crushed in disappointment. She ran to the garden in tears to be alone, only to find her fairy godmother. The wave of a wand and a few magic words transformed Cinderella into a most beautiful princess. She was whisked off to a ball where she met Prince Charming. Of course, it was love at first sight and they lived happily ever after.
Happily ever after is the stuff of which fairy tales are made. Though we wish it were so at times, life is not a fairy tale. God is not a fairy godmother with a magic wand waiting to wish our troubles away. He has plans and purposes far higher than fairy magic. The problem for me, and for other Christians as well, is the clash between two purposes and wills: God's and mine. Many times they are not the same.
In 1984, I experienced a conflict between God's will and plan and my own. We were nearing the end of an unusually busy spring, one that also contained more than its share of pressure. During those months, I was feeling particularly stretched with our five children. They were normal, active, curious children with five different personalities and five different sets of needs and problems. It was what I'd always wanted, and I was grateful to the Lord for each of these five treasures. Still, I was looking forward to graduating from nursery duty.
Then I learned I was pregnant again. I was completely caught off guard by the news. Didn't God know I had all I could handle with five children? Didn't He know I didn't want to go through all this again? I was sick physically, drained mentally, and tired just thinking about six children.
Think through the problems you face right now, and ask God to guide your steps and keep you joyful in the process.
Discuss: When was the last time you faced a circumstance where your will clashed with God's? Is there a clash today?
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