Book 4 of Musings Grasping

One of the hardest tendencies to overcome is that of grasping what we want.

The Lord would not have us grasp a relationship, a job, any material object. The Bible promises those who delight themselves in the Lord that He will give them the desires of their heart. This He certainly shall do, but He doesn't want us to hold tightly to anything except our trust in Him.

The Lord Jesus wants us free of people, of things, of positions. This does not mean we do not take our responsibilities seriously and fulfill our assigned tasks. If we are not faithful in the small things we will not be entrusted with the greater.

But the Lord would have us free. He will give us what we desire, at the appropriate time; but He does not want us to seize it and hold fast to it. This is not freedom, it is bondage.

Whatever we grasp and hold may be an idol. We can tell whether something or some person is an idol by imagining how we would feel if God were to remove the thing or the person from us. If we refuse to consider such a loss, believing we would not want to live any longer if we were to lose him, or her, or it, we have an idol.

The proper order of rulership is God, who is over Christ, who is over us, who are over all that God has created. God has created man to rule, not to be ruled by anything or anyone other than God and Christ.

It requires many years of diligently serving the Lord before every desire has been crucified. It is not that God does not want to give us the desires of our heart, it is that He does not want us governed by someone or something less than God.

The process of removing idols from us is painful. It is not just that we refuse to let them go, although sometimes that is the case. Rather it is that they are so embedded in us we do not recognize the hold they have over us. Because of these embedded idols, God has to bring us through hot fires in order to bring up the idol to the surface. God often, although not always, works until we are anxious for God to remove that which at one time had been part of our personality.

As soon as we are willing to count ourselves crucified with Christ, God is ready to bring us before the Judgment Seat of Christ so the enemies in our personality can be dealt with. God brings us through various circumstances that define the idols that are driving us. Sometimes there are "kings," as it were, that affect a number of lesser idols. It may take a while, and sometimes considerable embarrassment, before the "king" is forced from hiding.

The true King has come and has begun to wage war against His enemies in His people. It actually is a first stage of Armageddon. Before the Lord can appear with His soldier-saints and drive Satan from the earth, He first must drive Satan from His soldier-saints. Does this make sense to you?

For hundreds of years God has kept His people sealed by the Holy Spirit, the blood of the Lamb covering their sins. Now it is time for the sins to be uncovered and brought up for judgment. It is the beginning of the redemption of mankind and, of course, such judgment must take place first in the house of God.

Whenever we find ourselves anxiously clutching a relationship, or position, or material object, it is because there is an idol present. If we would have perfect peace we must ask the Lord to remove whatever it is, or whoever it is, that is disturbing our perfect rest in Him, our spiritual poise.

Our problem is, we do not know what it is that will bring us lasting love, joy, and peace-the most valuable of all treasures. But God does.

God is working with us until we can not only receive but also maintain, without bringing us into bondage, that which will bring us love, joy, and peace.

How we howl, or become depressed, when we are required to remain in "prison" for a season! We may be quite immature in this respect. But God deals patiently with us, knowing how glad we will be when we finally arrive at the paradise God is bringing us to.

Even in the world to come we are not to grasp anything. God will put desires in our heart; and if we are clinging to something or someone these idols will prevent us from receiving the true good that God has ordained for us.

It all boils down to faith in God's trustworthiness, doesn't it? Satan challenged Eve with the thought that God is not to be trusted. Eve, not having come to know the Lord, succumbed to Satan's slanderous comments about the Lord.

To entrust God with our love, joy, and peace requires faith.

Does God have enough power to bring us to love, joy, and peace?

Does God know what He is doing with us?

If God aware of the details of our life?

Does God really want to bring us to love, joy, and peace?

The Bible answers yes to these four questions. We have to make the decision whether or not the Bible speaks the truth.

What is your opinion of God's Character? Is He faithful and loving?

Then do not clutch anything. Let God give you what He wants you to have. You will never act more wisely than this.

Everything is permissible for me-but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me-but I will not be mastered by anything. (1 Corinthians 6:12)