God's set-ups!

I don't particulary like "set-ups"...but nearly 4 years ago now, I sat in my living room with a precious group of people, and one of them said to me, "You've been set up!" I looked at this person quizzically and thought, "What does that mean?" It didn't take but about 20 minutes to figure out what "You've been set up" meant as the Holy Spirit showed up and changed the entire meeting and my entire life...for the much, much better!

Last night I picked up a book which I've wanted to read, but have kept putting off because I've had other books sitting next to my bed which have been waiting patiently 'in line' for me to finish before starting this one. Well, last night I thought, "I need to start this book!" It's called Strengthen Yourself in the Lord and it is by Bill Johnson.

Nearly every page and nearly every line is echoing what I've been experiencing learning and growing in over the past two years! I love this line:

"God never sets us up to fail---only to grow." (p. 41)

Pause for a moment and re-read that sentence again....and again...and again. Do I truly believe that? When I look back over the challenges of my life with my faith rooted in Jesus Christ, I see how COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY TRUE this statement is!

Every challenge, every lost relationship, every hurt, every rejection, every abandonment....NO, God does not cause these things, yet as we can easily see in the book of Job, He will allow things...He will set things up, but it is for our GROWTH! It's for our growth in Him, that we become utterly dependent upon Him alone, His grace, His mercy, His love, and everything that He longs to pour out into our lives.

It's ALL about Him and how He longs to transform our seemingly lowly lives into what He originally intended us to be...His children, receiving everything from our heavenly Daddy, and as we grow older physically, growing in increasing dependence upon Him alone and walking in the authority that lives within us: Jesus Christ Himself!

Have a look back at the set-ups in your life...and for those of you who are followers of Jesus, know that you know that you know that they have been for your growth!