A Familiar Arrow

Read: Zechariah 11
“Thus declares the Lord who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him, behold…” Zechariah 11:1-2

Examine:
There are times when the world feels like it is spinning wildly out of control. God can seem distant and the pain of life hit close to the heart. In the midst of very real circumstances and a seemingly unreal God, the scriptures continually testify to His greatness.

Apply:
Today God lays before me blessings and curses. I can choose to believe in my circumstances. When I do that God takes a back seat, my emotions are given the front seat, I become my own god, and life is resigned to being a series of random events with no purpose.

The other option is to believe in the sovereign God of the heavens, the redemption given in Christ, and the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. When I make that choice randomness is replaced by purpose, weakness is supported with strength, and uncertainty is crushed by peace.

Pray:
I awaken today with an arrow piercing my heart. It is a very familiar arrow. I have seen it split my armor and find the tender places of my flesh many times before. It never fails to knock me flat on the ground and the pain of it affects every aspect of my life. Our enemy has learned to fire this arrow with great precision and he has once again proven his accuracy. As I sit and stare at this arrow, I am aware of something. I am not as angry at the enemy for shooting it as I am upset at You for allowing it. If I strip away the religious jargon and just talk straight with You, I am rife with anger towards You because of this.

I am confessing this to You today as sin. Nothing should ever cause me to turn on You, but I am often guilty of doing just that. When I don’t get my way or when suffering comes, I flail around with a woe-is-me attitude towards You and life. Instead of standing firm like the noble warrior You created me to be, I run for the hills like a whining coward. It is really a funny picture when I think about it…

So let’s move on from this place together. Regardless of what my emotions say I choose to rest in You. I take the contents of my life, place them at Your feet, and trust that where I am is under the rule of Your sovereignty. I choose blessings this morning and will hold my head up today because I am anointed to carry Your good news.