Did You Ever Have One of Those Years

January, 2005

by: Beth Mack

Did you ever have one of those years? One of those years where little you thought would happen happened and much of what you didn’t think would happen did. 2004 was that kind of a year for me. I didn’t start 2004 knowing all the major changes God would bring into my life. I didn’t know my job would abruptly come to an end, that I wouldn’t just find that perfect job immediately, that I would go to Russia this summer with a Mission’s Team from Calvary, and that in the process I would begin to pursue one of the things I told God I’d do—anything but… Missions. I used to think that life would be easier if God would tell me at the beginning of the year what was going to happen—the good, the bad and the ugly. Then I could prepare ahead and be ready for what He brought into my life. Have you ever thought that? I realized recently that if I had known what was going to happen this year I probably would have wanted to climb in a hole and hide for the year. And if I had climbed into that hole, I would have missed out on seeing God work in my heart and life.

The bottom line is that life can be overwhelming. None of us know what this year will bring but we do know some bedrock truths we can count on as we face the coming year. First, we can know that the circumstances and trials God brings here are tremendous opportunities for us to check our hearts and see what God is squeezing out. Your circumstances don’t control you. They merely reveal what is controlling you. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life.” Your heart is your control center. How you respond to what God brings into your life reveals who or what you are serving. So, as God brings various things into your life (both blessings and cursings) ask yourself, what does my response reveal about my heart? Who or what am I serving? Am I being ruled or controlled by anything other than God?

Second, remember that nothing comes into your life that God has not ordained. The circumstances and events that occur are controlled and brought about by the sovereign, wise and good God. The Psalmist in Psalm 77 is overwhelmed with life and what is happening. In verses 7 – 10, we see that he allowed his view of God to be controlled by his circumstances. In fact, he even goes as far in verse 10 of asking if God had changed. So often that’s where we stay stuck. We think, “If this and this are happening, then God can’t be good. He can’t be sovereign…” We begin to doubt God’s character. The result is that we end up like the Psalmist did—in despair.

How did the Psalmist change? Well, if you look in the passage, he stops listening to himself and starts talking to himself. In verse 11, he says, “I shall remember” and “I will remember.” In verse 12, he says, “ I will meditate.” What does he remember and meditate on? He reminds himself of who God is and what he has done.

If we are going to honor God in the midst of the various things He brings into our lives in the coming year, we need to do the same. We need to be constantly reminding ourselves of who God is. We need to be reminding ourselves of how He has worked in the past and have confidence that He is at work in the present. I have to do that on a regular basis. I find myself saying, “Beth, this isn’t an accident that this is happening. God hasn’t made a mistake yet and you aren’t worth being His first one.” And then I go on to remind myself of God’s character. Remember, if we are going to remind ourselves of God’s character, then we need to know God’s character. If we are going to remind ourselves of what God has done in the past, then we need to know what He has done in the past. The time to prepare for the battle is before the battle.

As you begin this year, make a commitment to check your heart as you face the circumstances God brings in. Don’t be content to be someone who honors God on the outside but your heart is far from Him. And as you begin this year, get to know the God you love. Learn His character! Don’t face life thinking you can handle it on your own. Face life resting in the character of the God you love and serve. Life doesn’t seem as overwhelming when we do!