Cain Coming to Terms

 "They went astray in their hearts because they didn't know the ways of the Lord. They didn't come to His terms. As a result they were prevented from entering into His rest.

"THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION, AND SAID, 'THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART, AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS'; AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, 'THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.'" (Hebrews 3:10-11 NASB)

We do the same thing. We see and experience the power of God. We walk in His provision and protection. And yet our hearts maintain our own ways instead of changing and conforming to His ways. We want to receive all of the benefits of the Lord on our own terms. If we think that the Lord will allow this as we mature then we are sadly mistaken."

This was a quote from Art Nelson's monthly email newsletter titled "Coming to Terms". This seems to correspond to my thoughts about being Cain and how Cain (me) wanted to come to God in the way Cain himself wanted to come regardless of God's requirements. I need to write 100 times on a chalkboard "Jehova is Lord, Jehova is Lord, Jehova is Lord..." 

My thinking has been so corrupted by the flesh and this world's system that I feel MY ways are so good and right and just that the Father should just co-sign on everything I do, say and want. But, as bro. Art says, 'we (I) are sadly mistaken".

When I was thinking on the fact of God being God and His ways not being my ways, I thought about how there is nothing I can say, no credible debate I can present to convince Him my way is the way things should be), all I can do is worship Him. Worship the One who does what He does according to His own good pleasure. I am too small minded, immature, seeing nothing but veil to offer any valid rebuttal to anything that occurs to me or anyone else. I don't know if me or another person is reaping something from years previous, if the person or me was allowed to have a request that the Father didn't want them to have and now leaness has entered the soul, if a circumstance is the result of our decaying,cursed world, if the evil one is being allowed to sift me/someone else - or WHAT the problem is. Well, this isn't completely true - we can ask for wisdom and understanding and often the Father will lead us to the wellspring from which the circumstance was born. Many times though, it still passes our comprehension and even though well meaning Job-ian friends may try to give an answer, we still are left in the dark as to what in the world is going on.

"Father, help me to receive You and Your ways without complaint, without doubt. Let me truly enter your rest as I learn of Your ways and stop going astray in my heart. I love you and thank you. Please forgive me and continue to deal with me as You see fit. Amen"