OK
GOD, LET’S MAKE A DEAL!
Have you
ever tried to make a deal with God? Have you said something like, “OK God, if
you will do this for me I will follow You closer or I will cut back on a
certain sin if only You will help me out and grant my prayer request.”
I have
done that in the past, but, thankfully I have not done it in a long time.
However I have to admit the thought has crossed my mind a few times in the past
years. When that thought comes to me it is usually when something very serious
is going to happen in my life and I am unsure of the outcome and I need extra
help from God. Fortunately, I have been able to ignore the thought of making a
deal with God and rely on my faith, as I should, to carry me through.
The
thought of making a deal with God passed through my mind just recently but I
did not let it take possession of my thoughts and returned to my faith. You
see, I am going to have major surgery in the next few days and I was a little worried
about the possibility of becoming paralyzed. Dying is “OK” because I would be
with Jesus, but being paralyzed is another thing. Instead of trying to make a
deal with God I chose to rely on my faith in Jesus, trusting that He will be
with me whatever happens. I turned my cares over to Him and now I am comfortable
with my situation. What a blessing it is to be able to put all my cares on Him!
What
prompted the thoughts of making a deal with God is the fact that I feel like Paul
when I sin. Romans 7:15 “I don’t really understand myself,
for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.”
And I can’t get my thoughts (that sometimes turn to actions) to reflect the way
Christ wants me to think. The $64,000.00 question for me is, “How do I conform
my thoughts to reflect what is right and pure?”