The Merry-Go-Round

God's first great design in all our trouble is that we might let go of self-confidence. When we do that, there is a temporary sense of falling. But by faith in God's mercy, we land, infinitely more secure, in the arms of our Father, who is utterly in control at the brink of life and death.  John Piper

We have a tendency to help Satan along in our downfall.  When we are broken is when God can do the most through us but we fight it every step of the way.  Why does it work that way?  Why does it take our downfall for us to be better for His Kingdom?

I think the main reason is because we have to get to the end of the road for us to realize we have reached a dead end.  The irony is that when we reach that dead end that is the place where we meet God face to face and realize there is hope in our brokenness.  This is the very place where He pours out his mercy on us. 

If you think about it, our lives are a lot like being on a merry-go-round.  You hop on the horse and the merry-go-round takes off.  Then you have great things that happen in your life and the horse goes up.  Then tragedy strikes and the horse goes down.  Our lives resemble this up and down ride.  The problem is we get stuck in the ups and downs and never get off.  So we go in circles over and over again wondering when the ride will end.  It ends when we decide that we will wait for the Father in everything we do and place our trust in Him. 

Do you remember those merry-go-rounds at the park when you were a kid?  They were the ones that were powered by a couple of kids running alongside it to make it go faster and faster.  Finally the last kid jumped on and everyone on it spun endlessly until it stopped.  Do you remember the feeling you had when you stepped off? You had spun around so fast for so long that all of a sudden when you stepped off you couldn’t walk straight.  So every kid walked sideways or fell over onto the ground because you were so dizzy. Merry-go-rounds were never meant to get you anywhere.  They just go in one endless circle.  If you want to get where God can take you, step off and be amazed. 

When we decide to step off the merry-go-round of life and wait on God, amazing things will happen.  He meets us in the very place where we are the most broken.                   

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I have often fought through this life as if I am on an endless merry-go-round.  Remind me that You are where my peace lies.  If I place my trust in You, I know You will take me places I never dreamed of going.  Help me to step off.

Scripture:  My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.  James 1:2-8