“Our growth requires that we attend to how we practice what we do and honestly recognize what we long for in and through our devotion. Are we longing for God, or are we simply looking to feel better? . . . When . . . you feel the bottom drop out and the gas tank goes down to E, remember that the goal is . . . to go to God and say, God, I need YOU.”- Kyle Strobel and John Coe
But [the Lord] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”- 2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV)
Kyle Strobel and John Coe continue Chapter 10 of When God Seems Distant as John underscores that desolation is not an issue of the will. Hence, John poses these questions for you to sit with:
- Can I be with the Lord in truth?
- Can I be with him in the places I might not even be honest with myself about?
Because, as you walk in the desert or in desolation, one thing the Lord reveals to you involves what fuels your spiritual practices. So, when consolation disappears, our wills start to struggle.
Therefore, Kyle and John counsel:
“The gift of consolation is this lesson: We can do nothing apart from God. This is where we learn, from our gut, that God’s power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). This is not an abstract notion but something we learn with God as he leads us into this season. At the bottom of our hearts we are learning to say, God, I cannot do this.
But if we hear this in the flesh, we are in a terrible danger. Here, we are an inch away from either returning to the nagging of our moralistic efforts or moving to a despair where our will deflates entirely. This is why we must seek God.”
Today’s question: Do you see yourself longing for God or simply looking to feel better? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “To borrowed light take heed”