As I sat in my women’s Bible study, I became aware of how God has opened my spiritual eyes these past few years. Our leader encouraged group participation, and it was as if the Lord had given me a uniquely valuable insight about the lesson that was not of this world. I found it very interesting that each woman who spoke had a completely different perspective about the Scriptures, but that every single lady who had the opportunity to provide input, had been given a beautiful nugget to share with the rest of us. I couldn’t help but be in awe of how different each member of the body of Christ was, yet when we all came together, each one of us worked in tandem with the other to provide a full, rich and beautifully woven tapestry of wisdom and knowledge of the Living Word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. I thought about how incredibly important it was for me to be here in this moment and at this time, not only for what I brought to the table, but also for what I so desperately needed to hear -- God’s perspective from godly women who gleaned in the Scriptures and then produced an extraordinary perception that did not occur to us before. It was such an excellent illustration of how God orchestrated His choir, each individual voice singing in harmony with the other to yield a complete symphony of His glory revealed in the broken lives of those who have been brought before Him in complete submission to the cross of Christ. As each woman shared, I wondered what the Lord had brought them through to bring them to a place such as this, because for me, my longing for a comprehensive understanding of the Scriptures was not just a necessity; it was borne out of my insatiable need to become whole again in the presence of my Savior.
2 Corinthians 1:9 says, “Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” Each one of us must come to the end of ourselves in order to finally seek the sufficiency of Christ. We inevitably come to understand that we cannot rely on our own small-minded thinking, but we must come to the realization that there is only One who is in control. Everything that has occurred in my life has been in preparation for this day and I sat in anticipation of what the Lord was going to accomplish. He had brought me through the fires of tribulation and accompanied me into the valley of the shadow of death. He was my anchor in the storm as I was tossed to and fro in the windy and tumultuous seas and He gave me Living Water as we trudged together through the desert wasteland where I thought I would die from the pain, the sorrow, and the misery of emptiness and loneliness. I had traveled in my journey with my Lord up to this mountain top where he was allowing me to gaze at His marvelous creation from a point of view I had never witnessed before. Instantaneously, I breathed in His goodness, knowing that this place of refuge and safety would always be a part of me no matter where I went, and I was content with whatever lay ahead, even though I knew it would not be easy, I had come to trust in my Savior who would sustain me.
2 Peter 1:3 says, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” God places us exactly where we are supposed to be and He puts people in our lives that provide for us, but only God can give us everything we need to live a life that pertains to godliness. When we come to a saving knowledge of Him, we become partakers of His divine nature and through His power, He radically changes us to become more like Him and less like everyone else around us. Day by day, week by week, month by month, as I travel with Him on the road to sanctification, I am able to walk through difficulties and hardships with the strength that only comes from knowing Him and as time goes by, I am content with all that surrounds me, for when I am weak, He is strong.
