The Illusion of Control

Song: Glory in the Highest/Artist: Chris Tomlin’s

Sometimes when I write I want to unpack what I’m feeling. I like to follow those feelings back to where they are originating to see what belief is driving it. Sometimes it starts with a belief and the feelings follow. The feelings are important, but what is more important is whether or not the beliefs they flow from are based on reality and the truth of God’s Word. I just picked out this song this morning because I like it. Most of these songs are in an iTunes playlist I have titled “Christian Praise”. There are only 25 in there and most of them are contemporary. There are other playlists as well (my “Christian Songs” playlist has 186 songs).This song was suggested on a friend’s blog.

There have been times in my life where the illusion of control has been removed. Occasionally that has happened like a curtain slowly being pulled back. A time or two it was more like a door being smashed violently and revealing my true impotence in life. This week my Zachary had surgery. It was an outpatient procedure, not a big deal. But he was under general anesthesia for the procedure and intubated, we were not in control.

Listening to this song and meditating on God’s faithfulness brings peace and a sweet fellowship with my Maker. One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Psalm 121:4: “Behold, He Who keeps Israel will neither sleep nor slumber.” The whole Psalm is only eight verses so I produced it below.

God is not impotent. He is omnipotent. He is always present. During times of distress, whether as a result of the fallen world we live in or in circumstances of my own making where God chastens me, He is there. As I said yesterday, through grace by faith in Jesus God gives me what I need to be unconditionally accepted by Him, justified, accredited as righteous, forgiven. The image I used to have of God was a tyrant who would have his way and if I got out of line I would get hammered. As I said yesterday, he would be impossible to please. I am mournful for the time I have wasted in my life thinking like that about God. I am grateful that He has revealed more and more of His attributes through His Word.

PSALM 121
The Lord the Keeper of Israel.
A Song of Ascents.
1 I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;
From where shall my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not allow your foot to slip;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He who keeps Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade on your right hand.
6 The sun will not smite you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will protect you from all evil;
He will keep your soul.
8 The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in
From this time forth and forever.[1]

[1]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Ps 121:1-8.