More than Lesser Things: A New Year's Post

Most of you have probably heard Laura Storey's song, "Blessings," posted below. In that song, she says that God's "love is way too much to give us lesser things." Meaning, that all the things that we want--health, happiness, and prosperity are the lesser things in life. The better things are love, grace, and the presence of God. And if we always had the former, would we even want the latter...or recognize our desperate need for it? Would we come to understand that He's the reason we were created, the reason we breathe, the reason we get up in the morning? That His love is, in fact, better than life?

It's funny, isn't  it, the way the human mind works? Perhaps it is because we are fallen. Perhaps it is because we can only see one day at a time, one hour, one moment...but I don't like it very much when I'm going through the trials and tribulations of this world. I want to believe the prosperity gospel people and think everything will be great all the time if I follow the Lord.

There are huge problems with that philosophy though. One of them is that Jesus told his people that they would suffer. That's a pretty big one to me. Also, there are stories of righteous people in the Bible that go through trials (Job, for one. Also, there is the story of the blind man that the Lord says his blindness was not through his fault or his parents but that the glory of the Lord would be shown through him). That's not a thought that makes much sense to us, is it? That God would allow this hindrance or handicap in this man's life for His glory? But it is obvious in that man's story and the miracle that Jesus performed, that God was honored. I think of Nick Vujicic, the Christian speaker and author with no arms or legs. It was that exact story that caused him to become a Christian at twelve years old. It was when he realized that God could use his handicap for good and for God's glory. And look where Nick is now...probably where he would never have been with his arms and legs intact.

So, we live, we breath, we pray...and we trust God in His sovereignty. And thank Him for not giving us lesser things...for standing in our place, interceding for us, and holding out for our best. And this New Year's Day, that is what I am praying for--for more than the lesser things in life--for God's very best.

"We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
And all the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear

We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your word is not enough
And all the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not,
This is not our home
It's not our home

'Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near

What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise"