Breaking the Formula

One thing I’m really enjoying about “The Fire of Delayed Answers”  is that Sorge is helping me appreciate the valleys in my life, to be able to embrace the refining instead of cringe at the thought of more pain.

I’m a person who likes routine. I like formulas. I like to KNOW what to do, so I can do it. I’m not very good at waiting or at looking outside the box. Which makes faith (and listening for God) difficult at times. 

God doesn’t have a “set formula”. He can answer prayers in more ways than I know how to count. (please tweet). 

One way He answers the dilemma of my weak faith is to take me through the valley. 

In the valley, I’m forced to search for new answers …to look outside what I perceive to be truths about who God is. 

Sorge says, “The crooked places are areas in our lives and understanding that are not correct but which we think are straight. The Lord will take great pains to straighten out what we have not even thought to question.” (pg 78)

Valleys can create theological crisis because it’s in the valley that we begin to see a new side of God. In the valley God doesn’t always respond how we are used to. 

In the valley my formulas break down. I’m forced to see that my coping mechanisms cannot get me through the pain, ONLY God can! And it’s at this point that I begin to ask questions and God begins to answer…though it may take time to hear from Him.

“One of the reasons we can’t hear from God, when the darkness descends, is that God wants to re-train the way in which we hear from Him.” (pg 79)

WOW! 

Now that I’m beginning to understand the reason behind the valley and that the valley is DESIGNED by God, I’m pliable and ready to learn. 

In the Valley, I come to the end of me and find more of God than I ever knew existed! (please tweet)

The Valleys are pretty awesome times of growth and enlightenment. Not always “fun”, but they are worth the pain.

I pray that God shatters your illusions of who He is and how He operates. I pray He opens you up to the possibilities in the Valley and that you come out shining as gold. I pray that you learn NEW ways to hear God and that He makes your way straight.

God is good. Trust Him even when you can’t hear Him, because SOON you will hear!

Have a blessed week in growing. 

“You don’t go out of the valley: you grow out of the valley.” (pg 78)

Join the Book club discussing, “The Fire of Delayed Answers” by Bob Sorge, by either grabbing a copy of the book and joining the weekly discussions and/or leaving a comment below. You can read more about this chapter from: Jason, Sarah, Rick, Dusty, Keri, Glynn,  and Joell.