changes

On March 1st I wrote about a time of change that began to happen in my life. Several people whom I had been close to for many years, have discontinued their relationship with me. From the human standpoint I do not know why. However, I

have begun to see God's hand in this, and I am thankful and grateful for what He is doing.

Christian growth can be an enigma. There are times when things seem to be going smoothly and I sense myself growing in the grace and knowledge of my Lord Jesus Christ.

Then, at other times, disruption occurs. Hindrances happen. Changes take place; some rapidly, some slowly.

Such changes often seem at their beginning to be unsettling. But the Lord says to never allow my heart to be troubled; I'm to trust in Him always.

The Lord, you see, is the Master Builder. He's the caretaker of the vineyard with all its trees and branches. And as a Christian, I am a branch.

Now, although I did not understand it at first, God has blessed me with good changes. But at the start I was confused. I was fearful of being abandoned by others. Deep-seated feelings of rejection and abandomnent began to surface.

Over time, however, God's peace filled my heart. He has everything under control. He always has, and He always will.

As the Bible says, "And we know that all things work togeher for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according dto His purpose." (Romans 8:28).

So then, even the painful periods of pruning are for a good purpose. At the hands of a loving Shepherd such purging and purifying means He is perparing me to bear even more fruit. This is all God's doing, and it is wonderful. The Father

knows best.

Furthermore, during this particular time, I began to realize that I had to learn how to relinqish the control other people were having over me.

Although I love them dearly, and perhaps one day the Lord will allow them to come back into my life, for now it is best that they're gone.

Emotional attachments are difficult to break. So God had to come and do a work inside my soul to help me to understand this.

Now, though, it is as if blinders have been lifted from around my eyes.

The ones whom God has removed from my life, maybe for a period of time, or perhaps permanently, were controlling me emotionally. Probably without even realizing it, they were placing soulish and carnal roots in me that were not good.

But at some point in our respective relationships, each of them began to be constant complainers and fault-finders who tried to steer me in the directions they wanted me to go. The Lord would not allow this.

David Berkowitz

April 8, 2004