Great God

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Hebrews 12:7-11

I know that it would be good if God said, "Yes," to all my requests. It would be good if God did everything in my life in a way that I envision it. Instead, he wants what is great. It was good that Jesus walked on this earth teaching and doing miracles. It was great that he died for the salvation of the whole world.

I sense a little sadness in God's heart because he is asking a great sacrifice of us. He is asking us to be led by his Spirit, rather than do all those things that look good in our eyes and the eyes of others. Then he can bring about what is great.

All around us voices are calling. It has caused a lot of confusion. God is asking us to keep our eyes on Jesus. These voices could distract us from the course that God has for us. Some are sins, but others are "good" things. God has great. We are going to have to trust his judgment because his ways don't always make sense to us. We can't trust our own understanding. We need to trust God. (Proverbs 3:5-6) We serve a GREAT GOD.