Opening illustration: Consider this scenario, the building all around you is burning. You are too far up to jump, because landing on the ground would surely kill you. The flames and smoke have forced you out of the window and onto the ledge. You are hanging onto the ledge to avoid the flames and smoke. There you are on the ledge hanging on; you can't go back inside; you can't climb down. Below you, a group of firemen are waiting to catch you in their safety net. All you have to do is let go and fall into that net. "Let go," they call. "Trust us; we'll catch you." "Let go. The fire will get you if you keep hanging on." The firestorm that is your life may be burning all around you. Life's situations may seem so hopeless. Do you hear God calling to you? Why are you still trying to take care of things yourself? Let God have His way!
Letting go and letting God in word means trusting Him and letting Him have His way with your life.
Let us turn to Luke 22:42 and see how the Word of God addresses this …
Introduction: Just a Thought: God will have His way; His will, will be accomplished. If this is so, why do we need to bother to do anything? Why don’t we just sit back and “let God?”
Frankly, the doctrine of sovereignty does not relieve us of responsibility. We still have ethical, moral and spiritual reasonability to hear, reason and respond appropriately to the call and commands of God in order to walk in harmony with God. However what the doctrine of sovereignty does do for us is, bring comfort and confidence that God really is in control.
People may think God should do things a certain way - but God is not limited to human thinking! It’s a mistake to tell God how to heal you, how to provide a spouse for you, or how to do any miracle. Let him figure it out, because He is Almighty God!
When Elijah was in the cave, there was an earthquake, a windstorm, and a fire, but God wasn’t in them. Finally came that still small voice speaking in a very quiet and gentle manner, and it was God (1 Kings 19:12). This is the way He works. So, whatever you are asking Him for, believe God—then let Him do it in His way so that He can have His way.
How can God have His way in our lives?
1. Thinking out of the box (Isaiah 55:8)
God doesn’t always do things the logical way, God uses unorthodox methods, He’s illogical and unconventional; it may not always make sense to our mind. If you have these preconceived ideas of how you’re going to be promoted, get well, it will limit what God can do. You have to stay open, let God out of your box; you may only see one way that it could happen, it’s obvious, you need to get that promotion so you’ll have the funds to accomplish your dreams. If you get passed over, if you’re not careful you’ll get discouraged, start thinking’, “it’s never going to happen, I missed my opportunity, God it’s not fair.” No, what you don’t realize is God closed that door on purpose because He has something’ much better in front of you. Just because it’s the logical way doesn’t mean that its God’s way, just because it happened that way before doesn’t mean it’s going to happen that way next time. Stay open; if you’re narrow-minded, you can miss God’s best.
Our attitude should be, “God, I’m letting you out of my box, You can do anything in my life, You can do it any time, You can use any person that You want, God I trust you to do it Your way.” It’s easy to make narrow-minded judgements, and think, “God can’t use her as she’s a sinner. God can’t use him, he likes to party. God can’t use them, they don’t even believe in God.” No, God can use whoever He wants to use, save whoever He wants to save, bring good out of whomever He wants to. God used Rahab the prostitute to save the people of Israel, a donkey to speak to the prophet, Pharaoh’s daughter to take care of baby Moses; God used the enemy to take care of one of his children. God is God, He can do whatever He wants to do; don’t put Him in a box and miss your miracle.
A lot of times, God is answering our prayer, it’s just not the way that we expected. You have to stay open as to how God answers your prayer; it may not be the way you had planned, God may not use the people you were expecting, it may not happen on your timetable, but this is what faith is all about; “God I trust you, You know what’s best for me, what I need, when I need it, who I need.” some of you today are a little discouraged because things haven’t worked out the way you had planned, but you need to take another look; maybe God has answered your prayers, just not the way you thought. Or maybe what you were asking for wasn’t God’s best, and God loves you too much to answer that prayer. Maybe God has given you something better, but because you’re so set in seeing it happen your way you don’t recognize it right now. God knows what He’s doing, He can see the big picture for your life; if you’re only going to be happy if God does it your way, you’re not really trusting; you’ve got to come to the place where if it doesn’t work out the way you had it planned you’re still in peace, you know God is still on the throne, and He will still get you to where you’re supposed to be but you might just delay it with your pride and disobedience.
2. Going Unconventional (John 9:6-7)
There were many different methods Jesus used to heal people. Jesus was unconventional; there was no precedent for this ever happening before in the scripture, this was the first instance this method had ever been used. The blind man could have said, “Get this off my eyes, this doesn’t make sense, this isn’t going to do any good,” no, he didn’t have God in a box, he stayed open. Are you open for God to use a new method to bring your dreams to pass? What if God answers your prayers differently than you were expecting? What if he doesn’t use the people that you thought He would use? Are you going to stay open, and say “God I trust you, do it your way”? Or, are you going to have God in a box and miss your miracle? Jesus did all this on the Sabbath; he not only used an unconventional method, but he broke one of their religious rules; the Pharisees (religious leaders) were very upset, and questioned the blind man over and over. One reason God does it His way and not our way is so that He will get all the credit. The blind man was saying in effect, “you can argue doctrine, debate whether or not he’s a sinner, try to deny it, dismiss it, discredit it, but I am living proof of a good God, a God of mercy and a God who can do the impossible.” It all started when he was willing to let God do it His way. He didn’t have God in a box.
God doesn’t always choose the way we choose; man looks on the outside, God looks on the heart. If you’re going to reach your highest potential, you have to stay open; don’t get stuck in a rut, God is an out of the box God. His plan for your life will not always be logical, or reasonable, or what you had planned, but if you will stay open, it will be much bigger, better, more rewarding, than you ever even imagined. God wants to thrust you to new levels, He wants to not only bring you out of that difficulty, and He wants to catapult you out. God is going to open doors for you that no man can shut, you have not touched the surface of what God has in store, but it’s not going to happen by traditional means, logical ways, it’s going to be supernatural. That way God will get all the credit; nobody will be able to doubt God’s hand of favor and blessing on your life.
Don’t limit God by thinking it can only happen this way or that way, God has 1000 ways to do it; when they show up, are you going to be open, and say, “God, this is not what I had planned, what I was expecting, who I thought you would use, but God you know what’s best for me, You’ve opened this door, I’m going to do my part and walk through it?” You may be criticized, people may find fault, they may not understand you, you may even break one of their “religious rules,” but you’ve got to be more interested in pleasing God than you are in pleasing people. There will always be people that try to squeeze you into their mold, and tell you you’re not enough of this or that, or too much of this, not talented, qualified; let it go in one ear and out the other, you are not who people say you are, you are who God says you are.
You have to put having to have it your way on the altar: “You already know what I want; instead of begging You, telling You how to do it, and when to do it, God I just want to thank You that Your perfect plan for my life will come to pass.” God did what He promised, but He did it in an unconventional way, not the way she had planned. I’d love to tell you God will always do it your way, but that’s not reality. I can promise you God’s way will always be the best way. You may not understand it, it may not seem fair, but God knows what He’s doing, trust Him; quit being frustrated because it didn’t work out your way. What if you knew if God answered your prayer the way you wanted that it wouldn’t be His best, or that it wouldn’t last or wouldn’t be healthy? You would gladly let God do it His way. Some of you would enjoy life a whole lot more if you would put that dream on the altar, and say, “God, I’m tired of fighting it, trying to make it happen my way, living frustrated, God I trust you, knowing that at the right time your plan for my life will come to pass.”
Illustration: During World War II, a US marine was separated from his unit on a Pacific island. The fighting had been intense, and in the smoke and the crossfire he had lost touch with his comrades.
Alone in the jungle, he could hear enemy soldiers coming in his direction. Scrambling for cover, he found his way up a high ridge to several small caves in the rock. Quickly he crawled inside one of the caves. Although safe for the moment, he realized that once the enemy soldiers looking for him swept up the ridge, they would quickly search all the caves and he would be killed. As he waited, he prayed, "Lord, if it be your will, please protect me. Whatever your will though, I love you and trust you. Amen."
After praying, he lay quietly listening to the enemy begin to draw close. He thought, "Well, I guess the Lord isn’t going to help me out of this one." Then he saw a spider begin to build a web over the front of his cave. As he watched, listening to the enemy searching for him all the while, the spider layered strand after strand of web across the opening of the cave. “Hah, he thought." What I need is a brick wall and what the Lord has sent me is a spider web. God does have a sense of humor."
As the enemy drew closer he watched from the darkness of his hideout and could see them searching one cave after another. As they came to his, he got ready to make his last stand. To his amazement, however, after glancing in the direction of his cave, they moved on. Suddenly, he realized that with the spider web over the entrance, his cave looked as if no one had entered for quite a while. "Lord, forgive me," prayed the young man. "I had forgotten that in you a spider’s web is stronger than a brick wall."
We all face times of great trouble. When we do, it is so easy to forget the victories that God would work in our lives, sometimes in the most surprising ways. As the great leader, Nehemiah, reminded the people of Israel when they faced the task of rebuilding Jerusalem, "In God we will have success!" [Nehemiah 2:20]
Remember: Whatever is happening in your life, with God, a mere spider’s web can become a brick wall of protection. Believe He is with you always. (Jeffrey Powell, SermonCentral)
3. Letting Go and Letting God (Psalm 55:22)
The Bible is the perfect place to turn when you are going through rough times. “Cast your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken” (Psalm 55:22). These are true promises, with the seeds of inner peace hidden in them.
But it’s easy to misread these passages to mean that God is a magic problem-solver, a genie whose main job is to make us happy today. It’s easy to assume that casting our troubles on God means He will take our troubles away. Sometimes, though, He doesn’t.
I love the phrase “Let go and let God” because it sounds so simple. But there are times when we aren’t clear what it is we’re supposed to let go of. And there are other times we want to let go, we try to let go - and it just doesn’t happen. Why?
Sometimes there’s a difference in what we want to give up and what we need to release. We might be holding tightly to something we think of as good, like better health for a loved one or changed behavior in a wayward child. And though it’s never wrong to desire good things, there are times when we have to let go of what we think is best.
Other times we grip tightly to assumptions about the way life “should” be. We think things ought to be easier or being a parent shouldn’t be so hard. We fight what we’re being asked to do - effectively resisting taking up our cross (Matthew 16:24) the way Jesus commanded. Sometimes what we must give up are our preconceived notions of how life is supposed to work.
But in every case, what “Letting go and letting God” comes down to is this: We need to let go of our own will. We must claim as our own the incredibly hard prayer that Jesus prayed: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). We need to let go and let God do what God wills. This submission will lead to peace and joy, even when the way is difficult. “Father, I place my life in your hands!” (Luke 23:46).
Application: Just step aside, and allow God to take over. Let go and let God! Give up your gloom and doom, and put your future in God's hands. That pessimism you've worn every day for so long can be discarded. That worry that creases your brow and reminds you continually just how horrible your situation is can be turned into a smile. That certain feeling of impending doom that whispers in your ear, "it can't possibly turn out the way you want it to" can be silenced. Let go and let God!
