This is going to be long. I'm sorry. If you continue to read what follows, settle in. A friend who's a much more interesting blogger than I am said of her own thoughts, that "...90 percent of what I write on this blog is for what it produces on the inside, and only 10 percent for what it produces on paper." This holds true for me as well. So with that prefaced, I"ll share with you my heart. Read away random blog followers.
As I sit inside the club level lounge of a new, trendy hotel in my home town of Overland Park (yeah, chilling in hotels isn't weird or anything) looking out on the town and trying not to reflect on the fact that had I not changed my major a year ago, I would be graduated right now, I am reading Joshua from the Old Testament. If you know me really well, you know that Joshua is kinda my hero of faith that I really dig and relate to at the moment. I see so many things that God is doing in my life that has prepared me to cross my own Jordan River in the coming weeks and months, and I am daily looking to how Joshua lived life through trusting God's leadership in his life, so that the could lead those in his care.
In 5 days, I will be leaving for Athens, Greece for six weeks to do a ministry project. The thing is, is that I have to raise $2000 in those 5 days. If Athens is the "land that God has promised" with His calling for my life this summer, I have a huge Jordan River to cross before I can get there. But, I am ready, and I am prepared to make the crossing. I know that God is directing my steps, and as I get closer and closer to the river bank, He will provide a way. I mentioned earlier in my blog, that Proverbs 16:9 has been my theme verse over the lat four years as God has prepared me from this awkward and shy boy, into the man and leader He has called me to be. But up until recently, I always knew the verse as God determined our steps (which He absolutely does), but I was shown recently another perspective on this life verse for me. The ESV translation of 16:9 says "In his heart, a man plans his course, but the Lord establishes his steps." I really like the use of 'establishes' here, rather than determines, because while God does determine our steps, He calls us to paths in our heart when we follow them, and then He establishes our way and steps according to the path He has called us to.
As I prepare for Greece, I've been battered with 'what ifs' and Plan B's in regards to support raising. After reading Joshua tonight, I am reaffirmed in my faith that Plan B's aren't in step with faith. Faith is the essence of things hoped for; of things not seen. Going back to the heroes of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11, they didn't have Plan B's. Noah didn't build the Ark with life boats, or even build the thing next to the tallest mountain he could find in case God had given him bad construction plans. Moses didn't lead the people out of Egypt and get to the Red Sea with the intention of soldiering men to fight the pursuing force behind them. Joshua didn't lead the people down to the banks of the Jordan River thinking they could just build a bridge to get across. These guys didn't have back-up plans. They heard God's call for them, they believed, and He established their steps.
I realize that God has led me exactly where I am right now for a reason. As someone who has been exploring the calling of ministry and missions in my life, I look to 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 as an answer to this. But I also have to believe and cling to trusting that God will be glorified through me this summer. He has led me to this place where I have a Red see in front of me, a desert surrounding me, and an army behind me. The amazing thing that I think we forget all too often in the world we live in today, is that the same God who we pray too in our beds, driving our cars, in our safe churches, is the God who parted that sea, stopped that river, even raised a man from the dead, and conquered death Himself!
God asks for us to daily pick up our cross and follow Jesus. To deny ourselves the safety and sure footedness of what we could have in the world, and leap out unto faith that He will catch us. He never tells us when His safe and secure arms will catch us, only that He wont let us hit the ground. I know that when I am at my ropes end within summer, He will catch me.
Ultimately, in one week, I believe that I will be on a plane over the Great Pond right now. While I prayerfully trust Him to establish my steps in Greece, I know He will determine my steps for His glory.
No comments:
Post a Comment