Sometimes, I feel like the Israelites in the desert…maybe because I’m a human being?  A circumstance arises and I feel like I won’t get through it.  I worry.  I pray.  I hold on.  God gets me through it in such a creative way and  I rejoice.  It seems not five minutes pass and I am complaining because I’m still in the same spot and nothing seems to be happening.

Always striving. Never content.

In Exodus God delivers His people out of the strong hand of Pharaoh.  He chose to use Moses who didn’t want to go.

God says, “It’s ok.  I’ll be with you.  Trust Me.”
Moses uses the excuse that he isn’t eloquent,  He was using human reasoning instead of trusting in the power of the Almighty God.  God doesn’t send the qualified or perfect.

God asks him, “Who made man’s mouth?”.

Moses didn’t see that he was simply the vessel God was using.  It wasn’t about Moses.  It wasn’t about his confidence.  It wasn’t about him being a great orator.  It wasn’t about his ability to do great things.  It was about obedience.  It was God’s power and ability.

Think of when God led the Israelites to the edge of the sea.  There was water in front of them and mountains on either side.  Pharaoh, the enemy, was behind them and they had no where to go.  After all the signs and wonders that God did to to lead them out of bondage in Egypt and proved how mighty He was they still asked, “Why did you bring us here, Moses??  Fool.  How will we get out of here?  We should have stayed in Egypt”.

They were backed in a corner with no way out when God parted the Red Sea and they walked through on dry land.

Their own rebellion led them into captivity in the first place, yet He still delivered them.  Israel was God’s chosen people and even in their rebellion He is faithful.  He finishes what He starts.  He had a plan of salvation from the beginning and completed it on the cross when Jesus said, “It is finished”.  Now we wait for eternity with Him.  Can you imagine the faith to trust that God was sending the Messiah, but dying before it came to pass?

Can you imagine those people under the old covenant when Jesus died and went to get them?  The graves were opened and they were alive.  The Messiah Himself went to set them free.  He didn’t forget.  He is faithful.  How exciting that must have been!  He’s the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow and His spirit lives today!

 

“THIS IS A FAITHFUL SAYING, AND WORTHY OF ALL ACCEPTATION, THAT CHRIST JESUS CAME INTO THE WORLD TO SAVE SINNERS; OF WHOM I AM CHIEF.” – 1 TIMOTHY 1:15

I’m right there with you, Buddy!  In comparison to Christ’s perfection nobody is worthy.  He makes us perfect and worthy in the new creation when we are born again.  He sees the righteous, new creation.  The old man is dead.

Oh, wretched (wo)man that I am.  Say it a little louder for the people in the back.

Sometimes, I think I’m a complete loon and wonder why God wants anything to do with me.  I’m so fickle.  One minute I’m telling everyone how faithful Jesus is and how He changed my life and can do nothing but rejoice.  The next I’m snapping because I’m filling up medicine boxes and have to run and get a prescription in the middle of making a cake.  I had to take a shower before going out in public which would delay the cake and I may as well just not even do anything.  I jump in the shower which calmed me down and gave me time to think…Just pick up the cake, put the icing in the refrigerator, and finish it tomorrow…?  Go get the medicine and you can make your roast in the morning.

Woah!  Let’s calm down, shall we?

My problem is expectations and control.  I had a plan.  I like to cook and bake on the weekends and can’t factor in life happening in between.  Monday is coming and I only have a few hours left before time’s up.  It was already Saturday evening.  Now, that is a small percentage of my entire brain all the time.  Factor in hormone flare ups and it’s a miracle I function at all.  I get all worked up about things that make no sense to anyone else or even to me when I say it out loud.  Control.  It’s the only thing I have at the moment.  If my seasons aren’t changing then I’m making cake and nobody is going to stop me.  Don’t come between me and cake pans.  I would say that sounds like an idol…

I have to remember it’s not about me.  He chose me.  I chose Him.  He knew from the beginning of time He would create us with free will and not like robots.  Until this life is over and we step into eternity we are stuck in this carnal body.  Flesh vs Spirit.  As Paul says in Romans 7 it’s a war of the mind (flesh) vs the law of God (spirit).

“FOR WE KNOW THAT THE LAW IS SPIRITUAL: BUT I AM CARNAL, SOLD UNDER SIN.  FOR THAT WHICH I DO I ALLOW NOT: FOR WHAT I WOULD, THAT DO I NOT; BUT WHAT I HATE, THAT DO I.  IF THEN I DO THAT WHICH I WOULD NOT, I CONSENT UNTO THE LAW THAT IT IS GOOD.  NOW THEN IT IS NO MORE I THAT DO IT, BUT SIN THAT DWELLETH IN ME.  FOR I KNOW THAT IN ME (THAT IS, IN MY FLESH,) DWELLETH NO GOOD THING: FOR TO WILL IS PRESENT WITH ME; BUT HOW TO PERFORM THAT WHICH IS GOOD I FIND NOT.  FOR THE GOOD THAT I WOULD I DO NOT: BUT THE EVIL WHICH I WOULD NOT, THAT I DO.  NOW IF I DO THAT I WOULD NOT, IT IS NO MORE I THAT DO IT, BUT SIN THAT DWELLETH IN ME.  I FIND THEN A LAW, THAT, WHEN I WOULD DO GOOD, EVIL IS PRESENT WITH ME.   FOR I DELIGHT IN THE LAW OF GOD AFTER THE INWARD MAN: BUT I SEE ANOTHER LAW IN MY MEMBERS, WARRING AGAINST THE LAW OF MY MIND, AND BRINGING ME INTO CAPTIVITY TO THE LAW OF SIN WHICH IS IN MY MEMBERS.

O WRETCHED MAN THAT I AM! WHO SHALL DELIVER ME FROM THE BODY OF THIS DEATH?

I THANK GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. SO THEN WITH THE MIND I MYSELF SERVE THE LAW OF GOD; BUT WITH THE FLESH THE LAW OF SIN.” – ROMANS 7:14-25

I am so thankful I get to live after Christ came.  Do you know how much faith the people in the Old Testament had??  They had all of these sacrifices and things to do and didn’t understand why yet.  God promised a Messiah, but they never got to see it come to pass in their lifetime on the earth.  They died with hope.  They died trusting that God didn’t lie to them.

Paul says in Romans 8:

“FOR WE ARE SAVED BY HOPE: BUT HOPE THAT IS SEEN IS NOT HOPE: FOR WHAT A MAN SEETH, WHY DOTH HE YET HOPE FOR?  BUT IF WE HOPE FOR THAT WE SEE NOT THEN DO WE WITH PATIENCE WAIT FOR IT.” – ROMANS 8:24-25

We are waiting for Christ’s return.  The more I read my bible the more thankful I am as I’m not the only crazy one.  Y’all, everyone in there was messed up.  The only perfect person was Jesus and the One everyone needed.  He was their hope.  He was who they were waiting for.

“AND HE CAME TO NAZARETH, WHERE HE HAD BEEN BROUGHT UP: AND, AS HIS CUSTOM WAS, HE WENT INTO THE SYNAGOGUE ON THE SABBATH DAY, AND STOOD UP FOR TO READ. AND THERE WAS DELIVERED UNTO HIM THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ESAIAS. AND WHEN HE HAD OPENED THE BOOK, HE FOUND THE PLACE WHERE IT WAS WRITTEN,  THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE HATH ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR; HE HATH SENT ME TO HEAL THE BROKENHEARTED, TO PREACH DELIVERANCE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERING OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET AT LIBERTY THEM THAT ARE BRUISED TO PREACH THE ACCEPTABLE YEAR OF THE LORD. AND HE CLOSED THE BOOK, AND HE GAVE IT AGAIN TO THE MINISTER, AND SAT DOWN. AND THE EYES OF ALL THEM THAT WERE IN THE SYNAGOGUE WERE FASTENED ON HIM. AND HE BEGAN TO SAY UNTO THEM, THIS DAY IS THIS SCRIPTURE FULFILLED IN YOUR EARS. AND ALL BARE HIM WITNESS, AND WONDERED AT THE GRACIOUS WORDS WHICH PROCEEDED OUT OF HIS MOUTH.”
– LUKE 4:16-22 (Reference: Isaiah 61)

The Messiah.

It’s so easy to pick out scriptures to make a point, but reading it in context paints an entirely different story.  Last year I read the gospels all the way through Matthew-John.  People always talk about Jesus as a person of love.  Yes, Jesus didn’t hesitate to help anyone who asked.  It didn’t matter what they did.  They were broken and became whole.  He healed the sick, called demons out of people, and loved people right as they were.

“Follow Me”, He’d say.
Their past was done.  You have a new life.
“Follow Me.”  You’re broken?  Not anymore.  You’re Mine.

He didn’t come for the perfect.

“AND WHEN THE PHARISEES SAW IT, THEY SAID UNTO HIS DISCIPLES, WHY EATETH YOUR MASTER WITH PUBLICANS AND SINNERS? BUT WHEN JESUS HEARD THAT, HE SAID UNTO THEM, THEY THAT BE WHOLE NEED NOT A PHYSICIAN, BUT THEY THAT ARE SICK. BUT GO YE AND LEARN WHAT THAT MEANETH, I WILL HAVE MERCY, AND NOT SACRIFICE: FOR I AM NOT COME TO CALL THE RIGHTEOUS, BUT SINNERS TO REPENTANCE.” – MATTHEW 9:11-13

But, that same Jesus who healed and restored flipped tables because they were defiling the temple.  He called out the pharisees for their religious hypocrisy and arrogance.  Jesus ate with sinner, but did not live their lifestyle.  He kept the law and was righteous.  He was Jesus.  He could not sin.  He was perfect.  He preached and told of repentance, righteousness, and the kingdom to come.  He invited them to be a part of it and people either accepted Him or they didn’t.

We all have a chance to get to know the Savior of the world.  Everyone has a god, but not everyone has the One True God.  Everyone worships something as that is what we were created to do.  The difference is everyone wants to go to Heaven, but nobody wants God while they are here.  He is calling and we all have a chance to answer, but not everyone does.

“FOR THE WRATH OF GOD IS REVEALED FROM HEAVEN AGAINST ALL UNGODLINESS AND UNRIGHTEOUSNESS OF MEN, WHO HOLD THE TRUTH IN UNRIGHTEOUSNESS; BECAUSE THAT WHICH MAY BE KNOWN OF GOD IS MANIFEST IN THEM; FOR GOD HATH SHEWED IT UNTO THEM. FOR THE INVISIBLE THINGS OF HIM FROM THE CREATION OF THE WORLD ARE CLEARLY SEEN, BEING UNDERSTOOD BY THE THINGS THAT ARE MADE, EVEN HIS ETERNAL POWER AND GODHEAD; SO THAT THEY ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE: BECAUSE THAT, WHEN THEY KNEW GOD, THEY GLORIFIED HIM NOT AS GOD, NEITHER WERE THANKFUL; BUT BECAME VAIN IN THEIR IMAGINATIONS, AND THEIR FOOLISH HEART WAS DARKENED. PROFESSING THEMSELVES TO BE WISE, THEY BECAME FOOLS, AND CHANGED THE GLORY OF THE UNCORRUPTIBLE GOD INTO AN IMAGE MADE LIKE TO CORRUPTIBLE MAN, AND TO BIRDS, AND FOURFOOTED BEASTS, AND CREEPING THINGS.” – ROMANS 1:18-23

It is imperative that as Christians we have like minded people to surround ourselves with.  The world hates Jesus. You actually look insane waiting on God’s timing when the world is constantly telling you to achieve and have all these things.  Instant gratification is the world we live in today.  I can’t say enough how thankful I am for Godly people in my life.  When I get stuck in this crazy mindset where I can’t see past the situation they are there to get me out of my head.

Last night after the meltdown about cake and medicine my dad said, “God is still working on you.  He is showing you little by little.  Remember when you were reading the whole bible at once because you thought you needed to rush and make up for lost time?”

I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

I am currently reading Exodus.  Well, that’s what I’m supposed to be reading.  I’m trying to figure out if God is making me a psychopath or if it’s just exposing it.  If this were a ‘get to know me’ phase of a relationship they would run, but God doesn’t run.  I just have a lot of questions.  I finished Genesis, started Exodus and then realized I needed to know all of what God said RIGHT NOW…

Me: “I’m starting to get overwhelmed reading my bible.”
My dad: “I would be overwhelmed too if I were reading 9 books.”
Me: “I can’t help it!  I need to know what it says!”
My dad: “I was going to try to read what you’re reading, but I can’t keep up.  I never know where you are.  You brought up Isaiah and Hosea in the same sentence.  It’s like buying a loaf of bread.  If you eat the entire thing at once you’ll get sick.  If you eat a slice a day you won’t.”
Me: “I CAN’T HELP IT!  I need to know what it says right now!  There’s no time!  I need answers!”

Even though I was overwhelmed reading all of it at once everything was referenced in Romans 7, 8, and 9.  God likes to teach us. 🙂

God is refining me and bringing my weaknesses to the surface.  Paul says in Romans without the law you wouldn’t know what sin was.  God shows you who He is and how perfect He is which in turns shows you just how badly you need Him.  He is always faithful.  It’s not in our timing, but He is faithful.  Think of a child in time out.  The more they whine and cry does that get them out any faster?  No.  Why would you reward that behavior.  It’s the same when we are grown and in the middle of a season.  What is God teaching me here?  Sometimes you need to hear about seasons even though you know what is actually happening.  Sometimes you need to get out of your own head.

I am learning in all things to be content.  Surrender.

“You should be encouraged that your relationship with Christ is at a point that when tested…it worked.”  That is one of the most encouraging things I could have ever heard.  It’s so simple, yet so true.  When you’re in the middle of a situation it’s hard to see past it.  But, God always reminds us who He is in the simplest ways.

Trust the process God has set up for you.  He is leading you out of the desert.  You’re just not there yet, but it doesn’t mean He has forgotten you.  He is purifying your heart.  Let Him.

We were created in His image.  Stop striving and just be with Him.

Background music:  Take courage by Bethel Music

“Slow down. Take time.  Breathe in, He says.
He’d reveal what’s to come.
The thoughts in His mind always higher than mine.
He’ll reveal all to come.

…You who hold the stars, Who calls them each by name, will surely keep Your promise to me and I’ll rise in Your victory…

Take courage my heart.
Stay steadfast my soul.
He’s in the waiting.

Hold onto your hope as your triumph unfolds.
He’s never failing.”