believe

“There is a safe place with the Lord where we don’t have to have all the answers”

-Angie Smith, I Will Carry You

As much as I love learning, asking questions, digging deep, and talking, I am thankful that at the end of the day I can find just as much joy in an “I don’t know” than an “Oh!! I get it now.” Not everything has a neat little bow and I’m okay with that. A little mystery, a little too BIG for me to understand, well, that all adds to the beauty of God. Even in the midst of trials and heart aching questions, I can still find rest in His arms. Even if I find myself with an “I don’t know,” it’ll be okay because at the end of the day I remember this….

I believe that God is who He says He is.

hitting me over the head

Okay, I’ve been hit over the head with this little truth over and over in sermons, blog posts, chatting with God, and talking with others. God sure seems to want to embed it deep in my heart:

Know Me.

Don’t just talk about me or talk at me or do things for me or sing songs about me. Know Me. Believe in Me. Trust Me. Rely on Me. Cling to Me. Invite Me into the situation, the circumstances, everything. Behold My face. I am who I say I am.

In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. Proverbs 3:6

“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you: Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.” Matthew 7:23 (told you, I’m loving on Matthew already!)

In running it out and chatting with God, He gave me a real-life picture of a path and how that relates to knowing Him.  I found myself on the path. Going in the right direction.  Looking ahead at my destination rather than my shuffling feet. Seeing the beauty around me and soaking up time with Him.

All is going along swimmingly, right? Well, that is until the creepy, slithering snake goes right in front of me ON the path.  My reaction: a gasp, a jump, and running faster! Pretty much like the last time I ran into a pretty little snake…

Though, what God spoke to me this made me take a heart step back. Wait…the snake, the temptation, the suffering…you mean, they come along right in the middle of the path that He’s calling me to walk.  Sometimes I too often throw it all into a nice little box of if I’m going the right way then all of that would go aside.  But, no, that’s not how it works.

It’s in knowing Him and following Him that I can trust that He’ll get me through it. He’ll make sure that I can keep running toward Him, that I can finish the race. No weapon formed against me shall prosper.  Sure, I may run into things ON the path, but God is with Me. I can rejoice, I can find the joy. So, I’m stepping out boldly and confidently with the assurance that God is with me.

Works for Wednesday

Work=activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result.

Ergon (Greek word): deed, doing, labor, work. From a primary (but obsolete) ergo (to work); toil (as an effort or occupation); by implication, an act — deed, doing, labour, work.

John 6:27-29

“Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.”

Therefore they said to Him, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?”

Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”

I read this passage and walked away wondering…Am I trying to make this so complicated? Am I trying to find a formula or isolate those areas that “work” for me rather than keeping it as simple as believing in Him? Maybe, just maybe, it’s more of a risk in trust to venture confidently with belief rather than reason, logic and oh, yes…experiences or what’s worked in the past. I don’t want to get what I’ve always gotten…I want to let Him take me places that go beyond what I can ask or imagine.

Just a few rough-edged thoughts…what do you think?