Thursday, January 21, 2010

The One Where I Share Some Thoughts

This morning as I was having my devotional time, I was struck by something and wanted to share with you.

(for my devotional times, I have decided to read through the Psalms, along with work through the devotional book Streams in the Desert. I started Streams last year and have really been blessed by its message, so I decided to keep going with it this year)

I started with Psalm 2 and read about the overwhelming power of God. One of God's "personas" is that of loving Father and I think that there definitely are times He benevolently smiles down on us as we make all these grandiose plans. However, in this particular chapter, God is not looking down with benevolence. The "kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord" and as a result, "He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger and terrify them in His fury." We cannot think of God as a kind old man who sits on the Throne, stroking His beard as He kindly laughs at us. HE IS GOD. Are we working on our plans or His plans?

Then I read today's reading from Streams in the Desert. The verse for today was Acts 20:24, which says "I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me." Paul was speaking to the elders from Ephesus, with whom he lived and worked and preached for 3 years. He was telling them good-bye, because he was heading to Jerusalem and did not think that he would be back to Asia. As he talked with them, he reminded them that the news he shared with them was the Gospel of God and to be aware of those who would come in and try to destroy that truth, because they are coming.

Isn't that the truth? How many of us have seen this firsthand? How many times have we seen people who are preaching a version of the truth, but not the truth? How many of us have let naysayers steal our joy? Take our assurance from us? Let their doubts creep in and put fissures in our strong wall of faith?

So, are we going to let them? Are we going to give up and take the easy road? Or instead, will we stand up for what we believe?

To be honest, I have no idea what that really means. Oh sure, I am a missionary, but my life is not in danger. I am surrounded by people who love and support me in my work. Does the Devil still fight against me? Of course he does. I deal with insecurities, seasonal depression, envy, anger and doubt. But, really, where is my battle?

To be honest, I think my battle is in the everyday. I look for the magnificent and push aside the ordinary. I want to do extraordinary things today without faithfully working yesterday.

My battle is surrender. I have dreams and hopes and plans. Some of them are good and God will honor them. Others belong only to the world and not to Him. So, I battle it out. With myself. And I know only with the help of God will I succeed.

I walk every day, one foot in front of the other, on His path. There are days I get distracted and wander off the path. Other times I take a wrong turn, on purpose. But, no matter how I feel day by day, I KNOW that at the end I want to end up at His destination for me, not mine.

For to fight for what I believe in little things will add up to big things.

Yesterday I had to write a paper for my Media Theories class. I was to talk about my "locations", meaning I was to describe some things that define who I am and that influence my values and principles and worldview. I talked about my ethnicity (I am very proudly Norwegian-American), my gender/sexuality and, the most important one, my religion. We were to then take an issue that is impacting this world and talk about it through the lens of our worldview. The one that kept coming to me was abortion. I tried to just work it in and go a different direction, but I couldn't. So, while it is a small thing, only to be read by one professor, I stood up for what I believed. I used Bible verses in a paper for a secular college. I have no idea what my professor will say. But, it was what I had to do.

Yesterday, I did a itty bitty tiny thing. Maybe today I can something that is a little bit bigger.

But that isn't the point. The point is to take what I have and give it ALL to God. To walk on His path and keep focused on Him. There is an end goal here and we can't lose sight of that!

I will end with a quote from Streams:

Great is the easy conqueror; Yet the one who is wounded sore, Breathless, all covered o'er with blood and sweat, Sinks fainting, but fighting evermore – Is greater yet.

blog comments powered by Disqus