| | Though I have greatly slacked on journaling in this season, I have been reading: Isaiah, John and just finished Esther.
As I read Esther, I was impressed as I reflected on Mordecai's journey. From my recollection, the book of Esther occurs over at least two to three years....as my rough guess. I observed how Mordecai went through a time of interceding, mourning, interceding some more, and then there was a break through as God's power and grace began to appear on the scene. God knew what He was doing all along, but from Mordecai's stance, it looked life life as he knew it was unraveling at the seams.
Now, what I am not saying is that when we presevre that God will promote us to a position of power with a big house...as happened in this case. But when we endure, God will indeed turn our mourning into a holiday, and our sorrow into dancing.
Look at Naomi in the book of Ruth. She was bereaved of her husband and her only sons and returned to her former home with a whole lot of nothing. In fact, she told people, "don't call me Naomi (joy) but call me Mara (bitterness) for the Lord has dealt bitterly with me." Yikes. But God worked over time in her life and restored her family like she never could have imaged.
Look at Jesus. From day one, he was considered a bastard, an illegitimate child by most everyone. As He ministered and heal folks, they continually tried to stone (kill) him. And then He suffered an excruciating death. But the victory came when death could not hold Him and He paved the way for each of us to be sons and daughters of the Most High God.
And the disciples that were with Jesus walked the same road as Him for three years, expecting Him to be a literal king who would end all their problems. His death through them for the loop of a lifetime. But His resurrection changed them forever. For the rest of their lives, the testimony of who Jesus was for them and wants to be for everyone became their life mission. That everyone might know Christ. Most of these men were beat up somewhat regularly and eventually killed. But what is Paul writes? "For me to live is to rejoice in your growth, and for me to die is to be with Jesus." The way he saw it, he couldn't lose regardless if he lived of died because he understood that as we humble ourselves before God and men, that the fears, hurts, and pains of this world have no hold on us and the joy of our salvation takes root like never before.
Jesus invited us to "lay our heavy burdens down" because His load for us to carry is light. How will you respond? Personally, I'm tired of being afraid, worried and discouraged. Jesus meant every word He said, what if we trusted Him and really lived life on earth to the fullest and best of our ability without feeling sorry for ourselves for the trials we experience? God tells us what would occur and it's beautiful. We would become the people He meant for us to be: more than a conqueror, overcomers in Christ, the salt of the earth, light in the darkness.
I could go on for hours journaling my thoughts on this, but ultimately I will just end up repeating one great truth:
To be the overcomer that we are meant to be, we must actively overcome and endure. God has already told us that He "goes before us and makes smooth the rough places", that "no weapon formed against us shall prosper" and that He'll work everything to our good when we love Him and seek His will in our lives".
The moral of this story is the time has come to remove our gravecloths and to put on a garmet of praise. It is a new day, a day of victory and of overcoming.
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| | Posted 4/11/2009 11:47 AM - 9 Views - 2 eProps - 1 Comment
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