Walked Out of the Wilderness

Slowly and progressively, through and out of the desert is the best. On the edge of a new place, or a place being reclaimed for the Kingdom, it is scary. That is where faith is challenged, and The Faithful One proves Himself faithful, again. And again.

It is the only place worth living in. It is the place of the Taste. Taste and see that the Lord is Good. It is the place of knowing by tasting.

Moment by moment, steps lead to forks in the road. Decision points. One direction is a broad path, the other narrow, steep, stoney. Little or no God is required for the broad way. The other way is impassable without him.

So He walks you slowly and progressively up and through the narrow way. Some, much of the route is easy enough that your pride thinks you are doing the travelling.

The rest of the path is where you come to know. Not imagine. Know. You taste and see that the Lord is good, because there are no options. Well...there is one. The broad way is always right there, just a step away, full of comfort and comfortable people. Here in the narrows, though, there is a different comfort.

Sunday nights we would be coming back from a weekend in Wisconsin with grandparents. It would be late when we got home, and I would be asleep in the back of the station wagon. I would wake up when the winter air hit my face. I would fell the rhythm of being carried into the house. And I would look up and see my Dad's facing looking down as he carried me. It stuck so strong, because it was so right. It was one of the things that defined a dad. That is the comfort of the narrows, the wilderness.

Father, thank you for your fathering. And thank you for the stony way, where your nature shines in the darkness.

Gifts and Talents

There are things you are good at, things you are really good at, and then there are things that very clearly you are better at than you can be. When you are doing those things, you come alive with more than the enjoyment of doing something well. You come alive with the power of God coursing through you and doing well for his glory.

And all of this can happen without you having any regard for God.

The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable, and also are not dependent upon having received the good news of the Messiah.

There is a fair chance that the talent you have been given by your heavenly father will not be used for his glory if you have no regard for him. But the talent is still from him, inspires awe and reflects glory upon him.

Father, nothing you do is wasted. Perhaps what we do with what you do comes to ruin. But you will receive all of the glory. That has no variance. Now, what happens when we find the talent you have given, and we turn it all for the purpose you intended? Does it reflect your glory more? I hope so, but I am not sure. Or can we ever know the fullness of what you intended?

Maybe it is time to rest in the knowledge that, with the good heart you have put in me, that I will purpose and fail, and purpose and succeed, and purpose again, to do my best to love you with what I have and am. You have given me a good heart, and I will love you with it. It is you to have mercy on me. It is you to pass over my foolishness when you see me covered with the blood of Jesus.

O God, thank you for the Blood.