The Vast Expanse Ahead

"We can believe God about everything except the present pressing trial. This is folly. Come, my soul, shake off such sinfulness, and trust thy God with the load, the labor, the longing of this present. This done, all is done." -Spurgeon


I remember a time when God taught me the hard way that he will always provide for me, in fact I'm sure I can recall several times I've learned this lesson. But somehow the moment that I face the pressing question of God's faithfulness, all of those promises I've been told fall to the bottom of my mind, away in some deep recess of my mind, unreachable because I'm blinded by my fear and anxiety. Often I even call out to God and ask him to promise me that everything will be okay. The truth is that he has, but my fear has so clouded my mind that I can't remember it.
Cling to the truth God has given you! Cling to his promises. God will not let us fall. If we trust him, he will carry us miles further than we could ever try on our own.
God, my sweet Father, never let me forget your promises, help me to stand firm in your truth as I face the world ahead. As I dive into new jobs, new homes, new friends, new paths, God help me to trust you and remember all that you have taught me. Help me to believe your precious promises.
"'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for one who believes."(Mark 9:23)

I think that one reason for this is that Satan chooses to cloud us, after all he is the master of fear. He wants us to wallow in fear and anxiety, clinging to the here and now and not to what lies ahead, and what came before. It is vitally important for us to hold onto these signposts in our lives. We all have them! God has reached his hand into our lives so many times and spoken those sweet promises to us over and over again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywTcPS7QehE&feature=share

My Guidepost

All this last year I have been learning how important it is to have signposts in our lives that help us remember moments that God helped us, directed us, made a vision clear for us. These Signposts help us to remember the good times in the midst of the bad, remember the promises amid the darker moments when we are being tested or pulled in every direction. They help us stay on track and not lose sight of the vision God has for our lives.

This has been very helpful as I have struggled with the sudden direction change in my life. I'm not sure its really a direction change as much as a detour and preparation for what lies ahead. But yesterday at church, a new concept came to me at church. The idea of a guidepost is a beautiful one, especially with what the guidepost in our lives is.

The guidepost in a christian's life is Christ Himself, his return. All of the signposts line up behind us, but this Guidepost off in the distance lies before us, constantly reminding us why the signposts are important. It tells us why we do what we do. As Christians, we do everything because of Christs eminent return. We reach out to others, spending our lives, so that they might ave the chance to know God before his return.

And as my Pastor put it yesterday (my phrasing) "One day everyone in the world will have a loud wake-up call, but by then it will be too late, it will be horrifying on the day of Christs return for anyone who doesn't yet know him." This is why we do what we do! We work to help the world around us know Him so that they will get to enter Gods Kingdom in the end.

This is my wimpy little depiction of how this looks in my head. The signposts sit behind us giving us proof that we are going the right direction, while the Guidepost lies ahead, ever giving a goal and direction in our lives.

"10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters,[a] make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

2 Peter 1:10-11

"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.[a]

11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.[b] That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells."

-2 Peter 3:10-13

New Beginnings

Hey Everyone,
Today I start a new journey in my life. I am always talking about getting certain things into my life, always trying something new but then I get distracted with something else, namely the TV. But today I feel God calling me to change that. I've been learning the difference between a do-er and a thinker recently, and for me, I seem to lean to the side of thinker. That's not always bad, but today I read a quote from Charles Spurgeon in my Quiet Time "One good deed is worth more than  thousand theories." Now, you may be thinking to yourself "But Elise, you have gone all over the world, you've gotten to do so much more than most people get to do in their life time, how could you see yourself as a thinker and not a do-er". Well, honestly, all I can say, is that I really am a thinker. I have so many crazy, half brained ideas that never get done. So many theories running around in my head, and I've never found the time or will to do most of them. All of the little things slip by undone, while it appears that all the big things are getting done. And that's good, I suppose, but its the small things that count.
For those of you who don't know, I just spent the last year over seas studying and following the Father's will. It was a wonderful adventure and I loved every minute of it. My hope is to one day return, but it appears that it is not in Gods will for me at this time. One of the things that struck me while I was there, and since I've returned, is that I was so dedicated to doing the small things over there, but the moment I returned, all my discipline flew out the window! I was learning the guitar, having a quiet time for at least half an hour almost every day, learning a new language, studying, painting, meeting with friends, and so much more. Since I've been back, I'm lucky if I get in a 15 minute quiet time, meet with maybe one friend in a week, pick up the guitar once in a month, and hardly ever speak a different language.
What is frustrating about this is that I had been doing it! I had been doing all these things and had to cram them into my busy schedule, but now that my crazy schedule is gone, and I have all the free time in the world, my discipline is gone. It's sad.
But my life is about to change, and I hope that it brings back to me the importance of doing all the little things.
Ecclesiastes 9:10 says "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your heart" I intend to start today! God calls us to work with everything we have, and do it for him. I want my life to embody this. Whatever I'm called to do, wherever I am called to go, whether I like it or hate it, whether its hard or easy, small or big, I want to live my life for him.