And again when I think I am going through something completely
new, God gives me the original as my example.
I've been aware that the new season I am in is so very different than
anything I have ever been through before, and it has changed all
of the rules. How I live, how I make decisions, how I communicate
with God... everything has changed. Including my location.
And even though I am far away I live in a time of mass communication
and the water for my soul this week was at Lifechurch.
The sermon was about Elijah and it said so many things I needed to
hear including the fact that after God took him through a lot of
pain (ouch been there) and some time of being alone (even though Jen
and Stella have been here, without my roots, I have been very much
alone.) God then dried up his river. The one meager source of life for
Elijah in that ravine, and God takes it away too.
God changed all of the rules and Elijah had to step out, again, into
obedience with even his daily needs now going unmet.
I get easily caught up in the, "Seriously?! What are You doing?!"
attitude with God. I can lose sight of the fact that He and I have spent
years building trust and fall into the pit of self pity wondering,
"why it is so hard?" and "what purpose does any of this have?"
Lately I have been provided with the opportunity, like Elijah, to obey in new
and old ways. And after making right choices about some of them I get to feel
a heart change. I notice something that before would have been met with the
"where is mine?" and instead I think "it does my heart good for this person
to be blessed." It reminds me of who He really is and how much He loves us.
After being obedient Elijah got the opportunity to save the life of a woman
and her son by having their little bit of flour and oil stretch out for months as
God provided for them and Elijah just enough for each day.
There have been many of these opportunities to notice change lately and
just like Elijah, even though in the world's eyes and in comparison to
the way it was before I am getting less and less, God is at work.
He is at work in me so He can do work though me.
Just like Elijah.
And in case you didn't know... he is the first recorded person in the
Bible to raise someone from the dead. That kind of trial and trust
brings a very strong version of our faith.
Bring it on God. The river is dry and I am obedient.