Dear Sojourner

Dear Sojourner,

How many of God’s people are completely clueless as to the direction of God in their life? We don’t get to choose the route, but we do get to choose the surety of our steps. He takes us where He chooses by the way He chooses. Even when we have lived counter to His perfect (which is likely every time) He [emphasis: He] still makes our way perfect (Psalm 18:32).

God is always making our way perfect. God can and does take even the most devastating and terrible mistakes, sins, problems, and turns them out for good to those who love Him. It’s hard to grasp from our puny humanity, but it is nevertheless true. God can do that. Romans 8 says it and I believe it.

Recently I have been thinking about Abraham. Though Abraham made mistakes, mistakes with huge ramifications even for us today, he is known for believing God. Romans 4:19-21 says,

He [Abraham] did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. 20 No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.

Interesting how natural limitations did to shake Abraham’s faith in the promise of God. In fact, his faith grew in the midst of waiting for the promise to be fulfilled – even as he and Sarah both grew older and older and less and less able to accomplish the promise themselves. Abraham’s faith [in God] grew.

What promise are you waiting on, dear Sojourner? Has your journey taken you up strenuous mountains or down into deep canyons or into barren deserts? Are you growing in faith or are you becoming weary as you journey?

Consider, also, Abraham left everything he knew to look for a city God told him about. He didn’t even know where to go. He only knew that God had built the city, it had foundations, and that he was to go. God, I guess, didn’t tell Abe that he wouldn’t get to it until after he died. This city is the New Jerusalem; a city with foundations whose builder and maker is God. (See Hebrews 11 and Revelation 21)

God may have made some promises to us that we too will have to wait for them until the next age. Hebrews 11:13 says that many died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them they greeted them from afar. 

Is our faith strong enough to keep believing God even if we don’t receive the promise in this age? His promises do sometimes transcend ages. This is clearly the context of Hebrews 11:13. Can you still see your promise or has it become dim, shrouded in the fog of life? To those who have such faith, God says the world is not worthy of you. That is pretty awesome and a staggering reality!

Jesus often taught His disciples using nature around them. “Consider the lilies...” “A sower went out to sow...”  

Lately I have been traveling from Nevada to Oregon a lot – A LOT – is more accurate. There is a spot up on Highway 97 where Mt Shasta begins to peek out from behind another ridge. Mt Shasta is a huge and beautiful volcano, which stands stately upon the land God graciously destined for her. Up close one would never consider such a small ridge could hide her magnificence. Yet it does. Then, as you turn a corner, all the sudden, there she is in the wide open of her grandeur. Unless, of course, she is veiled behind a curtain of clouds. I find it amazing that something like fog or a small ridge could veil such a magnificent mountain. But, even when she is hidden from sight, she is still there: stately and beautiful. She beams her royalty invitation to all to come gaze upon her beauty.

Mt Shasta's southern view

One would never consider that when veiled she also ceased to exist.

So how about the promises of God?

If they are fogged-in do they cease to exist?

What has He said to you? His words are sure. Maybe His promises to you won’t be fulfilled the way or in the timing you expect, but they will come to pass. Our trust in the promises of God should be even more guaranteed than the surety of an existing mountain. The unswerving nature of God stands behind His promises. He is more certain than the earth we stand on. He, though veiled, is Eternal God: unchanging in nature; unable to lie.

This is our God.

Who is like Him?

Choose to live like those the Holy Spirit speaks of in Hebrews 11. 

Choose faith! Choose to believe God, even when it is against everything in the natural. Abraham, who, contrary to hope, in hope believed God. 

Don't you want to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant”? 

Think about it.

Then...

Pick yourself up. 

Dust yourself off. 

Look forward and take the next step.

End well, Dear Sojourner.